Last year's conference, hosted by America’s premier legislative organization, the National Conference of State Legislatures, was a great event, but this year is truly lining up to be a blockbuster. 

The NCSL Annual Meeting is scheduled for August 5-9, 2007 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. It is no coincidence Boston is the host city for this event as it was the cradle of the American Revolution. History will always remember the Boston Tea Party, as depicted on these U.S. Stamps, issued in 1973. 

This summer, thousands of state legislators and legislative staff will arrive in Boston to address their states’ most pressing problems. The Annual Meeting will present more than 150 informative sessions and nationally renowned speakers on the issues that matter. Past speakers have included the President of the United States, congressional leaders, cabinet members and experts from universities, think tanks, and the private sector. 

State and Federal Communications will again participate with a booth at the Exhibitor’s Hall. Please plan to visit with our team! Show hours are: 

• Monday, August 6, Noon to 5 pm

• Tuesday, August 7, 9 am to 4 pm 

• Wednesday, August 8, 3 pm to 5 pm 

In addition, there are many extra activities and places to visit and see in Boston. We’ll address some of the fun events in the July issue of Compliance Now. 

For now, be sure to make your reservations by visiting: http://www.ncsl.org/annualmeeting/index.htm

Dawn Gorman, Executive Assistant, has many varied responsibilities, the most important being to assist Elizabeth Bartz in planning and organizing client meetings, exhibiting opportunities, and travel. Dawn also takes part in marketing activities and is a key contact for customers signing up and/or renewing their annual Executive Source Guide subscriptions. She also plans and sets up special events for the company, as well as handling a number of procurement projects. She has been with the company since October of 2006. Just last month, she was married and spent a lovely honeymoon on the beaches of Mexico. When asked what she most enjoys about working with customers, she replies, "I am glad to assist in getting their subscriptions started or renewed. Sometimes there are questions or issues that I need to work through with them, and I'm glad to resolve these so they can use the Executive Source Guides to answer their needs."

We’re proud to live in the United States, so we are starting a new series in Compliance Now that will focus on historical and/or significant landmarks. Hope you enjoy reading these! Send us your requests and we’ll try to write about them. 

Here are some interesting facts on 
The White House, found on www.whitehouse.gov. 

• The White House is more than 200 years old. President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, then chose a site for the new presidential residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

• A competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design. 

• Construction began in October 1792. President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, but he never lived there. In 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, its first residents, 2nd President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since then, each President has made his own changes and additions, although the exterior stone walls are those first put in place centuries ago. 

• There are 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 levels to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. 

• At various times in history, the White House has been known as the "President's Palace," the "President's House," and the "Executive Mansion." President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901. 

• Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805. Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. This practice was discontinued when Grover Cleveland became president. On January 21, 1993, President Clinton’s open house renewed this venerable White House Inaugural tradition as 2,000 citizens, selected by lottery, were greeted in the Diplomatic Reception Room by President and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore. 

• The White House survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929. 

• With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000. 

• For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, a jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, billiard room, and a bowling lane. 

• Current residents: President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.