[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          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.

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