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

September 21, 2023

Mike Morrison and Chris Nellie, World Affairs Council of Sonoma County

Mike Morrison

Chris Nellie

Founded in 1988, the World Affairs Council of Sonoma County is one of 98 independent World Affairs Councils in the United States affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America, and is one of the few operated entirely by unpaid volunteers.

A non-profit and non-partisan organization, the World Affairs Council’s goal is to provide fair and balanced presentations each month with vital speakers whose expertise and experience are guaranteed to shed light, spark thought and lead to spirited conversation on where the world is headed and why.  Topics range from the goings on in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, China and East Asia events, climate change, and many other topics. Some of the more unique topics the group has covered are the 2017 wildland fires in Sonoma County, the International Space Station, Music as Diplomacy, and the Sonoma County Airport.  

​Mike Morrison, past president and current program chair, and board member Chris Nellie, will discuss the World Affairs Council and its Academic World Quest program  that encourages high school students to become involved in world affairs.

October 5, 2023

Erika Thibault, Sonoma County Library: Vision for the Future/Technology

Erika Thibault

Erika Thibault joined Sonoma County Library as deputy director in June 2021 and was appointed library director in February 2023. With more than 17 years of experience working in libraries throughout California, Erika has worked as a reference librarian, young adult librarian, and library assistant, in addition to her management experience as a branch manager and principal librarian for Los Angeles Public Library. Before her library career, she worked for Santa Monica Public Radio, LA County Museum of Art, and University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.  Join us to learn more about the wealth of materials, programs, and services available at the Sonoma County Library, and plans for the new Roseland Regional Library. Erika will be joined by Judy Glenn, Treasurer of the Sonoma County Public Library Foundation, who will share an overview of the Foundation.  Immediately following the presentation, there will be a tour of the library’s mobile branch, the Bibliobus, which will be parked at the Epicenter.

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October 19, 2023

Andrea Rodriguez-Jereb, Communications Manager, Sonoma Water

Andrea Rodriquez-Jereb

Sonoma Water manages and maintains a water transmission system that provides naturally filtered Russian River water to nine cities and special districts that in turn delivers drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in portions of Sonoma and Marin counties.  The agency provides drinking water to the following cities and special districts: City of Cotati, Marin Municipal Water District, North Marin Water District, City of Petaluma, City of Rohnert Park, City of Santa Rosa, City of Sonoma, Valley of the Moon Water District, Town of Windsor. More than 200 professionals work for Sonoma Water in a variety of fields ranging from engineering to biology to provide an array of services including (but not limited to) naturally filtered drinking water, flood protection services, distribution of recycled water, recreational opportunities and wastewater treatment. Come and learn how this agency’s work affects you.

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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	Alethea Larson, Deputy Director, The Living Room
May 18	Leilani Clark, LandPaths
June 1	Ethan Brown, Sonoma County Economic Development Board
June 15	John Cregan, Chief of Police, City of Santa Rosa
July 6	Jane Engdahl, Sonoma County Fair
July 20	Cal Fire: Hardening Your Property to Reduce Wildfire Risk
Aug  3	Natasha Stocker, Inspired Spaces Foundation
Aug 17	Cathryn Couch, Director, Ceres Community Project
Sep  7	Laurie and Adam Goldberg, Stargazer Spirits Ranch: Growing Agave in Sonoma County
Sep 21	Mike Morrison and Chris Nellie, World Affairs Council
Oct  5	Sonoma County Library: Vision for the Future/Technology​
Oct 19	Andrea Rodriguez-Jereb, Sonoma Water Agency
Nov  2	Sarah Tendall, Roseland University Prep's Mentorship Program
Nov 16	Kerry Benefield, Press Democrat reporter and columnist
Dec  7	Susan Coolidge, Santa Rosa Flower Arrangers Guild: Basic Floral Design for the Holidays
Dec 21	Holiday meeting (for members only)
Jan. 4, 2024	Marakeshia Smith, City Manager, City of Santa Rosa ​
Jan. 18, 2023	Dr. Angélica Garcia, Superintendent/President, Santa Rosa Junior College