I'm posting this because the Business Continuity Institute will be a great resource for small business owners to learn about business continuity. CPM WEST, LAS VEGAS, May 21, 2008 – As part of its global growth strategy, the Business Continuity Institute (Caversham, UK), a leader in setting and validatingstandards of professional competence and ethics in business continuity management, announces its newest initiative, the BCI USA Chapter.  The new country chapter, a not-for-profit corporation based in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., will be formally inaugurated at the CPM 2008 West Conference and Exhibition, May 20-22, 2008, at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.  The new BCI USA Chapter will host a kickoff reception on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 5:30 p.m Officers of the USA Chapter are President Kathleen Lucey, FBCI, president of Montague Risk Management, Inc. (Locust Valley, N.Y.); Vice President Douglas Weldon, FBCI, president of Vigilant Services Group (Longwood, Fla.); Treasurer Gerald Varney, FBCI, vice president of Vigilant Services Group; and Secretary Paul Kirvan, FBCI, vice president with Marsh, Inc. (New York, N.Y.).  Each of the officers has over 20 years of hands-on experience in business continuity and risk management Passionate about the new chapter, Lucey said, “This watershed event has been a long time coming.  When the BCI recently established its chapter system for global expansion, the officers worked to start a USA chapter as soon as possible, and are committed to bringing the many benefits of BCI membership to American BC practitioners Lucey added, “We believe that the member activities we are currently planning for this country will bring a new level of professionalism to the BC practitioners in the United States, and all of the officers of the BCI USA Chapter are proud to be associated with its founding and development.” The BCI USA Chapter joins existing BCI country chapters in Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and the Far East (based in Singapore). Among the chapter activities to be developed are education elements involving various BCM disciplines, such as seminars, interactive advanced workshops, webinars, expositions, and educational programs developed in partnership with leading academic institutions; a speakers’ bureau; data repository of industry information, and many others.  The USA Chapter website at www.thebci-usa.orgwill also be introduced at the kickoff reception. About The Business Continuity Institute Based in Caversham, United Kingdom, The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) was established in 1994 to “promote the art and science of business continuity management” to assist organizations in preparing for and surviving minor and large-scale man-made and natural disasters.  The group enables members to obtain guidance and support from their fellow practitioners, as well as offers professional training and certification programs to disseminate and validate the highest standards of competence and ethics.  It has more than 4,000 members worldwide in more than 85 countries.  For more information on the BCI, visit http://www.thebci.org