August 18, 2007
Greetings Chesapeake Bay members, students, vendors and guests!
During the past year, the Chesapeake Bay Division members and committees have made significant contributions to
the division and within the forensic science community. Before leaving my term in office, I want to acknowledge
their fine accomplishments this year.
In September 2006, the U.S. Congress appropriated $1.5 million to the National Academy of Sciences to identify the
needs of the forensic science community. Congress identified eight specific task areas for study. The
International Association for Identification (IAI) Board of Directors created an advisory committee to review the
eight areas to assess and identify the ongoing needs of the forensic science community. This year, several CBD
committees supported this effort by documenting the challenges that laboratories, agencies and departments face in
an effort to maintain public safety and security throughout the nation. I want to thank the AFIS, Crime Scene,
Forensic Imaging, Research and Development, Tenprint Certification and Latent Print Certification Committees for
providing written responses to the IAI advisory committee regarding this matter. In addition, CBD members
Stephen Meagher and Ed German articulated the historical developments of fingerprint processing, the science of
fingerprint identification, and future technology needs during the NAS meetings this year. An official response
from the IAI will be submitted in September 2007 to the NAS committee.
The spring educational conference was held at the Rocky Gap Golf Resort and Conference Center in November 2006.
The conference was a great success! Pre-conference activities were coordinated by the Fundraising and Publicity
Committees by contacting local newspapers, golf shops, country clubs and vendors to support this fundraising
activity. The lessons learned indicate that a fundraising event of this nature has great potential to facilitate
professional camaraderie and financial support for the division.
The Conference Planning Committee worked together with the Student Development and Education Committees to provide
an outstanding speaker program and poster presentation session; the Daubert Planning and Publicity Committees
provided questions and discussion points that initiated spirited and professional opinions between the “law” and
the “science” regarding friction ridge identification. In addition, The Forensic Imaging Committee provided
workshops to engage our members in the technology and imaging advancements used to facilitate forensic examinations.
Congratulations to the new Tenprint Certification Committee that provided their first certification test to our
members at Rocky Gap! We were successful in certifying members from our division under this new certification
program.
The CBD Scholarship Committee presented four awards at the spring conference to facilitate the education of students
within our division. Thank you to all who made financial contributions in support of our student members.
We have a new and improved Chesapeake Examiner and CBD Web Page. Laura Hutchins and Alex Mankevich have taken great
strides to streamline pertinent information to our members. The fall edition will clearly represent R & D within the
forensic science community; the newsletter will provide information pertaining to the upcoming conference.
The CBD Board of Directors and Constitution and Bylaws Committee spent considerable time reviewing and updating our
official documents that provide guidance and consistency throughout the division. Please take time to review these
changes published in the Examiner. A vote will be taken at the fall conference business meeting in York, PA on
whether or not to accept these changes.
Throughout the course of this year, our Education Committee offered a few training opportunities in addition to the
educational conference. Accidental Reconstruction offered by Frank Carson from the Crime Scene Commitee and ULW
training was offered by Marian Price (CJIS) and James Johnson (past president). The training was well received by
the attendees and additional classes were requested for next year.
On a final note, many of our student members volunteered their time to collect DNA, fingerprints, palm prints and
latent prints at the annual Twins Days event in Twinsburg, OH and we are grateful for their support during the
twins weekend.
I look forward to seeing all of you at our fall conference in York, PA www.yorktowne.com. We have an outstanding
speaker program and a number of student poster presentations offering a snapshot of the latest research and
technologies within forensic science. Please join us in welcoming key note speakers Richard Saferstein the
author of several books pertaining to crime scene investigation; Kelly Martin, senior producer of Forensic Files;
and Dr. Katherine Ramsland who will offer her experiences in criminal profiling. Take care and safe travels to
York, PA.
Deborah Leben - President
February 25, 2007
Committee members,
Thank you for the time you have contributed this year to support the division and your committees. This past weekend we met for a
midyear Board of Directors meeting and many of your committees and efforts were recognized for taking initiative to assist in the
educational role of the division.
The Executive Board, along with past presidents and committees contribute hours of collective effort to enhance and support the
operation of the division and training throughout the year. This year we have an outstanding group of individuals that are working
together to meet the needs of our current and incoming members.
To highlight a few accomplishments:
The Vice Presidents, past Presidents, Board of Directors, Officers, and Committees are to thank for these accomplishments within the
division. Every small change is significant as it paves the road for others to follow.
All of you have made contributions to help along the way! I want to recognize your effort in addition to your full time/overtime
employment, families, and other social obligations that you have throughout the year. As volunteers for the organization, as well as
your commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Division this year, you have gone above and beyond the expectations of your roles and I thank you!
There are plenty of opportunities to support your committees and the division. Please contact your committee chair or contact me
directly if they are not available, about becoming more involved during the spring/fall conferences or throughout the year.
We are looking forward to the new changes in the spring edition of the Chesapeake Examiner and the creative effort of Laura Hutchins.
I would also like to notice the Vice Presidents, the Vendor Coordinator, the Webmaster, the Fundraising Committee, and the
Secretary-Treasurer. These positions require a tremendous amount of work, phone calls, coordination, negotiation, and effort to
make the current and upcoming educational conferences a success. All have their specific tasks and have strived to fulfill those
responsibilities very well along with support from various committees.
I look forward to our educational conference next month. I have also scheduled a brief meeting with the committees on Sunday morning
following the conference. All are welcome to attend.
Thank you again for your time and dedication!
Deborah Leben
November 27, 2006
Greetings Chesapeake Bay members, students, vendors and guests!
The Chesapeake Bay Division has grown tremendously since its charter in 1962 simply because of the dedication and professionalism of our members
and their commitment to achieve excellence. The progress within our division is clear when considering the increase in membership, the variety
of educational opportunities, and the continued support from respective vendors offering cutting edge technologies to help solve crimes!
We are one of the largest and most active divisions of the IAI and I am honored to support this division as President for 2006-2007. One goal for
this year is to encourage professional exchange between experts in the field and students enrolled in forensic science and criminal justice programs.
To promote this exchange, we are inviting students to join committees and partake in the educational program and poster presentations throughout
the year. My experience is that students bring energy and creativity into any environment and through active participation within the division
will have the opportunity to work side by side with forensic experts who can offer wisdom, valuable life experiences, and mentorship that is
truly priceless.
Success of any organization is not achieved by one person alone. Success within our Division has been the result of members working together
to make significant contributions in the forensic science community. One notable example is when the scientific reliability of fingerprint
identification was called into question. In the end, the collective effort of experts throughout the nation and within this Division responded
so eloquently on behalf of the science to regain the confidence needed through judicial precedence to support the field of fingerprint
identification.
We have great talent in this division and I would like to thank all of you for responding to our surveys throughout the year. With your suggestions,
Second Vice President Linda Hileman has scheduled an outstanding educational program for the spring 2007 conference at Rocky Gap Resort in Cumberland,
MD. In addition, Patrick Davis and the Daubert Planning Committee are preparing a debate and panel discussion that should provide an interesting
exchange between critics, attorneys, and experts in the field of forensic science.
Stay tuned for upcoming details regarding fundraising and social opportunities by Lynn Slaughter and the fundraising team! All proceeds will support
the operation of the division, student scholarships, and costs needed to create the best possible educational program for our members. Families are
also welcome to join in the myriad of activities planned for children to include hiking, biking, indoor swimming, arts and crafts, and a Friday night
bonfire with Smores!
In closing, I thank Laura Tierney for her tremendous effort in publishing the Chesapeake Examiner for the past few years and welcome new Editor
Laura Hutchins for taking on this role. In addition, thank you for taking the time to participate in our educational conferences, and for sharing
experiences and knowledge with fellow members and the students striving for careers in this field. I look forward and welcome you to join us in
CBD activities this year! Best wishes for a fabulous 2007!
Deborah Leben - President