Under  the glorious California sky with a backdrop of unique desert scenery, the WIFLE Sixth Annual Leadership Training Conference will open with an ambiance all its own.  
   On June 14th, 15th and 16th, 2005,  at the Westin Hotel and Conference Center in Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs, California, WIFLE will focus attention on leadership skills necessary for advancement in the ranks of government as well as examine key enforcement issues and challenges women face in a federal law enforcement agency.
   On opening day, invited welcoming keynote speaker United States Attorney Debra W. Yang for the Central District of California will kick off this exciting conference. Our invited keynote panel is distinguished Deputy Directors and career civil servants Barbara Riggs, USSS, Michele Leonhart, DEA, and Edgar Domenech, ATF. (For more information on Barbara Riggs and Michele Leonhart, refer to the December 2004 issue of WIFLE-Enews.)
   Other eminent speakers will address issues of intelligence gathering and dissemination; protecting the technology infrastructure; leadership issues; combating terrorism; challenging sanctioned practices to be more effective; working closely with state/local counterparts in enforcement efforts; and, a close look at “you and your federal career.” For the first time we will hold workshops designed for both federal prosecutors and investigators to attend.
   The Awards Banquet is always a popular and well-attended conference highlight. The 2005 Awards will be presented on Wednesday evening, June 15. WIFLE's highly competitive awards identify and acknowledge achievement and bring distinction to the individual Awardees and also bring recognition to the employee's Agency. WIFLE awards are presented for exceptional courage, outstanding accomplishment, and significant contributions that have advanced the recruitment, retention, and the promotion of women in federal law enforcement.  The WIFLE 2005 Julie Y. Cross Award  is especially important because it commemorates the 25th anniversary of Agent Cross's sacrifice in the line of duty. 
   New this year is the WIFLE Top Prosecutor Award. This distinctive recognition will honor a federal prosecutor for exceptional work resulting in the conviction of individual(s) for federal violations in-
• Trafficked women or children for sexual exploitation; 
• Trafficked any human being for forced labor; 
• Committed or attempted to commit a crime of violence against any woman; 
• Committed a civil rights violation; 
• Defrauded individuals through an elaborate scheme of identity theft;
• And/or defrauded the general public through any type of corporate scandal. 

Preliminary planning is underway for a golf event on Monday, June 13. If you are interested in participating, please drop an email to WIFLE@comcast.net so we can determine interest.
   Join Us in 2005!  Register for the conference today.  Visit the Website for the latest details, conference registration, and hotel reservation forms. www.WIFLE.org

   Former Superior Court Judge Debra W. Yang was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. Forty-two at the time, Debra W. Yang is the youngest U.S. Attorney in the history of California's Central District- female or male- and is also the first Asian American to hold the seven-county post, the largest federal prosecutor's office outside Washington, D.C.   Ms. Yang is scheduled to open WIFLE's Sixth Annual Leadership Training Conference on June 14, 2005.  With 245 lawyers, headquarters in Los Angeles and branches in Santa Ana and Riverside, the U.S. Attorney's office prosecutes federal crimes in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The office also represents the Justice Department in civil law suits.  As a federal prosecutor, she handled violent crimes, white-collar crimes, international money laundering, arson and computer crimes. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Ms. Yang successfully prosecuted a number of high-profile cases, including a Glendale arson investigator convicted of setting fires throughout the state of California; the first federal carjacking case in California; the kidnapping of a local real estate agent; and a computer hacker who received what was then the longest prison sentence for computer intrusion.
  Yang, whose grandfather emigrated from China, has been active in the Asian American Bar Assn. Yang is a mother with three young children successfully balancing a home and work life.  Read the DOJ Press Release here.  Read an interview with Yang.

   WIFLE announces the appointment of a new Executive Board. The WIFLE Executive Officers are Executive Director, Margaret M. Moore; Deputy Director, Monica Blodgett Rocchio; President, Sheree L. Mixell; Vice President, Stephanie J. Davis; Treasurer, Annette K. Paxson; and Secretary, Catherine Sanz. Information about WIFLE and its Executive board can be found on the WIFLE Website at http://www.WIFLE.org.

TSA Advisory on Requirements for Transporting Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition on Commercial Aircraft
     In recent months there have been a number of reported incidents of passengers inappropriately packing firearms, parts, and ammunition in checked baggage. TSA has created an advisory that summarizes how these items should be packed if they are to be transported in checked baggage. Review the requirements online at WIFLE's Website.  http://www.wifle.org/announcements.htm#TSA

PHD Candidate Conducting Research on the "Women in the Senior Executive Service of the Federal Government."
     The purpose of this study is to explore the senior executive service of the Federal government, and to research the reason(s) for the under-representation of women. Please contact Madeline Lewis, 202-324-4659 SIOC@aol.com to participate in the research.

International Women's Day: March 8
    The first Women's Day took place on the last Sunday in February, 1908. Initiated by socialist women in the United States, the occasion was inspired by a number of issues -- the right to vote, equal wages, and better working conditions for female employees among them. A year later, the second International Conference of Socialist Women approved an International Women's Day, which was held for the first time in 1911.
     On March 8 (February 23 on the Gregorian calendar), 1917, thousands of Russian women observed this holiday by protesting food shortages, high prices, the war, and the general suffering they had endured under the Czarist regime. (The Czar was forced to abdicate four days later as a result of that and other strikes.) In 1921, March 8 became the official date for International Women's Day.

       No longer an exclusively socialist holiday, International Women's Day is now a time to rally support for women's rights around the world, commemorate the progress we've made, and honor the efforts of individual women who have helped bring about greater equality for all.

WIFLE: Leading Change in the 21st Century through Collaboration, Cooperation and Communication and Recognizing International Women's Day