| 2008 President's Message |
It is my honor to serve as the 2008 Minnesota Division President. As the President it’s my responsibility to develop the format for the 2008 conference in a way that continues the proud tradition of high quality information and knowledge sharing for the many forensic scientists and investigators serving our communities. It is my personal goal to provide the very best professional presenters in our field today at the 2008 Conference. The 2008 MDIAI Educational Conference will celebrate the MN Division’ s 44th Anniversary. The conference will be held September 18th-19th, 2008 at the Wildwood Lodge located at 8511 Hudson Boulevard, Lake Elmo, MN. The lodge has set aside a block of rooms for our conference attendees at a room rate of $121 per night plus tax for single and double occupancy. Included in this rate is a breakfast voucher up to $7.50 per person per room. The conference agenda includes expert presentations from several agencies such as the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, Minneapolis Crime Lab, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Crime lab, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), St. Paul Police Crime Lab as well as the FBI (West Virginia office). In addition, our vendors will play an important role in the conference. Topics will range from mass casualty response, to firearm / tool marks lectures & workshops, to crime scene case studies and several other topics. The complete conference plan and schedule will be posted on the MDIAI website: www. minnesotadivisioniai.org. I believe we’ve put together a very strong combination of expert presenters, vendors, and relevant topics for the 2008 conference. I look forward to seeing you there and continuing the proud tradition of advancing knowledge in the field of forensic science. Special acknowledgement: I want to personally acknowledge and thank our dedicated volunteers for the 2008 MDIAI Conference. Thank you to: • Jennifer Jaspersen our Division Secretary-Treasurer for continuous dedication to keeping it all coordinated and on track • Janet Nelson the Editor & Publisher of “Gopher Identification” newsletter for getting the word out • Board Chairman Gregg Bratt for obtaining & coordinating the vendors • Diane Nelson for bringing her incredible talent and knowledge • Wally Lind for the hard work of maintaining our division website, and • An extra special thanks to John Douthit. I can’t say enough about him and the contribution he continues to make as our Division’s Historian. Together they bring their dedication, knowledge, and talents and have spent a great deal of time to develop and brainstorm how we can present an innovative 2008 conference for you. Lastly, I would like to extend a special acknowledgement to the investigative and law enforcement departments that support these volunteers’ involvement with the MDIAI because without their support this would not be possible. Thank you. Al Cooper, 2008 MDIAI President |