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 2023 speakers.
For biographies of past speakers, by year, click here.

Upcoming Speakers

April 6, 2023

Brittany Mundarain, General Manager, Montgomery Village: The Village Vision

Brittany Mundarain

Brittany Mundarain, General Manager, Montgomery Village has worked in the commercial real estate and retail industries with a passion for legacy brands and historic shopping centers from coast-to-coast. Brittany began her career in fashion journalism as fashion editor of a lifestyle publication, and together entered the retail sphere with a career at Neiman Marcus, a luxury retailer with a legacy of more than 100 years, where she grew from sales associate to PR Manager. It was then that she discovered her passion for historic shopping centers and began working for WS Development as a part of the team who reimagined historic property, The Royal Poinciana Plaza, in Palm Beach, FL. Desiring to get back west after hailing from Colorado, Brittany and her husband took an opportunity to move to California where Brittany led marketing efforts for the Country Mart historic retail centers located in Marin, Montecito and LA. Soon after, WS purchased their first California and West Coast property, Montgomery Village. It was destiny! Brittany, her husband, and their Welsh Terrier Wallis, made the move to Santa Rosa, CA, Summer 2021, for the opportunity to be a part of the Montgomery Village team and Sonoma County community. Brittany holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Summa Cum Laude focused in Print Journalism, Minors in Spanish & Women's Studies, and a course concentration in Apparel & Textiles from Kansas State University. Beloved and charming with a legacy of nearly 75 years, Montgomery Village is an open-air retail destination in the heart of Sonoma County. Today, Montgomery Village’s 280,000 square feet of retail space is home to 50+ shops, services and eateries, including lululemon, Rise Cycle Co., Avid Coffee, Sonoma Outfitters, Sur La Table, Copperfield's Books, See's Candies, Kaleidoscope Toys, and many more. Family-owned since its inception, Montgomery Village was sold by previous ownership to WS Development Summer 2021. A balance of local and national tenancy, capital improvements, and lovely art, events and amenities, Montgomery Village plans to continue its legacy as a community hub for generations to come. Join us as we delve into WS Development’s philosophy and their vision and plans for Montgomery Village.

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April 20,  2023

Margaret Press, DNA Doe Project: Investigative Genetic Genealogy

Margaret Press, Ph.D.

The Sebastopol-based DNA Doe Project was formed in 2017 with one simple, humanitarian mission: identify "John" and "Jane Does" using investigative genetic genealogy.  Co-founder Margaret Press inherited a passion for genealogy from her grandmother. When DNA testing refined the genealogy landscape, Margaret joined the impassioned group of citizen scientists who would propel this new field to where it is today. She teamed up with Forensic Genealogist Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick and the DNA Doe Project began.
 
On March 5, 2018 the DNA Doe Project solved its first case—Robert Ivan Nichols, the John Doe previously known as Joseph Newton Chandler III.  On April 11, 2018, they joined local authorites at a press conference in Troy, Ohio to identify the young woman known as “Buckskin Girl” as Marcia L. King--the first time in history that the world learned of the power of investigative genetic genealogy to solve cold case identifications.  In the past five years, the organization’s work has helped identify the remains of more than 97 “Doe” cases, helping bring closure to families across the country.

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2023 Program Schedule

	Speaker
Jan. 5	​(rescheduled due to inclement weather)
Jan. 19	Duskie Estes, Farm to Pantry
Feb. 2	Jennielynn Holmes, Caritas Village
Feb. 16	Dr. Steve Charbonneau, Superintendent, Piner Olivet Union School District, "School District Consolidation"
March 2	Janae Franicevic, General Manager/Owner, Sunce Winery
March 16	Laura Lorman, "Inexpensive Travel Options and How to Travel Safely"
April 6	Brittany Mundarain, General Manager, Montgomery Village "Vision for Montgomery Village"
April 20	Margaret Press, CEO, Co-Founder of the DNA Doe Project
May 4	TBA
May 18	Leilani Clark, LandPaths
June 1	Marakeshia Smith, Santa Rosa City Manager
June 15	TBA
July 6	TBA
July 20	TBA
Aug  3	TBA
Aug 17	TBA
Sep  7	TBA
Sep 21	TBA
Oct  5	TBA
Oct 19	TBA
Nov  2	Sarah Tendall, Roseland University Prep's Mentorship Program
Nov 16	TBA
Dec  2	TBA
Dec 21	Holiday meeting (for members only)