The publication is reproduced in full below:
KEN KLEIN RETIREMENT
______
HON. SAM GRAVES
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of the retirement of Ken Klein, who has served as the Executive Vice President for the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) for the past two decades. During his time at OAAA, Ken has driven the billboard industry into a new era of public service.
Ken spearheaded the OAAA's public-service partnerships with various agencies and nonprofits--including the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)--to seek new ways to inform and protect Americans.
The FBI partnership is an excellent example of how law enforcement, the private sector, and the public can collectively bring criminals to justice in today's digital age. As a result of Ken's efforts, the FBI has new tools to promote safety and rapidly share information in dangerous situations.
The collaboration and the speed with which digital billboards can publicize crucial fugitive and crime-related information was key to the success of numerous investigative efforts in 2020. For example, outdoor advertising helped nab the ``Travelling Bandit''--a serial bank robber--in 2019 and raised awareness on a notorious drug cartel fugitive in 2020 after the individual was added to the FBI's ``Ten Most Wanted Fugitives'' list. All in all, the FBI credits the capture of 58 fugitives as a direct result of billboard publicity.
Digital billboards have also proved to be a vital tool in disaster preparation and response. A case study posted on FEMA's website reports that, ``Digital technology enables quick delivery of emergency messages via high-tech billboards. Public-private partnerships harness these high-tech signs to inform the public about weather warnings, evacuation routes, and safety-related information.''
Advances in technology mean that the billboard industry can deliver information in ways unavailable a generation ago. The message on a digital billboard can be changed by computer in an instant:
On August 1, 2007, the I-35W Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. Within 15 minutes, emergency messages were displayed on digital billboards throughout the area.
After Tropical Storm Fay in August of 2008, 37 different messages were displayed on more than 75 digital billboards in 11 counties in Florida.
When Albuquerque experienced a natural gas emergency, the city quickly posted messages on digital billboards asking the public to lower thermostats and reduce hot water usage.
Immediately after the massive Japanese earthquake in 2011, tsunami warnings appeared on digital billboards on the West Coast.
Finally, Ken also led a partnership with the NCMEC. Because of his hard work, more than 500 AMBER Alerts have been displayed on digital billboards across the country. Law enforcement and NCMEC rely on these high-tech signs to help locate missing children and to apprehend child abductors.
Please join me in extending congratulations to Ken, on the occasion of his retirement, for his successful leadership of OAAA's public-
private partnerships, and his contributions to public safety.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 194
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