Interviewer(s): Ernesto Valdez

Project: University of Houston

This interview was conducted on August 14, 2006, in Mr. Solan’s office located at 2318 Atascosita Rd., Humble, Texas 77396. The essence of this narration focuses on the response of Harris County, Texas to the tens of thousands of evacuees from New Orleans, La. who were victims of Hurricane Katrina. The execution of disaster preparedness plans that was initiated and completed within a matter of hours represents the apex of community and governmental cooperation. As Harris County’s Director of Homeland Security and Special Projects, Mr. Sloan was assigned the task of engineering this endeavor. The intrinsic value of this narrative is a view of an organizational infrastructure that minimized error and maximized success in this unprecedented event.

The interview was conducted by Ernesto Valdés, Center for Public History, University of Houston where the tape is deposited in M.D. Anderson Library on the main campus of the university.