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Thomas Meiers

Thomas Meiers headshot.

Manager of Events
A proud Wheat Ridge native, Thomas Meiers is an accomplished event management professional with more than 16 years of experience spanning cultural institutions, nonprofits, hospitality, higher education, and government operations. His career began with the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival and has since included leadership roles supporting nationally recognized venues and organizations, including the Colorado Convention Center, Denver Broncos, Team Player Productions, Historic Elitch Theatre, Civic Center Conservancy, and CSU Spur.

Thomas currently serves as an event manager at CSU Spur, where he oversees the planning and execution of a diverse portfolio of conferences, educational programs, nonprofit events, and community gatherings. His responsibilities include client relations, vendor coordination, audiovisual logistics, contract management, cross-department collaboration, and event operations—ensuring seamless experiences from initial planning through final breakdown.

In addition to his role at CSU Spur, Thomas serves as an on-site event manager for GOAT Events and Adelska Conference Planning & Logistics, supporting conferences, festivals, galas, and large-scale public events throughout Colorado. During football season, he is also part of the premium hospitality team at Empower Field at Mile High, managing catering operations in executive suites, coaching suites, locker rooms, press areas, and other VIP spaces during Denver Broncos home games.

Thomas’s background extends beyond event production into emergency management and public service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as emergency shelter scheduling & project manager for the City and County of Denver, coordinating multiple 24/7 emergency shelter operations that served hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness. He later managed emergency severe weather shelter operations at RecoveryWorks, leading more than 25 staff members while improving crisis response, operational efficiency, reporting, and community outreach.

Earlier in his career, Thomas developed a strong foundation in hospitality, sales, and customer experience through roles with Team Player Productions and the Colorado Convention Center, where he contributed to multimillion-dollar revenue growth. He also worked as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, gaining extensive experience in emergency response, guest service, operational leadership, and conflict resolution. At Denver Human Services, he further strengthened community partnerships through volunteer management, donor engagement, and fundraising initiatives that supported thousands of local families.

Thomas is recognized for his collaborative leadership, operational excellence, attention to detail, and ability to solve complex logistical challenges while building strong relationships across organizations and communities. He holds certifications in FEMA Incident Command and National Response Framework systems, as well as Six Sigma Black Belt methodology, reflecting his commitment to emergency preparedness, continuous improvement, and organizational excellence.

Passionate about creating meaningful experiences that strengthen communities, Thomas brings a unique combination of strategic planning, operational expertise, and public service to every project. Whether producing a major public festival, coordinating a conference, or managing emergency operations, he is driven by a commitment to service, collaboration, and creating spaces where people can connect and thrive.

Outside of work, Thomas enjoys spending time with family, exploring Colorado’s outdoors, supporting local restaurants and cultural attractions, and catching a great comedy show.

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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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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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Celebrate the Fourth of July at Spur!

CSU Spur is hosting its first Fourth of July party! Join us at 5:30 p.m. on July 4 for a live DJ, local barbecue, activities for kids, and a view of celebrations across the city from the Terra rooftop.

Tickets are $5.

Get your tickets

We’ll see you Saturday!

2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (July 11), and this month, the theme is Wonderful World of Water. Explore hands-on activities focused on watersheds, aquatic ecosystems, water conservation, and the journey water takes from mountain snowpack to our homes, as well as agua frescas, the Westernaires, a river clean-up, the Market at the Center, and more!

Explore 2nd Saturday activities