This three panel event, being held in association with Sunshine Week at the Center for American Progress, will feature experts and insiders who will discuss the White House's Open Government Initiative and its effect on the public.
The first panel, which will discuss the White House's efforts to embed transparency into the system by requiring agencies to develop an open government plan, consists of:
- Norm Eisen, Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform
- Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies at the Cato Institute
- John Wonderlich, Policy Director at the Sunlight Foundation
The second panel will focus on recent changes to law and public policy, and how they affect a citizen's ability to request and receive information from the federal government. Members of that panel are:
- Kevin Goldberg, counsel to the American Society of News Editors (ASNE)
- Miriam Nisbet, Director of the new Office of Government Information Services (OGIS)
- Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
- Melanie Pustay, Director of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Information Policy (OIP)
The final panel will consist of developers and advocates for open governance who will discuss how they use government info like that available on Data.gov to undertake projects in the name of public interest. Confirmed panelists thus far include:
- Laura Beavers, National KIDS COUNT Coordinator for the Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Eric Gundersen, President and co-founder of Development Seed
- Sean Moulton, Director of Federal Information Policy at OMB Watch will monitor the discussion.
CAP is encouraging would-be participants who aren't in DC to host events showing live feeds of the discussions. Plan now!
When: March 19th, 2010. 12:00 - 2:00 PM (EST)
Cost: Free
Location: Center for American Progress, Washington DC (1333 H Street, NW)*
Register: Sign up/more info here.