Programs

​Sonoma County Forum offers an exciting array of speakers including leaders in business, education, health care, the arts, and local government. Our speakers provide an excellent way to gain knowledge of the community and learn about its vast resources. Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 8am at the Epicenter, off of Piner Road, west of Coffey Lane in Santa Rosa.

Scroll below for information about upcoming 2025 speakers.
For biographies of past speakers, by year, click here.

Upcoming Speakers

June 19, 2025

Dave Laurice, Preserving Our Open Spaces and Wildlife

Dave Laurice

The first time Dave Laurice held a great horned owl, he described the experience as “life changing.”  One of the regular volunteers at Sonoma County Bird Rescue, Dave spends his working hours as a science teacher for St. Rose Catholic School.  But since 2013 he has spent time every weekend training and volunteering at Bird Rescue. Bird Rescue takes in about 2,500 birds each year, ranging from song birds to falcons. Most can be rehabilitated and released. Others have been injured in some way that makes them unable to support themselves in the wild.  As an active "citizen scientist" and conservationist, Dave has also worked  in a volunteer capacity with Sonoma County HawkWatch, The Laguna Foundation, Hallberg Butterfly Gardens, and the Russian River Keepers.  His presentation will focus on Sonoma County conservation needs, organizations, and ways to contribute as individuals to the preservation of our local open spaces and wildlife. 

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July 3, 2025

Merith Weisman, Director, Sonoma County GO Local

Merith Weisman

Despite the many differences residents of Sonoma County may have, there is one thing we all share in common—we want a better quality of life.  Quality of life can mean different things to different people.  But most people agree that having a strong local economy is a major influence.  After all, we all want good jobs for ourselves and our neighbors.
A strong local economy creates higher quality of life for all residents.  It starts with you and the few simple choices you make every day about purchases. GO LOCAL is a network of 400+ locally owned independent businesses who work together using a shared brand, targeted advertising, and a Rewards Program to increase sales. GO LOCAL provides economic development marketing to help increase awareness about the importance of going local, to drive more market share to locally owned businesses, and strengthen our local economy.  Come and listen to GO Local Director Merith Weisman talk about how you can make a difference every day to grow a more resilient local community and economy.
 

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July 17, 2025

Drew Rose, Positive Images

Drew Rose

Positive Images, an LGBTQIA+ Community Center based in Sonoma County, has been providing vital support services for the past 35 years. This presentation will examine the populations served by Positive Images, the challenges the organization is currently encountering, and potential ways to support it.  Drew Rose (he/they), grew up in West Virginia and moved to northern California after grad school to find community and support. Drew earned an elementary teaching credential and taught 5th grade in local schools. Now, as Training and Education Manager at PI, he combines his passion for community, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, and allyship education—facilitating hundreds of presentations across Sonoma County. Outside PI, he enjoys swimming, cooking, and hiking with his partner Bobbi and their rescue dog, Tucker. He also serves on the California HIV/AIDS Research Program Advisory Council and is President of PFLAG Santa Rosa/Sonoma County.

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August 7, 2025

Growing Up Between Worlds: An Expat’s Story

Inga Aksamit

Inga Aksamit is an award-winning author, globe-trotting adventurer and veteran oncology nurse who writes about travel and human connection. Her love of exploration has taken her around the world to hike to remote mountain ranges, explore ancient ruins and immerse herself in different cultures. She started traveling at age four when her family embraced the expat lifestyle and moved from the US to Asia for her father’s work. Her childhood experiences as a third-culture kid (TCK) in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Peru and Indonesia, combined with her career in oncology nursing, allow her to see the world through a compassionate lens of wonder and discovery.

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2025 Program Schedule

	Speaker
Jan. 2	Kelly Lister, Educational Services Consultant with CORE​ Equity and Science of Reading​​
Jan. 16	John Guariglia, Santa Rosa Police Department, "Avoiding Frauds and Scams"
Feb. 6	Book Exchange (members only)
Feb. 20	Allison Goodwin, CEO, Redwood Empire Food Bank
March 6	Kevin Marx and Callie Charleton, Engineers Without Borders
March 20	Kent Porter, Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer
April 3	Sasha Ponomareva Sonoma County Water Agency
April 17	Karen Wise, Executive Director of the Museum of Sonoma County
May 1	Alan Butler, The Petaluma River- A Sketch Journal and Brief Historical Overview
May 15	League of Women Voters: Future of the Electoral College
June 5	Dr. Anish Shaw, Compassionate Solutions for Mental Health Care
June 19	David Laurice, Bird Rescue
July 3	Merith Weisman, Go Local
July 17	Drew Rose, Positive Images
August 7	Inga Aksamit, author of Between Worlds: An Expat's Quest for Belonging
August 21	Alethea Larsen, The Living Room
Sept. 4	Nicole Tai, GreenLynx
Sept. 18	Angela Del Grande, Head Teacher, Plumfield Academy
Oct. 2	Darren Lashelle, NorCal Public Media
Oct. 16	Kathleen Mott, Genetic Testing for Cancer
Nov. 6	Gary Greenough, Pacific Coast Air Museum
Nov. 20	TBA
Dec. 4	TBA
Dec. 18	Holiday Party (members only)