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• Please use the drop down menu to select a certain speaker. • Dr. William R. Brody • A Special Luncheon Honoring Senator George McGovern for a Lifetime of Service to America • The Honorable Gary Hart • Red Cavaney • Dick Flavin • Fred Krupp • The Honorable Mary Peters • His Excellency Pierre Vimont • The Rt. Reverend John Bryson Chane • Walter Russell Mead • Branch Rickey III • Richard Reeves • Dick and Dottie Lamm • Tim Kurkjian • Naomi Wolf • Michael Bennet • The Honorable Diana DeGette • The Honorable Bill Ritter • Frank Deford • His Excellency Flavio Espinal • Dr. Marion Nestle • The Honorable Troy Eid • Dr. Harlan Kenneth Ullman • The Honorable Kathleen Kennedy Townsend • The Honorable Wellington Webb • James Quigley • John Hofmeister • The Honorable Ken Adelman • Dr. Robin Meyers • Ms. Lynn Sherr • The Honorable David Walker • Max Boot • Dr. J. Edward Hill • Kitty Dukakis • The Honorable Ben Barnes • James Fallows Wednesday, July 19, 2006 • Bonnie McElveen-Hunter Thursday, June 15, 2006 • 7th District Colorado Democratic Congressional Candidates Friday, May 19, 2006 • Rick Reilly Thursday, April 13, 2006 • The Honorable Robert S. Mueller III Wednesday, March 15, 2006 • Colonel Nathan Sassaman Thursday, February 23, 2006 • The Honorable George McGovern Back to past speaker page... Thursday, September 4, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Dr. William Brody – President, The Johns Hopkins University Speaking on “Health Care Reform” 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Sage Room Members: $35, Non-Members, $50 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Biographical Brief -- William R. Brody William R. Brody became the 13th president of The Johns Hopkins University on Sept. 1, 1996. Immediately prior to assuming the position, Dr. Brody was the provost of the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota. From 1987 to 1994, he was the Martin Donner Professor and director of the Department of Radiology, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins, and radiologist- in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. A native of Stockton, Calif., Dr. Brody received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his M.D. and Ph.D., also in electrical engineering, from Stanford University. Following post-graduate training in cardiovascular surgery and radiology at Stanford, the National Institutes of Health and the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Brody was professor of radiology and electrical engineering at Stanford University (1977-1986). He has been a co-founder of three medical device companies, and served as the president and chief executive officer of Resonex Inc. from 1984 to 1987. He has over 100 publications and one U.S. patent in the field of medical imaging and has made contributions in medical acoustics, computed tomography, digital radiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Dr. Brody serves as a trustee of The Commonwealth Fund and of the Baltimore Community Foundation. He serves on the board of directors of IBM. He is a member of the executive committee of the Council on Competitiveness, the International Academic Advisory Committee, Singapore, and the FBI`s National Security Higher Education Advisory Board. He formerly served on the President`s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, on the board of the Minnesota Orchestra Association and on the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Brody is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering, and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, the American College of Radiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the American Institute of Biomedical Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Brody is a private pilot holding airline transport pilot and flight instructor ratings. Dr. Brody and his wife, Wendy, have two grown children and reside at Nichols House on the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus. Wednesday, August 27, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents during the Democratic National Convention: A Special Luncheon Honoring Senator George McGovern for a Lifetime of Service to America Featuring – Tom Daschle, Mike Dukakis, Gary Hart, Walter Mondale, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend SOLD OUT 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Grand Ballroom (enter off Wazee) Members: $50, Non-Members, $75 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: George McGovern – Biographical Brief One of the most significant figures in America today, George McGovern has earned the respect of countless individuals from all political viewpoints and all walks of life. From his days as a student at Dakota Wesleyan University throughout his long and distinguished career in public service, George McGovern has never forgotten his roots. He was born in Avon, South Dakota, on July 19, 1922, the son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister. The family moved to Mitchell, South Dakota, in 1928, and George graduated from Mitchell High School in 1940. He was an outstanding student, and his proficiency in debate won him a scholarship at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, where he enrolled in the fall of 1940. There he met fellow student Eleanor Stegeberg of Woonsocket, South Dakota. George and Eleanor were married on October 31, 1943, and their five children were all born in Mitchell. As a college student, McGovern was twice elected class president and won the state oratorical contest with the topic "My Brother`s Keeper," an avowal of his belief in one`s responsibility to humankind. World War II interrupted McGovern`s education in 1943. He flew 35 combat missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in Europe, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he returned to Dakota Wesleyan University, graduating in 1946. McGovern then attended Garrett Seminary for one year before enrolling at Northwestern University in Chicago, where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in American history and government. McGovern returned to Dakota Wesleyan University in 1950 as a professor of history and political science, where he became a beloved and respected faculty member. He left the university in 1955 to reorganize and revitalize the South Dakota Democratic Party, from which his illustrious political career was launched. He was elected to Congress in 1956 and reelected in 1958. As a congressman, he was an advocate for the American farmer and represented the nation`s heartland with distinction. After McGovern lost his first bid for the U.S. Senate in 1960, President John F. Kennedy named him the first director of the Food for Peace Program and Special Assistant to the President. In this position he oversaw the donation of millions of tons of food to developing nations. McGovern was then elected to the Senate in 1962 and reelected in 1968 and 1974. As a member of the Senate committees on agriculture, nutrition, forestry and foreign relations, and the Joint Economic Committee, he led the way in expanding key nutrition programs. In 1972, Senator McGovern was selected as the Democratic Party nominee for president, the only South Dakotan so honored by any major political party. In 1976, President Gerald Ford named McGovern a United Nations delegate to the General Assembly, and, in 1978, President Jimmy Carter named him a United Nations delegate for the Special Session on Disarmament. After leaving the Senate in 1980, McGovern was a visiting professor at numerous institutions, including Columbia University, Northwestern University, Cornell University, American University and the University of Berlin. He served as the president of the Middle East Policy Council from 1991 to 1998, when President Clinton appointed him ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. In 2001 he was appointed the first United Nations global ambassador on hunger. In this position, McGovern continues his leadership in the battle against world hunger. A prolific author, McGovern has lectured at more than 1,000 colleges and universities around the world. He has also received many honorary degrees and distinguished awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States` highest civilian honor, which was bestowed upon him by President Bill Clinton on August 9, 2000. A war hero, 22-year U.S. Congressman and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee, George McGovern will long be remembered for his courage in speaking out against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, his friendship and respect for the common man, and his work on behalf of American farmers and hungry children throughout the world. Wednesday, June 11, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: The Honorable Gary Hart – former United States Senator & Co-Chairman of the United States Commission on National Security Author of and Speaking on “Under the Eagle’s Wing: A National Security Strategy of the United States for 2009 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel -- Sage Room Members: $35, Non-Members, $50 (price includes an autographed copy of Senator Hart`s book) Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Gary Hart – Biographical Note Gary Hart "I see an America too young to quit, too courageous to turn back, with a passion for justice and a program for opportunity, an America with unmet dreams that will not die." -- Gary Hart In an era of career politicians, Gary Hart has chosen a road less travelled, devoting himself first and foremost to public service and the good of his country. A prolific author, lecturer, teacher, scholar, and attorney, America`s newest "elder" statesman is a man on a mission who shows no signs of slowing down. Prior to his election as a United States senator from Colorado in 1974, he had never before sought public office. In 1984, he was the runner-up candidate for the Democratic Party`s nomination for president. During 1970-1972, Hart managed Senator George McGovern`s insurgent campaign for the presidency. He has also served as an appellate attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, a special assistant at the U.S. Department of the Interior, and senior counsel to one of America`s oldest international law firms, Coudert Brothers, where he helped pioneer the development of joint business ventures in Russia and in Central Europe. Most recently, Hart co-chaired both the U.S. Commission on National Security/ 21st Century, which issued three public reports forecasting the age of terrorism and outlined a new, post-Cold War national security policy, as well as the Council on Foreign Relations task force on homeland security, which recently released its report "America—Still Unprepared, Still in Danger". As a senator, Hart established a reputation as a political reformer. He founded the Military Reform Caucus in the Congress, a bipartisan effort that contributed substantially to contemporary defense policy. While serving on the Senate Select Committee to Investigate the Intelligence Agencies of the U.S. Government (the Church Committee), he successfully advocated sweeping measures to make our intelligence agencies more accountable. He also introduced a collection of environmental measures to make America energy independent. As a presidential candidate, Hart proposed a "strategic investment initiative" that included new measures to create a more expansive—and more just—national economy. On the foreign policy front, he called for "enlightened engagement" and introduced a series of proposals designed to reform and modernize America`s defenses. Many of these defense plans are today being adopted by the Bush administration. Never shy about committing his thoughts and ideas to paper, Hart is the author of more than a dozen books, including three novels (one co-authored with former Secretary of Defense William Cohen). In 2001, he earned a doctor of philosophy degree from Oxford University. His thesis, "Thomas Jefferson`s Ideal of the Republic in 21st Century America", culminated a decade-long exploration of the idea of restoring the republican ideals of civic virtue and citizen duty. When published in book form in 2002, Restoration of the Republic completed a trilogy of works that began with The Patriot in 1996 and continued with The Minuteman in 1998. Throughout the trilogy, Hart stresses the theme of republican restoration concurrent with a new definition of security that includes not only traditional national and homeland security, but also security of livelihood, security of community, and security of the natural environment. Many of the issues Hart presciently raised and discussed in the 1970s and 1980sóincluding military reform, intelligence reform, energy independence, and a number of othersóhave now begun to re-enter the arena of national debate. In the late 1990s, Hart`s mastery of security issues and grasp of foreign policy led him to make multiple and tragically unheeded predictions—one as late as September 5, 2001—that America would be attacked by terrorists using weapons of mass destruction. No longer a "prophet without honor" in the wake of 9-11, Gary Hart believes the United States is still woefully unprepared to intercept and respond to attacks on American territory. Like a latter-day Paul Revere, he is continuing to provide direction to both his party and his country in an age marred by terrorism. In early 2003, he will deliver a series of policy speeches in which he will argue forcefully that Democrats can only emerge from their status as an opposition party if they offer more attractive ideals and visions than laissez-faire economics and preemptive attacks on other nations. These speeches will be made available on his website. A native of Kansas, Hart has spent his adult life in Colorado with his wife of forty-four years, Lee. They have two children; Andrea Hart, a policy analyst, and John Hart, a lawyer and financial analyst; and one granddaughter, Tatum. Hart holds law and divinity degrees from Yale University and completed his undergraduate studies, with emphasis in theology and philosophy, at Southern Nazarene University. Friday, May 2, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Red Cavaney – President and Chief Executive Officer, American Petroleum Institute (API) 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $50 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: To register for this event please click here. Red Cavaney– Biographical Brief Prior to joining API in 1997, Cavaney was involved in association management for fourteen years as president and CEO of three other trade associations: the American Plastics Council (APC), the American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA), and the American Paper Institute (API). Earlier, he served as president and CEO of Irvine, CA-based Ericson Yachts, a major U.S. yacht manufacturer, and as a senior member of the White House staffs of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon. Cavaney is a director of API, The United States Energy Association, Rebuilding Together, Strategic Partnerships LLC, and Buckeye Technologies, Inc. (NYSE). He is also a former director of the boards of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), among others. He has served as chairman of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the Associations Division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the NAM Council of Manufacturing Associations. Cavaney also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation and the Center for Excellence in Education. Cavaney has earned a Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, was named 1997 Association Executive of the Year by Association Trends magazine, and is the recipient of the 2005 Bryce Harlow Foundation Business-Government Relations Award and the 2006 ASAE Key Award. He is a 1964 NROTC graduate in Economics and History from the University of Southern California, served three tours of combat duty in Vietnam, and was honorably discharged with the rank of U.S. Navy Lieutenant in 1969. He resides in Alexandria, Virginia. Friday, April 18, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Dick Flavin – The Great Raconteur & Poet Laureate of Baseball Speaking on: “Is There Life After Baseball?” 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel Sage Room 1600 17th Street Members, $30, Non-Members, $50 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Dick Flavin – Biographical Brief Dick Flavin is a Boston legend. He first established his fame during a 22-year run as one of Beantown’s most popular television news people. He also became a greatly in demand speaker on the national lecture circuit. Among many other skills, he’s a gifted poet and playwright (his play about the great Tip O’Neill, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is now playing in Boston). Among the benefits of my involvement with the Boston Red Sox, chairing The Great Fenway Park Writers Series and the team’s annual birthday tribute to Jackie Robinson, is my friendship with Dick Flavin. I quickly realized that he’s one special person, and his ability with poetry struck me as quite remarkable. Thus, in a sweeping degree I made him the Poet Laureate of The Great Fenway Park Writers Series. Now, it’s always possible at one of the Writers Series events the speaker may strike-out, but one thing is certain, Dick Flavin will save the occasion with his wit and poetry. Now, most of you reading this, most of you who attend Forum events, are, quite properly, Colorado Rockies’ fans, but Flavin’s status rises above any one team – Red Sox or Rockies – and embraces the whole of America’s greatest sport – baseball. When he comes on the 17th of April to speak I guarantee you one great luncheon. This is not an event you should miss. Below I have included one of Flavin’s poems, about the greatest hitter who ever lived (by general consensus), Theodore Samuel Williams. He will perform – and “perform” is the right word – his tribute to the legendary Williams when he addresses The Forum. This event, unlike most of what The Denver Forum does, won’t focus on national or global crises, but it will be a swell time – talking about baseball, poetry, and laughing our heads off – because Dick Flavin is that good. Don’t miss it! George Mitrovich President The Denver Forum TEDDY AT THE BAT (With apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer) The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Red Sox nine that day, The score stood four to two with but one inning left to play. So when Stephens died at first and Tebbetts did the same A pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the game. A straggling few got up to go, leaving there the rest With he hope that springs eternal within the human breast. They thought if only Teddy could get a whack at that – They’d put even money now with Teddy at the bat. But Dom preceded Teddy and Pesky was on deck. The first of them was in a slump. The other was a wreck. So on that stricken multitude a deathlike silence sat, For there seemed but little chance of Teddy’s getting to the bat. But Dom let drive a single, to the wonderment of all, And Pesky, of all people, tore the cover off the ball. When the dust had lifted, and they saw what had occurred, There was Johnny safe on second and Dominic on third. Then from that gladdened multitude went up a joyous yell, It rumbled in the mountains and rattled in the dell. It struck upon the hillside and rebounded on the flat, For Teddy, Teddy Ballgame, was advancing to the bat. There was ease in Teddy’s manner as he stepped into his place, There was pride in Teddy’s bearing and a smile on Teddy’s face. And when, responding to the cheers he lightly doffed his hat, (I’m making that part up) No stranger in the crowd could doubt ’twas Teddy at the bat. Ten thousand eyes were on him as he wiped his hands with dirt, Five thousand tongues applauded as he wiped them on his shirt. Then when the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance gleamed in Teddy’s eyes, a sneer curled Teddy’s lip. And now the leather covered sphere came hurtling through the air, And Teddy stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there. Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped. “That ain’t my style,” said Teddy. “Strike one!” the umpire said. From the benches black with people went up a muffled roar, Like the beating of the storm waves on the stern and distant shore. “Kill him! Kill the umpire!” someone shouted on the stand, And it’s likely they’d have killed him had not Teddy raised his hand. With a smile of Christian charity great Teddy’s visage shown. He stilled the rising tumult and bade the game go on. He signaled the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew. But Teddy still ignored it, and the umpire said, “Strike two!” “Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and the echo answered fraud. But one scornful look from Teddy and the audience was awed. They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain, And they knew that Teddy wouldn’t let that ball go by again. The sneer is gone from Teddy’s lip; his teeth are clenched in hate. He pounds with cruel vengeance his bat upon the plate. And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, And now the air is shattered by the force of Teddy’s blow. Oh, somewhere in this land of ours the sun is shining bright, The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout. And they’re going wild at Fenway Park ‘cause Teddy hit one out! Monday, March 31, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Fred Krupp – President of Environmental Defense Author of and Speaking on “EARTH: The Sequel – the Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming” 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Sage Room Members: $35, Non-Members, $50 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Biographical Brief -- Fred Krupp Fred Krupp is president of Environmental Defense, a national nonprofit organization that links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Fred Krupp has written a riveting new book with author Miriam Horn. Called Earth: The Sequel: The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming, it turns "the doom and gloom of global warming on its head," said Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City. It`s a not-to-miss story of how America`s smartest minds are transforming the energy sector. Krupp and Environmental Defense have been influential in developing market-based solutions such as the acid rain reduction plan in the 1990 Clean Air Act and the U.S. proposal to achieve least-cost greenhouse gas reductions in the global climate treaty. Krupp often headed the Environmental Defense delegation in international climate change negotiations and has led the organization in a series of corporate partnerships with McDonald`s, BP, FedEx and others. He spearheaded the successful effort to convince chemical manufacturers to speed the health screening of their most widely produced chemicals and was quick to make use of the Internet to advance environmental protection, most notably by providing convenient public access to information on pollution sources and health effects by zip code. Krupp leads Environmental Defense`s teams of scientists, economists and attorneys in developing solution-oriented approaches to four main goals: Stabilizing the Earth`s climate Preserving species and habitat Protecting human health Safeguarding oceans and marine life Since Krupp joined Environmental Defense in 1984, its annual budget has increased from $3 million to $71.8 million, full-time staff increased from 50 to nearly 300, membership expanded from 40,000 to more than 500,000 and new offices opened in Raleigh, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Beijing. Background Krupp serves on the board of the Kennedy School Environment Council and the Leadership Council of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where a fellowship has been established in his honor. He recently chaired the Green Group, the national coalition of 30 leading environmental organizations. Krupp has served on the President`s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations in the George W. Bush and Clinton administrations and served on the commissions on the environment established by Presidents Clinton and George H.W. Bush. He served on the board of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. He is the recipient of the 1999 Keystone Leadership in Environment Award and the 2002 Champion Award from the Women`s Council on Energy and the Environment. Krupp is a graduate of Yale with a law degree from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Environmental Defense, Krupp spent several years in private law practice in New Haven and helped found the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, a leading state environmental group. He lives in Connecticut with his family. Tuesday, March 25, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: The Honorable Mary Peters – Secretary of Transportation of the United States Speaking on: "Transportation in Transition" 5:00 - 6:15pm Wine & Cheese Reception Law Offices of Snell & Wilmer 1200 17th St. Suite 1900 Members: $10, Non-members: $20 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Mary Peters – Biographical Note Mary E. Peters was nominated by President George W. Bush on September 5, 2006, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 15th Secretary of Transportation on September 30, 2006, after spending more than two decades crafting solutions to our nation`s toughest transportation challenges. Secretary Peters brings a unique perspective to her role as the nation’s transportation chief, having spent her career working on transportation issues in the private and public sectors, including leading both federal and state transportation agencies. This hands-on experience allows her to understand and appreciate the real-life aspects of planning, building and operating transportation systems on local, regional and state levels. Over her 20-plus years in transportation, Secretary Peters has earned a solid reputation as an innovative problem solver, a force for safety and a strong advocate for effective use of taxpayer dollars. As Secretary of Transportation, she intends to use these same skills to tackle today’s most pressing challenges including fighting congestion across all modes of transportation, improving safety and addressing strains on traditional sources of transportation funding. She is responsible for maintaining a safe, reliable and efficient transportation system, while leading an agency with almost 60,000 employees and a $70.3 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation missions. Prior to joining President Bush’s Cabinet, Peters worked in Phoenix, AZ, as the national director for transportation policy and consulting at HDR, Inc., a major engineering firm. She was responsible for building a management consulting practice and formulating public policy initiatives for the firm`s transportation program. In 2001, the President asked Peters to lead the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). As FHWA Administrator from 2001 to 2005, she placed special emphasis on finding new ways to invest in road and bridge construction, including innovative public-private partnerships that help build roads faster and at less expense. She also was a strong advocate for using new technology to reduce construction time, saving taxpayer money and resulting in safer, longer-lasting roads and highways. From 1985 to 2001, she served in the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). During her tenure, Peters worked her way up through the ranks as a contract administrator, deputy director for administration, and deputy director. In 1998, then-Governor Jane Hull appointed her director of the agency. While in office, she was recognized as the Most Influential Person in Arizona Transportation by the Arizona Business Journal. Secretary Peters received the 2004 National Woman of the Year Award from the Women’s Transportation Seminar, a national organization of transportation professionals. She chaired the Standing Committee on Planning and the Asset Management Task Force for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and was a member of the AASHTO 2001 Reauthorization Steering Committee. A fourth-generation Arizonan and an avid motorcyclist, Secretary Peters holds a bachelor`s degree from the University of Phoenix and attended Harvard University`s John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for State and Local Government Executives. She and her husband, Terry, have three grown children, and five grandchildren. Wednesday, March 19, 2008 The Denver Forum & The World Affairs Council Proudly Present: His Excellency Pierre Vimont – Ambassador of France to the United States Speaking on: “France & America: A New Era for Old Friends” THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel – Grand Ballroom 1600 17th Street – Enter off Wazee (2nd Floor) Members: $35, Non-Members, $50 Event Sponsor: Biographical Brief – His Excellency Pierre Vimont Ambassador Pierre Vimont was appointed Ambassador of France to the United States by President Nicolas Sarkozy on August 1, 2007. Prior to his present appointment, Mr. Vimont was chief of staff to the minister of foreign affairs, a position he had held since 2002. He was previously ambassador and permanent representative of France to the European Union from 1999 to 2002. Pierre Vimont joined the Foreign Service in 1977. He was first posted to London where he was first secretary from 1978 to 1981. He then spent the next four years with the Press and Information Office at the Quai d’Orsay. From 1985 to 1986 he was seconded to the Institute for East-West Security in New York. Returning to Europe, he served as second counselor with the Permanent Representation of France to the European Communities in Brussels (1986-1990), and was subsequently chief of staff to the minister delegate for European affairs from 1990 to 1993. He went on to serve as director for development and scientific, technical and educational cooperation and then for cultural, scientific and technical relations. He was deputy director general of the entire Cultural, Scientific and Technical Relations Department from 1996 to 1997 and then director of European Cooperation from 1997 to 1999. Born in 1949, Pierre Vimont holds a degree in law and is a graduate of the Institute of Political Studies and the National School of Administration (ENA). Friday, March 14, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane – Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, DC Speaking on “The Problem of Religion & Politics” 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: To register for this event please click here. Biography of Bishop John Bryson Chane Eighth Bishop of Washington The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane, D.D., 61, was consecrated as the Eighth Bishop of Washington on June 1, 2002. As Bishop of Washington, Bishop Chane serves 93 congregations and 45,000 members in the District of Columbia, and in the Counties of Prince George`s, Montgomery, Charles and Saint Mary`s in Maryland. He serves as the President and CEO of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, which governs Saint Alban`s School for Boys, The National Cathedral School for Girls, Beauvoir Primary School, the Cathedral College and the National Cathedral all of which are located on the 53-acre Cathedral Close. He served as Interim Dean of the Washington National Cathedral for eighteen months. Bishop Chane was named by the Washingtonian Magazine as one of the 150 most influential leaders in the District of Columbia. He recently traveled to Iran on two occasions at the invitation of former Iranian President Khatami and has spoken with numerous religious leaders and at numerous cultural events as well as at seminaries and universities in the cities of Tehran and Qom. In 2007, he was invited to Geneva, Switzerland, to engage in closed talks with the former Ambassador of Iran to the United Nations to discuss the need for continued dialogue between Iran and the United States. He then traveled to Oslo, Norway, as a guest of the Club de Madrid, the Norwegian Government and the Foundation for Civilizations to speak on the theme, "Religion, Politics and Terrorism." Bishop Chane traveled in 2007 to Cuba to meet with bishops and Episcopal Church officials to discuss the rapid growth of the Cuban Episcopal Church and the church’s humanitarian concerns that are the result of the continuing sanctions against the country by the United States government. In 2006 he was invited to be the weekly preacher in residence at the Chautauqua Institution in New York and has been invited to return again in 2008. He was recently invited by the Council on Foreign Relations to participate in a two-day conference, "Religion and Terrorism," and continues to be involved in the Council’s ongoing work in the area of religion and foreign affairs. He has been a speaker at the National Defense University on the subject of Religion and Global Terrorism and has also spoken at the U.S. State Department’s Secretary’s Open Forum and at the Pentagon. Since arriving in Washington he has appeared on ABC`s Good Morning America, National Public Radio`s All Things Considered and Weekend All Things Considered, the independent radio program Interfaith Voices, the Public Broadcasting System`s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly and has been profiled in The Washington Post and Washingtonian magazine. He has also appeared on the BBC, CNN, Fox News, local ABC, CBS, NBC, ENS and Fox affiliates, All Africa News and Television, International Public Radio, FaithWorks, CSPAN, and was featured in the PBS television special "Three Faiths, One Goal." He has participated in two international affairs panels hosted by the Washington Press Club, and is the author of numerous published articles on the Church and Secular Society, Global Terrorism and The Episcopal Church and Human Sexuality. Bishop Chane was recently honored for his ongoing work in Abrahamic Dialogue by the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington and was a recipient of the InterFaith Bridge Builders` Award. He is an active member of many boards and advisory committees including the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, The University Council Committee on Religious and Spiritual Life at Yale University, The Episcopal Church Publishing Company, The Virginia Theological Seminary, The Ambassador Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of National City, and Collington Retirement Center, Saint Anna`s Home and Saint Mary`s Home. In addition Bishop Chane serves as Co-Chair of the "Bishops Working For A Just Society" Coalition and on the Episcopal Church`s Committee On National Affairs. He was recently appointed to serve on a Global Anglican Task Force investigating human rights violations in the Kingdom of Swaziland , Africa and his diocese has established a partnership with The Anglican Church of the Province of Southern Africa. Thursday, February 14, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Walter Russell Mead – The Council on Foreign Relations Author of and Speaking on: "God and Gold: Britain, America, and the Making of the Modern World" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel -- Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Walter Russell Mead– Biographical Note Walter Russell Mead is the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and one of the country’s leading students of American foreign policy. His book, "Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), was widely hailed by reviewers, historians, and diplomats as an important study that will change the way Americans and others think about American foreign policy. Among several honors and prizes, "Special Providence" received the Lionel Gelber Award for the best book in English on international relations in 2002. The Italian translation won the Premio Acqui Storia, awarded to the most important historical book published in Italian. His most recent book, "God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007), is a major study of 400 years of conflict between Anglophone powers and rivals ranging from absolute monarchies like Spain and France through Communist and Fascist enemies in the twentieth century to al-Qaeda today. Mr. Mead writes regularly on international affairs for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Washington Post, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, New Yorker, Atlantic, Harper’s, and Esquire. He serves as a regular reviewer of books for Foreign Affairs and frequently appears on national and international radio and television programs. In 1997, he was a finalist for the National Magazine Award in the category of essays and criticism. Mr. Mead’s chief intellectual interests involve the rise and development of a liberal, capitalist world order based on the economic, social, and military power of the United States and its closest allies. He is interested in the implications of this evolving world order for American foreign policy and for American and international society. He is an honors graduate of Groton and Yale, where he received prizes for history, debate, and the translation of New Testament Greek. He has traveled widely in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, and often speaks at conferences in the United States and abroad. He is a founding board member of the New America Foundation. He is a native of South Carolina and lives in Jackson Heights, New York. Tuesday, January 29, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: A Special Birthday Tribute to the Life & Memory of Jackie Robinson Featuring: Branch Rickey III – President, the Pacific Coast League 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Branch B. Rickey III–Biographical Brief Branch B. Rickey is President of the Pacific Coast League, having served as a Triple-A president for 16 years. During his leadership, the PCL has enjoyed unparalleled success. In seven of the last nine years, the league has broken not only its own attendance records, but also the all-time records for any minor league. He began his professional career in the Appalachian (Rookie) League at the age of 17 when he became Business Manager of a team in Kingsport, Tennessee. He continued his summer involvement in baseball while pursuing a degree in Philosophy at Ohio Wesleyan University. Following graduation from OWU, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Venezuela for two years and as a recruiter afterwards for several more. Prior to his election league president, Branch had spent over twenty years at the major league level, progressing from scout to Director of Player Development for the Pittsburgh Pirates and subsequently for the Cincinnati Reds. His father and grandfather were executives with the Cardinals, Dodgers and Pirates. His grandfather is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and, generally, best remembered for signing Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers and for founding what the Major Leagues refer to as the "farm system." Branch III, as he is often labeled, was a four year letterman in college soccer and co-captain his senior year. After earning first place medals in each year of college intra-murals, he advanced to officiating amateur wrestling, International Freestyle and Greco-Roman competition, culminating in working as a judge and referee in the Olympic Games. He presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Delta Society ("Improving human health through service and therapy animals) and the Board of the Negro League Baseball Museum. He and his wife, Diane, make their home in Colorado Springs. A Tribute to Jackie Robinson By Larry Schwartz Special to ESPN.com It`s not often that the essence of a man, especially a complicated man, can be summed up in one sentence. But then again, there haven`t been many people like Jackie Robinson. "A life is not important," he said, "except in the impact it has on other lives." By that standard, few people -- and no athlete -- this century has impacted more lives. Robinson lit the torch and passed it on to several generations of African-American athletes. While the Brooklyn Dodgers infielder didn`t make a nation color blind, he at least made it more color friendly. And he accomplished this feat by going against his natural instincts. He was an aggressive man, outraged at injustice, and quick to stand up for his rights. He had the guts to say no when ordered to the back of the bus in the army, and was court-martialed for his courage. His instinct wasn`t to turn the other cheek, but to face problems head on. He was more prone to fighting back than holding back. That`s what Robinson had to do when Dodgers president Branch Rickey selected him to become the first African-American to play in the majors this century. Rickey wanted a man who could restrain himself from responding to the ugliness of the racial hatred that was certain to come. A shorthand version of their fateful conversation in August 1945: Rickey: "I know you`re a good ballplayer. What I don`t know is whether you have the guts." Robinson: "Mr. Rickey, are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?" Rickey, exploding: "Robinson, I`m looking for a ballplayer with guts enough not to fight back." This unwritten pact between two men would change the course of a country. Baseball might only be a game, but in the area of black and white, it often is a leader. Robinson`s debut for the Dodgers in 1947 came a year before President Harry Truman desegregated the military and seven years before the Supreme Court ruled desegregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Rickey was dead-on about the racism. As Sports Illustrated`s Bill Nack wrote: "Robinson was the target of racial epithets and flying cleats, of hate letters and death threats, of pitchers throwing at his head and legs, and catchers spitting on his shoes." Robinson learned how to exercise self-control -- to answer insults, violence and injustice with silence. A model of unselfish team play, he earned the respect of his teammates and, eventually, the opposition. The 6-foot, 195-pound Robinson was the Rookie of the Year and two years later he was MVP. His lifetime average was .311 and he was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Pigeon-toed and muscular, it was No. 42`s aggressiveness on the basepaths that thrilled fans. It wasn`t so much his two stolen-base titles or his 197 thefts. It was the way he was a disruptive force, dancing off the base, drawing every eye in the stadium, making the pitcher crazy, instilling the Dodgers with the spirit that would help them win six pennants in his 10 seasons. "Robinson could hit and bunt and steal and run," Roger Kahn wrote in The Boys of Summer. "He had intimidation skills, and he burned with a dark fire. He wanted passionately to win. He bore the burden of a pioneer and the weight made him stronger. If one can be certain of anything in baseball, it is that we shall not look upon his like again." He was born on Jan. 31, 1919, in rural Georgia. His father, Jerry, was a ladies man who deserted the family six months after his birth. When his mother Mallie was told by her half-brother, "If you want to get closer to heaven, visit California," she took her five children West in 1920. They moved into a working-class neighborhood in Pasadena, where they felt the sting of a town`s prejudice. Jackie found his home on the playground, playing marbles, soccer, dodgeball, tennis, golf, football, baseball and basketball. He was a demon competitor, desperately wanting to win no matter the game. After starring athletically at Pasadena Junior College, he became the first to letter in four sports at UCLA. He was a brilliant broken-field runner in football; a pioneer point guard who introduced the fast break to a deliberate, white boys` game in basketball; a bandit on the bases in baseball; and an NCAA champion long jumper. He also earned a reputation as a mad brawler, ready to smash any white man who insulted him. After Pearl Harbor, he was drafted into the Army and wound up a second lieutenant. At his court-martial for not moving to the back of the bus, his lawyer said Robinson was on trial not because he had violated any articles of war, but because a few officers "were working vengeance against an uppity black man." All charges were dismissed, and several months later, Robinson received an honorable discharge from the Army. In 1945, he played shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League. That year, Happy Chandler became the major leagues` new commissioner, succeeding the late Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a racist at heart. Chandler, a former governor and senator of Kentucky, said about African-Americans, "If they can fight and die on Okinawa, Guadalcanal (and) in the South Pacific, they can play ball in America." That summer, Rickey selected Robinson to integrate baseball. In 1946, Robinson, playing second baseman for the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers` top farm team, batted an International League-leading .349 and stole 40 bases and led them to the Little World Series championship. April 15, 1947, Robinson`s first major-league game: "It was the most eagerly anticipated debut in the annals of the national pastime," wrote Robert Lipsyte and Pete Levine in Idols of the Game. "It represented both the dream and the fear of equal opportunity, and it would change forever the complexion of the game and the attitudes of Americans." Robinson went hitless, but did score the winning run. That season, the 28-year-old rookie played first base, the only position open on the Dodgers. (He would move back to second base the next year.) The new position was easy compared to all he had to endure -- an abortive rebellion by some of his teammates, the threat of a strike by the St. Louis Cardinals, black cats thrown on the field. Despite feeling the enormous pressure, he kept his considerable temper under control, just as he had promised Rickey. One poignant moment occurred when Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese, a native of Louisville, draped an arm over Robinson`s shoulder, a quiet expression of support that spoke volumes. By 1949, Robinson was free to become his own man. He became animated, with his teammates, the opposition, the umpires. When he felt an injustice, he spoke his mind. For this, some thought he was an "umpity nigger," Robinson said. If a white player had shown the same fire, he would have earned praise, much like Pete Rose did. The "real" Robinson came into his own this MVP season, leading the league with a .342 average and 37 steals. He also had career-highs in RBI (124) and runs (122). After a decade with Brooklyn, he was traded to the New York Giants in December 1956. A month later, the 37-year-old Robinson announced his retirement in Look magazine. He became a vice president for Chock Full o` Nuts before going into other businesses and politics. But his body, which had served him so well as an athlete, gave out early. Diabetes and heart disease weakened him and he was almost blind in middle age. On October 24, 1972, he died of a heart attack at 53. In 1997, baseball dedicated the season to Robinson on the 50th anniversary of his debut. How should we remember this grandson of a slave and son of a sharecropper? Maybe by what he told a white New Orleans sportswriter: "We ask for nothing special. We ask only to be permitted to live as you live, and as our nation`s Constitution provides." With such simple and justifiable demands, it`s no wonder the man had such an impact on so many lives. Wednesday, January 16, 2008 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Richard Reeves – One of America’s Greatest Journalists & the Man Who has Appeared before The Forum More Than Any Other Person Speaking on: "A Force of Nature: The Frontier Genius of Ernest Rutherford" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel -- Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $50 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Copies of Mr. Reeves` book will be available at the event. Event Sponsor: "A Force of Nature: The Frontier Genius of Ernest Rutherford" Pub. Date: November 2007 (208 pages) Publisher: W. W. Norton ISBN-10: 039305750X Richard Reeves, best known for his acclaimed trilogy on the presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, will move in a different direction on November 5, 2007 with the publication of "A Force of Nature: The Frontier Genius of Ernest Rutherford," a short biography of the physicist born on the frontier of New Zealand, in 1871, who became, along with Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr, one of the most famous scientists of the "heroic age of physics." A big bluff country boy, Rutherford, director of the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, was teacher, guide and mentor to 11 Nobel Prizewinners, including Bohr. Using simple tabletop experiments with old copper and glass tubing, string, and sealing wax, he became the father of nuclear physics — "the second Isaac Newton", in Einstein`s words — using simple experiments to upset thousand of years of science by showing the atom was not the indivisible building block of nature but was in fact mostly vacuum surrounding an extraordinarily dense nucleus held together by the most powerful force of nature. Reeves returned to the laboratory where he learned science and energy as a young man to re-create the Rutherford 1911 "scattering" experiments that revealed the atom as we understand it today. Then 20 years later, with young assistants, he became the first man to split the atom, releasing the energy that would create nuclear power — and the atomic bomb. ...All this from a kid on the frontier who built his first bicycle of wood. The book will be published by W.W. Norton as part of the "Great Discoveries" series created by Atlas Books. About Richard Reeves Richard Reeves, Senior Lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, is an author and syndicated columnist whose column has appeared in more than 100 newspapers since 1979. A new column also appears on Yahoo! News each Friday. He has received dozens of awards for his work in print, television and film. Educated as a mechanical engineer, Richard Reeves began his career in journalism at the age of 23, founding the Phillipsburg Free Press in Phillipsburg, N.J. He has been a correspondent for the Newark Evening News and the New York Herald Tribune and was the Chief Political Correspondent of The New York Times. He has also written for numerous other publications, becoming National Editor and Columnist for Esquire and New York Magazine along the way. Named a "literary lion" by the New York Public Library, Reeves has won a number of print journalism awards and has been a Pulitzer Prize finalist and juror. In 1975, Reeves published his first book, "A Ford, not a Lincoln." His "President Kennedy: Profile of Power" is now considered the authoritative work on the 35th president, has won several national awards and was named the Best Non-Fiction Book of 1993 by Time and Book of the Year by Washington Monthly. Reeves has also worked extensively on television and in film. He was Chief Correspondent on "Frontline". He has made six television films and won all of television`s major documentary awards: the Emmy for "Lights, Camera . . . Politics!" for ABC News; the Columbia-DuPont Award for "Struggle for Birmingham" for PBS; and the George Foster Peabody Award for "Red Star over Khyber" for PBS. He has also appeared in two feature films, "Dave" and "Seabiscuit". In 1998, he won the Carey McWilliams Award of the American Political Science Association for distinguished contributions to the understanding of American politics. He was the Goldman Lecturer on American Civilization and Government at the Library of Congress that year; the lectures were published by Harvard University Press under the title "What the People Know: Freedom and the Press." In 2007, W.W. Norton will publish his biography — and re-creation of the experiments — of Ernest Rutherford, the Nobel prizewinning physicist, who was born on the frontier of New Zealand in 1871 and went on to become the greatest experimental scientist of his time, discovering the unimagined subatomic world we now know and then splitting the atom he first envisioned. He is currently working in the United States and Europe on a history of the Berlin Airlift, scheduled for publication in 2008.experimental scientist of his time, discovering the unimagined subatomic world we now know and then splitting the atom he first envisioned. He is currently working in the United States and Europe on a history of the Berlin Airlift, scheduled for publication in 2008. Positions Chief Correspondent, Frontline, PBS, 1981-1984. Panelist, We Interrupt This Week, PBS, 1978 National Editor and Columnist, Esquire, 1976-1980. National Editor and Columnist, New York Magazine, 1971-1976. Chief Political Correspondent, The New York Times, 1966-1971. Correspondent, The New York Herald Tribune, 1965-66. Correspondent, The Newark Evening News, 1963-65. Editor, Phillipsburg (N.J.) Free Press, 1961-63. Engineer, Ingersoll-Rand Co., 1960-61. Publications President Nixon: Alone in the White House, Simon and Schuster, 2001 What The People Know: Freedom and the Press, Harvard University, 1998 Do the Media Govern?, Sage, 1997 (with Shanto Iyengar) Family Travels: Around the World in 30 Days, Andrews and McMeel, 1997 Character Above All, Vol. 4, Simon and Schuster Audio, 1996 Running in Place, Andrews and McMeel, 1996 President Kennedy: Profile of Power, Simon and Schuster, 1993 The Reagan Detour, Simon and Schuster, 1984 Passage to Peshawar, Simon and Schuster, 1983 American Journey; Travelling with Tocqueville, Simon and Schuster, 1982 Jet Lag, Andrews and McMeel, 1981 Convention, Harcourt Brace, 1977 Old Faces of 1976, Harper and Row, 1976 A Ford, not a Lincoln, Harcourt Brace, 1975 Hundreds of magazine articles on public affairs for most major American magazines, including particularly New York Magazine, The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine. Films "Plowing Up a Storm", PBS, 1986 "Red Star Over Afghanistan", PBS, 1984 "Struggle for Birmingham", PBS, 1984 "American Journey", PBS, 1983 Lights, Camera . . . Politics", ABC, 1980 "TV on Trial", PBS, 1978 Thursday, November 8, 2007 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Dick & Dottie Lamm – Great Citizens of Colorado & America Speaking on: "Public Lives & Private Places" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel -- Sage Room Members: $35, Non-Members, $50 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Price includes an autographed copy of Mrs. Lamm`s book, "Daddy on Board" Event Sponsor: Dottie Lamm – Biographical Notes Dottie Lamm has been involved in the fight for women`s equality and reproductive rights as first lady of Colorado, as a Colorado Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator, and as a columnist for The Denver Post, among other positions. She earned her BA in psychology at Occidental College and her MSW at the University of Denver`s Graduate School of Social Work. Lamm came to Colorado from California in 1959 as a United Airlines flight attendant. She met her husband, Dick Lamm, future governor of Colorado, in 1961 and they married in 1963. She is an active freelance writer and public speaker, serves on the Colorado Access Board, and enjoys spending time with her grandsons. A 25-year survivor of breast cancer, she still skis, hikes, and bikes. She lives with her husband in Denver, Colorado. Dick Lamm– Biographical Notes Richard D. Lamm is Co-Director of the Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver, and the former three-term Governor of Colorado. (1975-1987) He is both a lawyer (Berkeley, 1961) and a Certified Public Accountant. He joined the faculty of the University of Denver in 1969 and has, except for his years as Governor, been associated with the University ever since. Lamm has appeared on virtually every national news program, including Buchanan & Press (MSNBC), Larry King Live and Inside Politics (CNN), Today (NBC), Meet the Press (NBC), ABC`s Good Morning America, Lehrer NewsHour (PBS), and CBS`s Face the Nation. His editorials have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Newsday, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, as well as in a number of academic and medical journals. While Governor, Lamm wrote or co-authored six books: "A California Conspiracy," with Arnold Grossman (St. Martin`s Press, 1988); "Megatraumas: America in the Year 2000" (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1985), "The Immigration Time Bomb: The Fragmenting of America," with Gary Imhoff (Dutton and Company, 1985), "1988," with Arnie Grossman (St. Martin`s Press, 1985), "Pioneers & Politicians," with Duane A. Smith (Pruett Publishing Company, 1984) and "The Angry West," with Michael McCarthy (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982). His latest book is "The Brave New World of Healthcare" (Fulcrum Publishing, 2003). Lamm has always been in the forefront of political change. As a first year legislator, he drafted and succeeded in passing the nation`s first liberalized abortion law. He was an early leader of the environmental movement, and was President of the First National Conference on Population and The Environment. Reacting to the high cost of campaigning, he walked the state in his campaign for Governor of Colorado. Lamm was elected to three terms as Colorado`s top elected official, and in serving as Governor from January 1975 and retiring in January 1987, he was the longest-serving Governor in Colorado`s history to that date. The Institute for Public Policy Studies at the University of Denver comprises the Public Affairs Program (Bachelor’s in Public Affairs), the Graduate Program in Public Policy (Master’s in Public Policy, MPP), and the Center for Public Policy and Contemporary Issues. In addition to directing the University of Denver’s academic policy programs, the Institute for Public Policy Studies contributes to the study and discussion of American society’s most critical issues through an active program of conferences, seminars, forums and publications. Sunday, October 28, 2007 The Denver Forum and the Denver Post Proudly Present: Tim Kurkjian of ESPN and ESPN The Magazine With: Former Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper Mr. Kurkjian will speak on his new book: "Is This a Great Game or What?” Governor Dukakis will speak on "The Red Sox in My Life" Mayor Hickenlooper will speak on the "Rockies’ Magic Season" 1:00 PM Luncheon Grand Ballroom – The Oxford Hotel (2nd floor – enter off Wazee) $50 Per Person -- Includes an Autographed Copy of Mr. Kurkjian’s Book Event Sponsor: To register for this event please click here. Tim Kurkjian– Biographical Brief Tim Kurkjian is a Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN`s Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter. He is also a contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He guests on Mike & Mike in the Morning on Thursdays at 7:44 AM, discussing the latest in happenings in Major League Baseball. Mr. Kurkjian is well known for his Baseball Tonight segments and SportsCenter reports that include an in-depth analysis of statistics, trade situations, and unusual "Did-You-Know?" facts. In his article "Gaining an Appreciation for the Sacrifice Fly" (July 14, 2007, ESPN the Magazine), he confessed, "I`ve always been fascinated by sacrifice flies.” He has an extensive background in covering baseball. His journalism career began with the Washington Star in 1978 following his graduation from the University of Maryland; he then worked briefly for the Baltimore News American in 1981. Mr. Kurkjian began covering baseball as the Texas Rangers beat writer for the Dallas Morning News where he worked from 1981 to 1985. Kurkjian then covered the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Sun beginning in 1986. He was a senior writer for Sports Illustrated from 1989-1997 as well as a reporter for CNN/SI from 1996-1997. He authored his first book, "America`s Game", in 2000 and his second book, "Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod`s Heart to Zim`s Head – My 25 Years in Baseball", was released in May 2007. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe says, “Tim Kurkjian has written a wonderfully entertaining book, but that’s not surprising, because Tim’s a wonderfully entertaining guy. And, as funny as he is to read, he’s even funnier to listen to. His knowledge of the game is second to none.” Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Kurkjian was the 2007 Commencement speaker at Walter Johnson High School (he’s a graduate of that high school). Mayor John Hickenlooper – Biographical Brief A small businessman who had never previously run for political office, John Hickenlooper was elected Mayor of Denver in 2003 and reelected in 2007. Since taking office, Mayor Hickenlooper passed a citywide charter reform initiative to modernize Denver’s personnel system, overcame a $70 million deficit to balance the City budget while averting major cuts in services and massive layoffs, reached deals with United, Frontier and Southwest Airlines enabling all carriers to grow at Denver International Airport, implemented the most sweeping set of police reforms in Denver’s history, built an unprecedented partnership with Denver Public Schools, launched efforts to create a more business-friendly environment in city government, initiated a citywide campaign to end homelessness, created Denver’s sustainable development initiative, and ushered in a new era of bipartisan regional cooperation culminating in passage of the largest regional transit initiative in the history of the United States. In November 2005, Mayor Hickenlooper was the only mayor named by Governing Magazine as one of the top Public Officials of the Year, and in April 2005 – less than two years into his first term – TIME Magazine named Mayor Hickenlooper one of the top five “big-city” mayors in America. Hickenlooper’s passion for Denver began in 1981 when his career as an exploration geologist brought him to Buckhorn Petroleum, where he worked for five years. After the collapse of the oil industry, he found himself with a healthy severance check, no immediate job prospects, and time on his hands. Inspired by a visit to a northern California brewpub, he spent two years developing the Wynkoop Brewing Company, the first brewpub in the Rocky Mountains. The Wynkoop group grew to eventually include seven Denver restaurants and a brewpub in Colorado Springs. A respected entrepreneur, Hickenlooper was also involved with numerous downtown Denver renovation and development projects and is credited as one of the pioneers that helped revitalize Denver’s Lower Downtown historic district. In recognition of his efforts supporting preservation in Denver and downtowns across the country, Hickenlooper received a National Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1997. Long before he had ever considered public office, Hickenlooper was active in community affairs, serving on numerous civic boards including Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Denver Civic Ventures, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, the Denver Art Museum, the Association of Brewers, and the Institute for Brewing Studies. In 1987, he co-founded the Chinook Fund, a local foundation that provides seed grants to community organizations that emphasize social change. He also co-founded CultureHaus, the Denver Art Museum`s 600-member young adult organization. Leading a grassroots campaign to preserve the “Mile High Stadium” name in 2000 planted the seeds for his 2003 mayoral bid. An unlikely candidate facing a half-dozen seasoned political veterans, Hickenlooper made Denver history with his nearly two-to-one margin of victory. Mayor Hickenlooper began his term by assembling the most diverse team of city leadership Denver has ever known. Maintaining a commitment to diversity and excellence, Hickenlooper recruited corporate executives, local nonprofit leaders and government innovators from around the country, resulting in a team that is more than half women and more than half Latino/African-American/Asian. Since his election, Mayor Hickenlooper has worked to increase civic engagement and participation throughout the city and Denver metro area, helping to bring all 32 metro mayors together to work on initiatives that benefit the entire region. His collaborative approach has built strong bonds and partnerships that transcend partisan and geographic lines. His integrity, honesty and sense of humor have renewed public faith and trust in City Hall, and his boundless energy and enthusiasm have generated tremendous optimism and confidence in Denver’s future. Mayor Hickenlooper graduated from Wesleyan University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in English in 1974 and a master’s degree in geology in 1980. His wife, Helen Thorpe, is a writer whose work has been published in the New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, George, and Texas Monthly. They live in northeast Denver with their five-year-old son, Teddy. The Honorable Michael Dukakis – Biographical Brief Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician, former Governor of Massachusetts, and the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek and Vlach immigrant parents in Brookline, Massachusetts and was the longest serving governor in Massachusetts` history. He was the first Greek-American governor in U.S. history. Dukakis`s father Panos (1896–1979) was a Greek from Turkey who settled in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1912 and graduated from Harvard Medical School twelve years later, subsequently working as an obstetrician. His mother Euterpe (née Boukis) (1903–2003) was a Vlach (Aromanian) from Larissa; she and her family immigrated to Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1913. She was a graduate of Bates College. He had one brother, Stelian Panos Dukakis (1930–1973), who was sent into a coma when struck by a motorist while he was riding his bicycle in Brookline, Massachusetts and taken off life support after four months. Dukakis graduated from Swarthmore College in 1955, served in the U.S. Army 1955–1957, stationed in Korea, and then received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1960. Dukakis is also an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. After winning four terms to the Massachusetts House of Representatives between 1962 to 1970, Dukakis was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1974, defeating the incumbent Republican Francis W. Sargent during a period of fiscal crisis. Dukakis won in part by promising to be a `reformer` and pledging not to increase the state`s sales tax to balance the state budget. However, this performance did not prove enough to offset a backlash against the state`s high sales and property tax rates, which turned out to be the predominant issue in the 1978 gubernatorial campaign. Dukakis, despite being the incumbent Democratic governor, was refused re-nomination by his own party. The state Democratic Party machine supported Edward J. King in the Democratic primary partly because King rode the wave against high property taxes (along with the passing of a binding petition on the state ballot that limited property tax rates to 2 1/2% of the property valuation -- known as Proposition 2 1/2), but more significantly because State Democratic Party leaders lost confidence in Dukakis`s ability to govern effectively. King also enjoyed the support of the powerbrokers at the MDC, who were unhappy with Dukakis`s attempts to disempower and dismantle the powerful bureaucracy. King also had support from state police and public employee unions. Dukakis suffered a scathing defeat in the Democratic Primary. It was "a public death," according to his wife Kitty. Yet, four years later (`after wandering in the wilderness` some said), having made peace with the state Democratic Party machine powerbrokers, MDC, and the state police and public employee unions, Dukakis defeated King in a `re-match` in the 1982 Democratic primary. He went on to defeat his Republican opponent in the November election. Future Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry was elected Lieutenant Governor on the same ballot with Dukakis, and served in the Dukakis administration from 1983 to 1985. Dukakis served as Governor again from 1983 until 1991 (winning re-election in 1986 with more than 60 percent of the vote) during which time he presided over a high-tech boom and a period of prosperity in Massachusetts and simultaneously getting the reputation for being a `technocrat`. The National Governors Association voted Dukakis the most effective governor in 1986. Residents of the city of Boston and its surrounding areas remember him for the improvements he made to Boston`s mass transit system, especially major renovations to the city`s trains and buses. He was known as the only governor who rode the subway to the state capitol every day. He made a cameo appearance in the medical drama St. Elsewhere (Season 3, Episode 15, "Bye, George," January 9, 1985). He limps to the hospital desk and says that he has suffered a jogging injury, but Dr. Fiscus (played by Howie Mandel) refuses to believe that he is the governor of Massachusetts. After the end of his term, he served on the board of directors for Amtrak, and became a professor of political science at Northeastern University in Massachusetts, visiting professor of political science at Loyola Marymount University, and visiting professor in the Department of Public Policy at the School of Public Affairs at UCLA. He continued to talk in media interviews about the "negative" 1988 Bush campaign, beginning with his press conference on the day after the election, continuing throughout Bush`s term, and even subsequent to Bush`s defeat in the 1992 election. Dukakis has recently developed a strong passion for grassroots campaigning and the appointment of precinct captains to coordinate local campaigning activities, two strategies he feels are essential for the Democratic Party to compete effectively in both local and national elections. In 2006 he and Kitty worked to help Democratic candidate Deval Patrick in his efforts to become governor of Massachusetts. He also has taken a strong role in advocating for effective public transportation and high speed rail as a solution to automobile congestion and the lack of space at airports. Dukakis is married to Katherine D. (Kitty) Dukakis. The couple`s children are John, Andrea and Kara. The Dukakises continue to reside in his boyhood home in Brookline, Massachusetts, but live in Los Angeles, California during the winter while Dukakis teaches at UCLA. He is the cousin of actress Olympia Dukakis. Tuesday, October 9, 2007 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Naomi Wolf – One of America’s Most Provocative Thinkers Speaking on: "The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Theater (enter off Wazee) Members: $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Naomi Wolf –Biographical Brief Naomi Wolf was born in San Francisco in 1962. She was an undergraduate at Yale University and did her graduate work at New College, Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Her essays have appeared in various publications including: The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, Glamour, Ms., Esquire, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. She also speaks widely to groups across the country. "The Beauty Myth," her first book, was an international bestseller. She followed that with "Fire With Fire: The New Female Power and How It Will Change The 21st Century," published by Random House in 1993, and "Promiscuities: The Secret Struggle for Womanhood," published in 1997. "Misconceptions," released in 2001, is a powerful and passionate critique of pregnancy and birth in America. In fall 2002, Harper Collins published a 10th anniversary commemorative edition of "The Beauty Myth." Ms. Wolf’s latest book, released in May of 2005, is "The Treehouse: Eccentric Wisdom from my Father on How to Live, Love and See." Naomi Wolf is co-founder of The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, an organization devoted to training young women in ethical leadership for the 21st century. The institute teaches professional development in the arts and media, politics and law, business and entrepreneurship as well as ethical decision making. She lives with her family in New York City. Friday, September 21, 2007 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: Michael Bennett – Superintendent of Denver Public Schools Speaking on: "Public Schools & America’s Future" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel Sage Room 1600 17th Street Members, $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Michael Bennet– Superintendent of Schools Michael F. Bennet was unanimously appointed Superintendent of Denver Public Schools in July, 2005. Under Bennet`s leadership, Denver Public Schools developed The Denver Plan, a strategic plan to address the challenges faced by DPS. The plan is a compilation of research-based, best practices created to guide the district in its effort to bolster student achievement. In its first year of implementation, The Denver Plan has guided DPS in the creation of unique professional development opportunities for teachers and principals, alignment of the curriculum, a balanced budget, and implementation of Student Based Budgeting. Bennet comes to DPS from the City and County of Denver where he served as Chief of Staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. In this role, Bennet helped assemble and lead a diverse and accomplished leadership team which closed a budget gap, balanced two consecutive budgets during Denver`s worst recession in history, conducted successful bargaining negotiations, and gained public support for city ballot initiatives. Bennet moved to Denver 1997, to serve in the private sector as a managing director for the Anschutz Investment Company where he was responsible for restructuring billions of dollars of debt and lines of business, as well as investing of over $500 million. Since arriving in Denver, Bennet has maintained strong ties to the community with connections to Denver neighborhoods, businesses, and non-profit organizations. He lives in the Congress Park neighborhood, and his two school-age daughters attend Denver Public Schools. Bennet began his career as a personal assistant for then Ohio Governor Richard F. Celeste and later worked as a law clerk for Judge Francis D. Murnaghan on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Following a brief tenure at the Washington law firm of Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, Bennet served as Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration. Bennet earned his bachelor`s degree in history with honors from Wesleyan University and his law degree from Yale Law School where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. Monday, August 27, 2007 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: The Honorable Diana DeGette – United States House of Representatives Speaking on: "Stem Cell Research in Washington: The Politicization of Science" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel -- Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Congresswoman Diana DeGette Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette is currently serving her 6th term in the U.S. Congress representing the First District of Colorado and is the Senior Member of the Colorado delegation. She is the Vice Chair of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, an exclusive congressional committee with vast jurisdiction over health care, trade, business, technology and consumer protection. In addition, she co-chairs the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, the largest congressional member caucus, and the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. Democratic Leadership Rep. DeGette was promoted to the House Democratic leadership as Chief Deputy Whip in 2005. She has risen steadily in the Whip organization since her first term in Congress, serving for six years as Regional Whip and two years as the Democratic Floor Whip. The Whip’s job is to keep track of how Democratic Members of Congress plan to vote on important issues. Committee on Energy and Commerce In January 2007, Rep. DeGette was appointed to serve as Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. As Vice Chair, Rep. DeGette will have the opportunity to be the Acting-Chair of the committee when the Chairman is away. She will also spearhead special projects and assist the Chairman in promoting the Committee’s legislative agenda. Rep. DeGette has served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce since she was first elected to Congress. During that time, she has used her position to improve health care, expand medical research, reform corporate business and accounting practices, and ensure that our homeland is adequately protected. Rep. DeGette is also a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Health Care Rep. DeGette is committed to expanding access to health care and improving public health. She has become one of Congress’ leading experts on cutting-edge scientific research and is the author of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. This important legislation would overturn President Bush`s ban on embryonic stem cell research and reassert the United State’s worldwide leadership role. It passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support but was vetoed by President Bush in July of 2006. Rep. DeGette has led efforts to expand the State Children`s Health Insurance Program, which provides health insurance to low-income children up to age 18. As co-chair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, Rep. DeGette has also been a long-time advocate for the expansion of diabetes care and research, particularly for lower-income and minority communities. Corporate Responsibility As a member of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, Rep. DeGette has taken the lead on a variety of investigations including the National Institutes of Health ethics guidelines, the safety of the diet supplement Ephedra and child exploitation over the internet. She has established a national reputation as a leader on corporate accountability issues during her committee’s investigations of Enron, Arthur Andersen, Hewlett Packard and other companies embroiled in various scandals. In the News Rep. DeGette has been featured on a wide spectrum of news outlets, including ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC, and CNN. Rep. DeGette is also regularly quoted in major newspapers across the nation, including the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post, as well as magazines including Newsweek, and Time. Strong Leadership for Colorado The First Congressional District includes Denver, Cherry Hills Village, Englewood, Glendale and Sheridan. As a life-long Westerner, Rep. DeGette represents Colorado’s most diverse and densely populated district. She is committed to common-sense fiscal responsibility and is working with like-minded Members of Congress to reduce the national deficit. Rep. DeGette has fought to expand her constituents’ access to affordable quality health care. As the First District’s Representative, she has also worked to expand mass transit, improve transportation in the Denver area, clean up environmental waste sites, and improve opportunities for small business. Rep. DeGette is also the author of the landmark Colorado Wilderness Act, which designates 59 pristine areas comprising 1.6 million acres of land across Colorado as protected wilderness. This would preserve a rapidly disappearing piece of our Western heritage for generations to come. Personal Rep. DeGette is a fourth generation Coloradoan who went to Denver’s South High School before receiving her B.A. magna cum laude from Colorado College in 1979 and her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1982. She served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives and was an Assistant Minority Leader from 1993-1995. Rep. DeGette is married to attorney Lino Lipinsky. They have two daughters and a dog named Charlie. Thursday, July 12, 2007 The Denver Forum Proudly Presents: The Honorable Bill Ritter – Governor of Colorado Speaking on: "The Future is Now" 12-Noon Luncheon Oxford Hotel 1600 17th Street Sage Room Members: $30, Non-Members, $45 Phone Reservations: 303-832-9030 Event Sponsor: Biography – Governor Bill Ritter LIFELONG COLORADAN Governor Ritter, 50, was born in Colorado and raised on a farm east of Aurora, the sixth of 12 children of Bill and Ethel Ritter. Bill Ritter`s dad was a heavy equipment operator, while his mom stayed home until tight economic circumstances forced her to find work as a bookkeeper when Bill Ritter was in his early teens. Governor Ritter started working full time in construction at age 14 to help support the family. As a member of the local laborer`s union, he continued working construction to pay his way through Colorado State University and the University of Colorado Law School. He earned his law degree in 1981 and was hired as a Denver Deputy District Attorney. PUBLIC SERVICE In 1987, Bill Ritter and his wife, Jeannie, began a three-year commitment to manage and expand a nutrition center in Zambia, Africa, where one-third of all children suffered from malnutrition. Returning home in 1990, Bill Ritter worked as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney`s Office. In May 1992, Bill Ritter returned to the DA`s Office. Then-Gov. Roy Romer appointed Governor Ritter as Denver`s District Attorney in 1993. He was elected to the position in 1994 and re-elected in 1996 and 2000. As District Attorney, Governor Ritter: Established one of the nation`s first drug courts; Focused on white-collar crime and crime against seniors, and expanded domestic and sexual abuse prosecution; Created the nation`s first Victim Service`s Network; Advised the U.S. attorney general on community security following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. These accomplishments earned Governor Ritter a national reputation for effective prosecution, innovation and the ability to manage public dollars wisely and efficiently. Widely respected by his peers, Bill served as a vice president of the National Association of District Attorneys, Chairman of the American Prosecutors Research Institute, and on the board for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. FAMILY and COMMUNITY Bill Ritter and Jeannie Ritter have been married for 22 years. They have three sons and a daughter: August, 20; Abe, 18; Sam, 16; and Tally, 13. Jeannie is a substitute teacher with Denver Public Schools. Most of Bill Ritter`s extended family, including his 28 nieces