2007 Events
May 2007
Mr. Whitaker was at the guest table at the Washington Hilton for the Congressional Fire Services Dinner. Over 2,000 persons attended included many high ranking officials including Senator Paul Sarbanes, Senator Joe Biden and Congressman Curt Weldon to name but a few. This is an annual and much anticipated event in Washington, D.C. with attendees from literally every state in the union. This event details the legislation that currently effects the Fire and Emergency Services Community nationwide, as well as serving as a time to remember our injured and killed Firefighters and Emergency Services personnel.
Early 2007
Mr. Whitaker was responsible for moving the headquarters of the International Association of Arson Investigator's, Inc. from St. Louis, MO to the Washington, DC area. As the Executive Director of IAAI he joined with the Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Mr. Ron Sarnicki, to build out and co-exist in a brand new office location. Mr. Whitaker and a staff member from the Whitaker Group were responsible for assessing the overall business operation and then staffing the new operation. Mr. Whitaker oversaw this successful transition and administered the IAAI's annual training conference held this year in Victoria, British Columbia before returning full-time to his duties at the Whitaker Group. IAAI has approximately 8,000 members worldwide and is regarded by many as the foremost non-governmental training authority in fire investigation in the world.
July 2007
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners held its annual Fraud Conference In Orlando, Florida. The special featured guest speakers were Mike Oxley and Paul Sarbanes, co-sponsors of the now famous Sarbanes-Oxley bill that revolutionized business management oversight in the United States. Mr. Whitaker serving as Vice-Chairman of the ACFE Board of Regents was able to meet them and hear some of their personal thoughts on today's business environment. Mr. Whitaker was also a featured session speaker at the conference. ACFE has over 40,000 members worldwide and is considered the gold standard for fraud related training and materials.
