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NAAAN meeting of the Steering Committee and senior staff: highlights and summary

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The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) Meeting of the Steering Committee and Senior Staff: Highlights and Summary

December 2020

Meeting Attendance

The first meeting of The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) was held December 8, 2020.  The meeting was Chaired by Tony Frank, Chancellor of the Colorado State University System as host institution for the NAAAN Secretariat. Special guests included Carl Erik Schou Larsen, Executive Director of the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS); Former Secretary of Agriculture for the U.S. Tom Vilsack[1] who serves as President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and Strategic Advisor to the Chancellor at CSU for the new Spur Campus in Denver, Colorado; and Kristin Kirkpatrick, Executive Director of Together We Grow and a member of the CSU System Spur Team.

In attendance were NAAAN Steering Committee Members[2] and Senior Staff from each country:

Canada
Karen Churchill*, CEO of Ag-West Bio
David Gray*, Dean of Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and Chair of the International Agriculture Section (IAS) for APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly
Amy Antonini, Trade Policy Analyst, Agriculture and AgriFood Canada
Wallace Ip, Vice-counsel and Trade Commissioner (Agriculture), Consulate General of Canada in Denver, Colorado

Mexico
Carlos Vazquez Ochoa*, Minister-Counselor, Agricultural Office, Embassy of Mexico to the United States
Lourdes Cruz Trinidad*, General Coordinator of International Affairs, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mexico City
Juan Bernardo Orozco Sanchez, Director of Economic Studies in the Agricultural Sector, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mexico City
Luis Martinez Senties, Counselor of Agricultural Affairs, Embassy of Mexico to the United States

Additional Team Members attending as observers:
Salvador Fernandez, Rural Development Coordinator, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mexico City
Sol Ortiz, Director General, Climate Change for the Agriculture Sector, Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mexico City
Brenda Martinez, Agricultural Advisor, Embassy of Mexico to the United States

The United States
Tom Vilsack, Former Secretary of Agriculture, President and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council and Strategic Advisor, CSU System
Cathie Woteki*, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition Iowa State and visiting Distinguished Institute Professor, Biocomplexity Institute, University of Virginia
Doug Steele*, Vice President Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources, APLU
David Nielson, Senior Advisor to the NAAAN, CSU System
Kerri Wright Platais, Special Advisor to the Chancellor, International Agriculture, CSU Spur Campus

Observer:
Doug Maguire, Policy Director, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Washington, D.C.

Meeting Objectives

  • Provide an opportunity for the Steering Committee and Senior Staff from Canada, Mexico and the United States to meet.
  • Provide an overview of the unique opportunity that the formulation of the NAAAN offers for North America.
  • Review the role NAAAN will play in GFRAS (Special Guest Carl Larsen, Executive Director, GFRAS).
  • Discuss collaboration and engagement across the three countries in the context of the NAAAN’s thematic focus areas 1) Biosecurity/Biodefense, 2) Climate Change and 3) Youth and Career Empowerment. (Special Guests Former Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack and current Strategic Advisor to the Chancellor of Colorado State University System, and Kristin Kirkpatrick, Executive Director of Together We Grow).
  • Review the Discussion Document distributed prior to the meeting. Discuss priorities for initial actions and workstreams. (Options provided in the Discussion Document).
  • Discuss preferred modes of operation for the NAAAN from country and regional perspectives, including Working Group formulation.

Highlights from the Meeting

The two-hour meeting set the stage for discussion and formulation for the NAAAN’s programmatic opportunities.  Meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the disruption it has caused across the world during 2020, was of primary concern.  It was noted the NAAAN formulation came at a time for North America when there is a need for closer cooperation and collaboration in agriculture, and a desire to work together in new and innovative ways. Speakers referred to an opportunity to address the “last mile” of food security by connecting farmers and extensionists through science, innovation and by generating increased economic growth for North American farming families and communities.

Initial conversation included the role of the NAAAN vis-a-vis modalities and opportunities for engagement with the GFRAS global community. In addition to having a Board position on GFRAS, the NAAAN will participate in communities of practice (which are decentralized) and provide new ways to interact with the larger global rural advisory community.  The existing GFRAS networks and hubs provide an opportunity for North American educators and extensionists to share best practices with, and learn from, professional colleagues around the world.   Speakers commented that the key initial thematic areas chosen for NAAAN held promise and were particularly relevant with regard to the emerging importance of One Health (and the interface of food safety and food production), along with issues and production practices related to climate change. The group acknowledged the increased role agriculture will play in greenhouse gas production and net zero carbon sequestration in the years ahead.  Placing food and agriculture at the forefront of solving the major problems we face globally (namely population growth, climate change and access to water resources) is a welcome role and appropriate for the convening efforts of the NAAAN.  An improved use of new technologies in advisory services and access to these technologies and their applications was also discussed.  This is an area where more work is needed across the three countries and where combined efforts in access to education and technologies is welcome.

It was emphasized that the NAAAN is designed to facilitate collaboration and learning between existing programs and organizations in the three North American Countries and to provide a platform to link shared priorities and activities across knowledge development and management, networking and policy advocacy.  Partnership between NAAAN and existing institutions, and building upon their respective achievements, will be the modus operandi.  The role of higher education institutions in supporting agricultural advisory services is an essential element in the NAAAN agenda, and in this regard, a strong partnership with the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities has already been established.  The Canadian colleagues referred to the Youth Council initiated by Minister Bibeau as a way to bring bright new leaders into the conversation of food production and future careers – and listed as an example to study and learn from with best practices to scale in other countries.

During the meeting, and in review of the draft discussion document, the group emphasized and embraced the need for an initial mapping exercise to characterize training, education, and extension efforts, and perceived gaps that exist in these programs for the three countries.  In order to do this, joint funding will be sought to perform an initial mapping exercise and a draft concept note drawn up by a NAAAN working group.  It was suggested that the findings of a mapping exercise will yield rich data sets that could then be made available publicly (on a shared website).  It was also suggested that a journal article follow the study to help capture findings and next steps. The group acknowledged this could be an enormous task (across the three countries) and will require close collaboration and participation of several groups, with inputs and oversight by the Steering Committee members and Senior Staff.  When completed the study will serve as a great contribution and starting point for shared information in order to tackle some of the larger issues and challenges from both a country and regional perspective.

The group embraced the idea of using the mapping exercise as one of the first initiatives undertaken by the NAAAN in order to understand synergies, identify “gaps” and calculate differences in approaches to agricultural extension across the three countries.  The desire to leverage the ecosystem of higher education institutions and their investment in the communities they serve is important.  The group preferred to start with smaller, pilot projects before moving to scale.  It was agreed that any NAAAN attention to training would be guided by the findings of the mapping exercise – and it was also agreed that any NAAAN activities in the area of training would avoid overlap with programs and efforts already underway by other groups, for example 4H or FFA, vocational training institutions, and agricultural universities.

Discussion was given to eventually formulate working groups to guide and support implementation of priority elements of the NAAAN work program.  Working groups will help to initiate activity in each of the three thematic areas presented in the Discussion Document on the role of extension and rural advisory services in 1) Biodefense and Management of Natural Disaster; 2) Climate Change with particular emphasis on water management and soil health;  and 3) Youth and Career Empowerment, building on shared programming opportunities with Together We Grow and the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) within the GFRAS community.

As a platform seeking to connect communities of practice in agricultural advisory services across the three countries, initial activities of the Secretariat will include exploring  synergies between NAAAN and groups such as the e-Extension Foundation and the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) within the U.S., and explore information sharing and translation of their materials for use in Canada, Mexico and with other GFRAS networks. This is an area where GFRAS excels through the work of the New Extensionist Learning Kits (NELK) and where the NAAAN could contribute new information and training materials.

Wrap Up and Next Steps

  • The Secretariat will work with Senior Staff from each country in developing Working Groups and in formulation of a draft Concept Note for the NAAAN Mapping Study. This group will in turn work with the Steering Committee members from their respective countries and stakeholders.
  • Once the Concept Note for the Mapping Study is finalized, funding will be sought.
  • In parallel the Secretariat will work to engage with extension groups in all three countries to explore synergies and partnerships, and to facilitate awareness of, and engagement with, GFRAS.
  • Conversations and follow-up will begin with Together We Grow to assess how best to establish prototypes and pilots for internships and assess what efforts are possible in Canada and Mexico and with private and public sector partners.
  • Advice will be sought from the Steering Committee members affiliated with the APLU to determine how best to create synergies and complementarity with its international committees.
  • Membership of the NAAAN will not be a formalized process for the time being, but rather a decentralized affiliation based on project activities.
  • Staff will work together to inform the Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food (Canada) and Secretary Victor Villalobos, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (Mexico) who serve as ex officio members of a proposed panel discussion on the NAAAN during the World Food Prize in October, 2021 (in person or virtual).
  • The next Steering Committee and Senior Staff Meeting will be held in late Spring of 2021. Date TBD and discussion of when the ex officio members join will be determined at a later date and in consultation with Senior Staff members.
  • In closing, a desire to work together in new ways to address agricultural challenges and opportunities across North America was expressed among the members, with great hope envisioned for meaningful programmatic opportunities in the years ahead.

[1] Following the NAAAN meeting on December 8th, it was announced that Secretary Vilsack was nominated by President Elect Biden to serve once again as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

[2] The NAAAN Steering Committee members are designated with an asterisk (*).

CHRIS SHAFFNER

Senior Vice President, Utilities, Supply Chain, and Trade, CoBank

Christopher Shaffner is the senior vice president for the utilities, supply chain and global trade finance divisions, and is a member of the enterprise leadership team of CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses and rural infrastructure providers throughout the United States. Prior to CoBank, Christopher held various leadership positions in both public and private organizations, including executive leadership positions in public housing authorities in Colorado and in New York where he served as the Manhattan Borough Director, leading operations for the New York City Housing Authority during Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration. A graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Christopher is also a Finance Leaders Fellow at the Aspen Institute.

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JAMES HENDERSON

Vice President, Colorado Farm Bureau

James Henderson is a 5th generation farmer and rancher. The ranch, located in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, has been in continuous family operation for over 140 years. They raise cattle, oats, barley and other forage crops including alfalfa for use in the dairy industry. Henderson has served as the Vice President of Colorado Farm Bureau since 2020 and also serves on several water boards in his community. He is a graduate of the College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. James and his wife Kiley have 6 children.

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EMMA TROLLER

Project Development Manager, Blue Forest

Emma Troller is a Project Development Manager at Blue Forest, a non-profit conservation finance organization. Coming from a background in environmental planning, community engagement, and land conservation, at Blue Forest she is responsible for developing public-private partnerships and conservation finance mechanisms across landownership types to improve ecological resilience and reduce wildfire risk throughout the American West.

In Colorado, she previously spent three years at Palmer Land Conservancy. As the Conservation and Recreation Program Manager, Emma managed conservation easement transactions and built trust with rural landowners to negotiate public access for recreation projects. She currently serves on the board of Rocky Mountain Women’s Film, and previously held board positions at the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance and the Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway. Emma holds a Bachelors of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resource Management & Sustainable Ecosystems.

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PETER CULP

Managing Partner, Culp & Kelly, LLP

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Peter is a nationally-recognized Western water law and policy attorney, with nearly 25 years of experience representing and partnering with foundations and NGOs, municipalities, industry, tribal governments, agricultural interests, and investors, including extensive work in the Colorado River Basin. Over the past decade, Peter has also worked extensively on the development and deployment of innovative approaches to conservation finance, and has worked with various partners to create water-related impact investments throughout the Western United States and northern Mexico.

Peter is the managing partner and co-founder of Culp & Kelly, LLP, a mission-driven law and policy firm, as well as its affiliated consulting and project incubation firm, CK Blueshift, LLC. The two firms work as an integrated team to address a range of water, natural resource, and climate resilience challenges, and together support a growing set of innovative enterprises, projects, and restoration efforts throughout the Western United States.

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KATHLEEN GALVIN

University Distinguished Professor, College of Liberal Arts, Colorado State University

Dr. Kathleen Galvin is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Geography and former Director of the Africa Center at Colorado State University. She is also an Advising Faculty member for the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, where she founded the Human-Environment Interactions specialization for graduate students interested in a robust academic background in social-ecological systems.

She has conducted interdisciplinary social-ecological systems research in the drylands of East Africa and East Asia. Galvin has worked with local communities on land-use change, biodiversity conservation, food security, and climate change impacts and adaptation. She uses social-ecological systems frameworks, simulation modeling, and geospatial tools to understand human-environment issues and interactions. Her current research examines local perceptions of climate change and environmental issues, and explores actions to achieve viable solutions in Kenya. Another project focuses on understanding the trade-offs of community-based conservation for people and the environment throughout Africa. She has just completed a NASA grant to understand household decisions, ecosystem change, and atmospheric water recycling in Kenya through modeling for water futures.

She has taken on transdisciplinary science, linking science with society to ensure that her work’s impact goes well beyond the academy. As a lead author of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES, 2019), she was instrumental in linking the science of biodiversity and ecosystem services with diverse governance and knowledge systems worldwide.

She is a Fellow in the Society of Applied Anthropology, a past Fellow in the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, and a contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. In 2012, she received the National Sustainability Science award from the Ecological Society of America for her team’s efforts to use their scholarship to collaborate with pastoral communities and policymakers in eastern Africa. In 2017, the College of Liberal Arts awarded her the John N. Stern Distinguished Professor Award, recognizing a career of outstanding research, teaching, and service achievement.

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CHRISTINA SOHN

Senior Associate, Superbloom

Christina has over 9 years of professional experience in bringing landscape projects to life on varied sites: from well-loved public parks, art and science museums, university courtyards, to many-acre, ecologically-sensitive residences. While seeing projects through from concept to construction, Christina places a high priority on the relationship with the client, on meeting project milestones, and on attention to detail. She admires the rugged hardiness of Colorado’s native plants: their ability to thrive in harsh conditions, to sustain wildlife, to embody resilient beauty. When they are authentic to the place, elegant and logical, she believes that the right plants and good design have the ability to lift our spirits. She believes in bringing this beauty to the neglected, in practicing restraint and clarity in design, and in welcoming the rambunctiousness of life, whether in plant or human form.

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BORIS NIKOLAEV

Associate Professor and Tracy Family Faculty Fellow, College of Business, Colorado State University

Boris Nikolaev is an Associate Professor and the Tracy Family Faculty Fellow at the College of Business at Colorado State University. He studies entrepreneurship, well-being, and how emerging technologies are affecting the future of work.

He is also an Editor at Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship, and an instructor for Statistical Horizons.

His research includes over 50 peer-reviewed publications, including a dozen articles in premier journals such as JBV, ETP, JAP, SEJ, and JIBS. His work has been featured in the Economist, Forbes, TechCrunch, the Atlantic, and many other media outlets. He has been honored to receive multiple research excellence awards, including the Habicht Early Career Research Award and Business for Better World Research Award.

In the classroom, his passion for innovative teaching has earned recognition from the Academy of Management. He has also received several university-wide teaching awards, including the William H. Fox Teaching Award for Emerging Excellence (Emory University), the N. Preston Davis Award for Instructional Innovation (Colorado State University), the Provost Award for Outstanding Teaching (University of South Florida), and the Innovation in Entrepreneurship Pedagogy Award (AOM ENT Division).

What drives him? A curiosity about how entrepreneurship shapes our world and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurship scholars. Whether he’s exploring the impact of AI on value creation or investigating the well-being of entrepreneurs, his goal is to produce research that matters and education that inspires.

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ELIZABETH BABCOCK

Executive Director, Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency

Elizabeth Babcock is the Executive Director for Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. She has over 20 years of experience managing collaborative and transformational projects. During her 12 years with the City and County of Denver, Elizabeth acted as a leader in the development of Denver’s climate office and created nationally recognized programs under Denver’s Climate Protection Fund. She has managed several multimillion-dollar grants, including the Denver Energy Challenge, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. She also led Denver’s participation in the American Cities Climate Challenge, driving climate action across city government. In previous roles, she worked with universities around the world to advance sustainability and civic engagement through the Talloires Network and community engagement through the Civic Knowledge Project at the University of Chicago. She holds a BA with highest honors from the University of Florida and an MA from the University of Chicago.

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ALEX BUDAK

Professional Faculty, University of California Berkeley

Alex Budak is an educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and author who helps people cultivate courage and turn everyday moments into change. A UC Berkeley faculty member, he holds a triple appointment at the Haas School of Business, School of Public Health, and College of Natural Resources, where his courses teach students and executives to lead with character, connection, and contribution—and have even inspired student tattoos.

His book, Becoming a Changemaker, is being translated into 27 languages. CNBC named it a top-five nonfiction book about work and Inc. named him a top 50 leadership and management expert.

Budak’s change journey began when he co-founded StartSomeGood, which has raised more than $12 million to launch and scale new initiatives in more than 50 countries.

A UCLA and Georgetown graduate, he delivers keynotes on leadership, change, and courage to audiences worldwide, from Ukraine to Cambodia, and regularly leads interactive sessions for organizations such as Accenture, Salesforce, the World Bank, and UNHCR.

Formerly a travel writer, Alex now enjoys the everyday adventures of life with his two young kids—his favorite changemakers. A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, he brings the same loyalty to his work, though he admits one lesson came the hard way: never go budget skydiving.

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KAREN SCHLATTER

Director, Colorado Water Center

Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.

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LINDSAY ROGERS

Policy Manager for Municipal Conservation, Western Resource Advocates

Lindsay Rogers is the Policy Manager for Municipal Conservation at Western Resource Advocates. Rogers advances water conservation at the municipal level to bolster communities’ water security and reduce pressure on Western rivers and streams. As climate change and population growth further strain Western waterways, she works closely with municipalities, water utilities, partners, and decision makers to improve water efficiency, boost local resilience, and protect rivers. By facilitating local and state-level policy development and providing direct project support, Lindsay helps communities and utilities pursue innovative and tailored water-saving strategies such as graywater ordinances, waterwise landscaping policies, and better integrated water and land-use planning. Previously, she spent five years as the Colorado Basin Program Manager at WaterNow Alliance, focused on advancing sustainable water policies and programs in the West by working directly with municipal water decision makers. Lindsay serves on the board of Colorado WaterWise. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Tufts University and is pursuing an MPA from CU Denver.

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JARED ROMERO

Program Officer in the Environment Program, Walton Family Foundation

Jared Romero, Ph.D., is a Program Officer in the Environment Program at the Walton Family Foundation, where he works to advance conservation solutions in the Colorado River Basin. His career bridges science, education, and conservation leadership, shaped by a lifelong connection to the outdoors and a belief in the power of education to transform lives.

Jared previously served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, where he built coalitions to expand equity in outdoor recreation and conservation policy. Earlier in his career, he held academic and research leadership roles at Boise State University and Adams State University, spearheading the development of One Health programs connecting human, animal, and environmental health.

He has been recognized as a Colorado Water Hero, served on boards for national and regional conservation organizations, and is known for creating inclusive spaces that elevate underrepresented voices in conservation. Jared holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Colorado State University, as well as graduate and undergraduate degrees in natural and biological sciences.

Grounded in humility and service, Jared sees the outdoors as both refuge and responsibility. The outdoors are a place that inspires his work to ensure future generations have access to healthy lands and waters.

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JULIE DAVIES O’SHEA

Executive Director, Farmers Conservation Alliance

Julie Davies O’Shea has guided FCA through two decades of growth, positioning the organization as a national leader in irrigation modernization. As a founder and executive director of Farmers Conservation Alliance, Julie’s expertise begins with her ability to foster relationships with key partners in irrigation across the West. Under her leadership, FCA has partnered with 55 irrigation communities to implement projects that improve agricultural efficiency, increase water reliability, and deliver lasting environmental and community benefits.

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GIGI KARMOUS-EDWARDS

CEO, Karmous Edwards Consulting

Over the course of more than 25 years, Gigi Karmous-Edwards has worked in various domains of digital technologies, spanning the Data Communications industry, Academia, and most recently, dedicating the last 13 years to the Water Sector. Gigi is the technical lead and Co-PI of a GenAI WRF #5321 (GenAI for the Global Water Sector) project. Gigi is the founder and former chair of the SWAN Digital Twin H2O Work Group, leads AI market insights at BlueTech Research as a Technology Advisor Group (TAG) member, and serves on the Advisory Boards of Veralto and Qatium.

Gigi has authored over 40 publications and frequently speaks at global conferences. As the CEO of Karmous-Edwards Consulting, she advises global utilities and technology companies on digital transformation and GenAI. B.S. in Chemical Eng and M.S. Electrical Eng.

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MARA WALLER

Senior Research Scholar, College of Business, Colorado State University

Mary (“Mara”) J. Waller, Ph.D., is a leading authority on team dynamics and crisis management. A professor of organizational behavior, her work focuses on how teams adapt, coordinate, and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty and high risk. Over the course of her career, Dr. Waller has authored numerous articles and books that bridge rigorous research with real-world application. Her latest book, Crisis-Ready Teams, provides evidence-based strategies for preparing teams to navigate disruption and perform effectively under pressure.

Dr. Waller is a sought-after speaker and consultant who has worked with organizations across industries, helping leaders strengthen team resilience and improve performance in turbulent environments. Her expertise has been featured in academic, business, and media outlets worldwide. With a reputation for making complex research both engaging and actionable, she brings practical insights to audiences ranging from executives and policymakers to educators and students.

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TOM VILSACK

Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation

Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.

In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.

He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.

Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.

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KATE WATKINS

Colorado State Demographer

Kate Watkins is Colorado’s State Demographer. She leads the State Demography Office within the Department of Local Affairs. The State Demography Office produces population and economic estimates and forecasts for use by the business community, nonprofits, and state and local governments. Kate has nearly two decades of experience analyzing economic and demographic trends in Colorado and beyond. Her career history includes serving as the Chief Economist for Colorado’s state legislature, as an economist at the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and as a private sector consultant. Kate holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

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TONY FRANK

Chancellor, CSU System

Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.

Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.

Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.

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CSU Spur is turning 2! Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.

It’s our anniversary!

It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.

We’ll see you Saturday!

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (Dec. 13), and this month is a winter festival. Celebrate the season with a holiday market featuring local vendors and unique gifts, warm treats, winter crafts, and a joyful community atmosphere.

Explore 2nd Saturday activities