The inaugural Water in the West Symposium, presented by CSU and held at the McNichols Civic Center Building in downtown Denver, sold out with more than 400 attendees, and showcased more than 30 speakers from across the state and nation representing diverse perspectives in water. The Symposium mirrored the programing and conversations that will be ongoing at CSU Spur.
Please click the hyperlinks below to view video of the sessions.
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2018
9 A.M.
Welcome
Amy Parsons – Colorado State University System
9:10 A.M.
Opening remarks
Secretary Tom Vilsack – Colorado State University System
9:20 A.M.
Challenge and Opportunity: Introduction to the CSU Water Building
Tony Frank – Colorado State University System
Jim Lochhead – Denver Water
9:40 A.M.
Colorado Water Plan: Snapshots and Next Steps
Becky Mitchell – Colorado Water Conservation Board
10:10 A.M.
Colorado Impact: Water Success and Challenges Across Sectors
Moderator: Doug Kemper – Colorado Water Congress
Mizraim Cordero – Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Bart Miller – Western Resource Advocates
Don Brown – Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
Mike Reidy – Leprino Foods Company
Dan Haley – Colorado Oil & Gas Association
11:45 A.M.
Water Forum for Gubernatorial Candidates + lunch
Moderator: Russell George – Boettcher Foundation Trustees
1:45 P.M.
Taps and Bottle Caps: Water Sustainability in the Beverage Industry
Moderator: Jim Francis – Beverage Business Institute, CSU
Bruce Karas – Coca-Cola North America
Marco Ugarte – MillerCoors
2:45 P.M.
City Water Strategies
Jerry Tinianow – Office of Sustainability, City and County of Denver
3:15 P.M.
Seeking Solutions: Colorado Leads in Water Research
Moderator: Reagan Waskom – Colorado Water Institute
Mazdak Arabi – Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, CSU
Brad Udall – Colorado Water Institute
Jim McQuarrie – Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
Meagan Schipanski – College of Agriculture, CSU
4:15 P.M.
Trout Tank Winners Pitches
Introduction: Jocelyn Hittle – Colorado State University System
Andrew Todd – Running Rivers
Mike Smith – RenewWest
4:30 P.M.
Colorado Water: Water Legacy and Vision
John Hickenlooper – Governor of Colorado
5 P.M.
Reception
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2018
9 A.M.
Welcome and Day One Recap
Amy Parsons – Colorado State University System
9:15 A.M.
Dollars for Droplets: Financing Water Projects
Moderator: Diane Barrett – City and County of Denver
Secretary Tom Vilsack – Colorado State University System
Ted Kowalski – Colorado River Initiative, Walton Family Foundation
Rich Thorsten – Water.org
Tom Halverson – CoBank
Gili Elkin – Israel-Colorado Innovation Fund
10:15 A.M.
Federal Focus: Water in the West
Host: Kelly Brough – Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce
Cynthia Lummis – Former Congresswoman-at-large, Wyoming
Michael Bennet – U.S. Senator, Colorado
11:15 A.M.
Water and Food Dialogue
Sonny Perdue – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Tom Vilsack – Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
12 P.M.
Special Announcement
Deborah Hamlin – Irrigation Association
12:05 P.M.
Closing Remarks
Secretary Tom Vilsack – Colorado State University System
Tony Frank – Colorado State University System
Thank you to our 2018 sponsors
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Hours
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
2nd Saturday of every month: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (closed all other Saturdays)
Closed Sundays
Location
4777 National Western Dr.,
Denver, CO 80216
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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.
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.
JOCELYN HITTLE
Associate Vice President for CSU Spur, Colorado State University
Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.
Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 10), and we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with all kinds of spring activities, including mariachi performances, songwriting labs, a Temple Grandin Equine Center equine-assisted therapy demonstration, a visit from the Sci on the Fly truck, and more!