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EXPERT ALERTS

• Responsible Leadership and Condemnation of Extremism Violence in Libya
• Speaking Out Against Violence in Libya
• Eleven Years After 9/11, Airports Are Still Wide Open to Terrorists
• 50 Years After 'Silent Spring'
• Government's Involvement in the Mortgage Industry and How It Affects Qualified Borrowers
• Simple Steps Can Help Industries Conserve Water

MEDIA JOBS

• Producer - Chicago
• Newsroom Content Coordinator/Editor - Teaneck, N.J.
• Washington Bureau Correspondent - Washington, D.C.

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• Upcoming PR/Media Events
• Focusing on Entrepreneurs for Hispanic Heritage Month
• Grammar Hammer: It's vs. Its -- It's Simple!

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EXPERT ALERTS

Expert Alerts are listings of ProfNet members who are available to discuss timely news topics. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact their media representative at the end of the listing. You can also find Expert Alerts online at bit.ly/pncalerts

Responsible Leadership and Condemnation of Extremism Violence in Libya
Nasser Weddady
Civil Rights Outreach Director
American Islamic Congress (AIC)
"This was a cowardly attack against our diplomatic mission, which is not justifiable for any reason. The so-called explanations in the media are excuses employed by extremists who use violence against innocent civilians. It is the responsibility of leaders to recognize that they carry the burden of confronting extremism and protecting the lives of civilians. Silence is not an option."
Weddady is a Mauritanian human rights activist, who writes and speaks about the rise of extremism in the Magreb region. Based in Boston, he works closely with the American Muslim community, promoting religious tolerance, mutual respect and individual freedoms. He has been published in a number of major news publications, including the International Herald Tribune, the Boston Globe and The Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared on a number of major TV news stations, including Fox, BBC World Service and Al-Jazeera. Fluent in five languages, Weddady has lectured at the United States Institute of Peace and in diverse interfaith settings.
Website: www.aicongress.org
News Contact: Aimee Chiu, aimee@aicongress.org or +1-202-595-3160

Speaking Out Against Violence in Libya
Zainab Al-Suwaij
Co-Founder and Executive Director
American Islamic Congress (AIC)
"As a native of Iraq who grew up under an oppressive regime of intolerance, I know firsthand how extremists of all types incite public outrage and violence for their own ends. As I join my fellow Americans in mourning the tragic loss of life and expressing condolences to the families, I also unequivocally condemn this deplorable violence against innocent people who were in Libya serving in the interest of diplomacy and peace. We must continue our efforts to stamp out hate and to promote freedom, tolerance and civil society in Muslim majority countries and the rest of the world and encourage responsible leadership and stability in these countries."
Al-Suwaij can speak of her personal experiences in Iraq and of her experiences working on the ground throughout the MENA region to combat extremism, intolerance and violence. She also can discuss the programs she directs to build stronger civil society, participation in government and respect for civil rights in countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia and across the region. Her tenacity has continued as an outspoken advocate for human rights an agent for progressive change in Muslim-majority countries. Al-Suwaij's entrepreneurial spirit led her to co-found the American Islamic Congress after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She has served as its executive director for more than a decade now to build interfaith understanding and support human and civil rights, here in the U.S. and abroad. With offices in Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Boston and Washington, D.C. (headquarters), she has given back to thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims around the globe.
Website: www.aicongress.org
Profile: www.profnetconnect.com/zainab_al-suwaij
News Contact: Aimee Chiu, aimee@aicongress.org or +1-202-595-3160

Eleven Years After 9/11, Airports Are Still Wide Open to Terrorists
Alan Kirschenbaum
Professor of Organizational Sociology and Disaster Management
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
"Although security has made it extremely difficult to hijack planes, it has still left the airports wide open to terrorists. Moreover, airport security technology has reached its reasonable limits and emphasis should be understanding human decision making."
Kirshenbaum can also be interviewed on how airport security is stifling the growth of the industry by putting off passengers, the bread-and-butter of profits. At the same time, airport managers are restricted from turning airports into service providers, instead of the mass production units they were designed to be 50 years ago. Kirschenbaum is a world-renowned expert in the field of disaster management. He is a popular lecturer, author and advisor to governments, public institutions and security-related companies. Kirschenbaum is the initiator and coordinator of the EU-funded BEMOSA (Behaviour Modelling for Security in Airports) consortium, a Europe-wide research project aimed at improving security in airports.
Profile: www.profnetconnect.com/alankirschenbaum
Website: bemosa.blogspot.co.il
Expert Contact: avik@tx.technion.ac.il

50 Years After 'Silent Spring'
Dr. Laura Hobgood-Oster
Professor of Religion and Environmental Studies
Southwestern University
"Sept. 27, 1962, marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson's bestselling book 'Silent Spring.' The book is credited with leading to a ban on the use of some pesticides in the United States and launching the U.S. environmental movement. 'Silent Spring,' for the first time, opened up the discussion of the broader human impact on other species, specifically our ability to obliterate other species entirely, and therefore our responsibility to rethink our power. Also, in unexpected ways, it reminded us of the beauty of a world of biodiversity and how lonely the world would be if we destroyed the other creatures around us."
Hobgood-Oster is available to discuss the impact of "Silent Spring" in the 50 years since its publication.
Profile: www.profnetconnect.com/laura_hobgood-ost...
News Contact: Ellen Davis, davise@southwestern.edu or +1-512-863-1570

Government's Involvement in the Mortgage Industry and How It Affects Qualified Borrowers
Steve Calk
Chairman and CEO
The Federal Savings Bank
"By far, the most important institutions responsible for providing home loans to first time homebuyers, veterans and working-class Americans in this country are community banks. However, government guidelines are having staggering effects on access to capital for the current or would-be American homeowner. The worst of the new government guidelines are proposed changes in capital requirements and risk weighting for community banks -- specifically, BASEL III. BASEL III is designed to level the playing field among major banking institutions that operate internationally. Force-feeding these same rules to community banks in the United States is unnecessary and in fact counterproductive, particularly in the current economic environment. Not only will popular mortgage products originated by most banks attract significantly higher capital charges, the risk-based capital penalties for providing early payment default protection may force these banks away from the correspondent lending market. This will translate to less mortgage credit for Americans, particularly those in communities served by community banks."
News Contact: Kellie Kennedy, kelliek@theharbingergroup.com or +1-312-933-4903

Simple Steps Can Help Industries Conserve Water
Daniel L. Theobald
CEO
Environmental Services by Daniel Theobald
“It’s widely known that the world is in a water crisis that is now being exacerbated by the warming trends we all read about. What’s less known is the enormous amount of water wasted by industrial plants simply because they have failed to keep up with the solutions available to them. For example, water used in cooling systems can be recirculated rather than discharged, chemicals can be removed from water turning it from waste to fresh water again, and hoses can be adjusted to pour less water while still achieving their purposes. In the industrial world, we are talking about hundreds of thousands of gallons of water often wasted daily in just one plant alone. In many instances, the public is ahead of industry in water conservation. Conserving water can also be a step toward significant savings for corporations."
Theobald is based in Greenville, S.C. He can discuss steps businesses can take to conserve water. Theobald is available for media interviews.
News Contact: Richard Berman, gobermanpr@gmail.com or +1-914-572-2707

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: bit.ly/pncjobboard

• Producer - Chicago
• Newsroom Content Coordinator/Editor - Teaneck, N.J.
• Washington Bureau Correspondent - Washington, D.C.

See more listings here.

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at profnetalerts@prnewswire.com

• UPCOMING PR/MEDIA EVENTS: ProfNet Editor Evelyn Tipacti lists upcoming events that might be of interest to industry professionals: goo.gl/sM6Bd

• FOCUSING ON ENTREPRENEURS FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH: Financial writer Melissa Preddy shares a few story ideas and resources for business journalists: goo.gl/dblSv

• GRAMMAR HAMMER: IT'S VS. ITS -- IT'S SIMPLE! ProfNet Editor Grace Lavigne explains when to use "it's" vs. "its": goo.gl/VVqAw