The Program Committee is always working to line up a dynamic program schedule.

2007 / 2008 Programs
	June 3 2008
	Annual Meeting "The Principled Politican, The Ralph Carr Story" Channel 9 reporter Adam Schrager will discuss his new book which tells the story of Colorado Governor Ralph Carr, the only political leader to welcome Japanese-Americans to his state during World War II. Carr had catapulted to the top of the national Republican Party and was even pegged as a possible future presidential candidate by the New York papers. But when he took a courageous, yet unpopular, stance on the constitutional rights of this minority group, Carr fell rapidly from favor. A riveting biography, The Principled Politician is the story of a courageous man sadly forgotten by Colorado and never known by his country. Schrager has won numerous broadcast journalism accolades, including more than a dozen Emmy awards. He is also a regular contributor to 5280 magazine, teaches broadcast journalism at the University of Denver and has conducted dozens of seminars on the impact of the media on politics.
	May 27 2008
	"2008 Elections" Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley will join Secretary of the State Mike Coffman to discuss how Denver and Colorado will be conducting the 2008 elections.
	May 20 2008
	"The Ravenous Appetite of China and India for Natural Resources - The Potential Impact on Colorado With China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) now growing at more than 10 percent per year and India's at 7-9 percent, both countries are drastically increasing their use of all natural resources. As a result, the price of nearly every natural-resource commodity has dramatically escalated since 2003 and the competition to obtain a share of these natural resources has become intense. How has Colorado been affected by this new world disorder? Dr. Vince Matthews, Director of the Colorado Geological Survey, will answer that question and discuss how the increased pressure to produce this natural wealth has the potential of increasing conflicts among various constituencies in our state.
	May 13 2008
	"Rethinking High School: A Business/Education Partnership that Works" Cited as one of the five most innovative schools in the nation by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Arrupe Jesuit High School in north Denver has a 100 percent graduation rate . Through community/business partnerships, students from low-income families have opportunities to experience careers such as banking, law, medicine, and finance while following a rigorous college preparatory program. Rev. Stephen Planning, president of Arrupe, will discuss the reasons for the outstanding success of Arrupe in serving economically disadvantaged young people.
	May 6 2008
	"The Uprising in America" Political journalist David Sirota will discuss his newly released book, The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington. Sirota, a best-selling author and nationally syndicated writer whose column appears weekly in the Denver Post, is widely known for his reporting on political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America’s political parties. The New York Times has called him a “populist rabble-rouser” with a “take-no-prisoners mind-set,” while the Philadelphia Daily News labeled him “a progressive powerhouse.” Sirota’s first book, Hostile Takeover: How Big Money & Corruption Conquered Our Government – And How We Take It Back, was released by Crown Publishers in 2006 and quickly became a New York Times best seller. The Uprising is a tour of the populist political movement growing in response to severe economic pressure on America’s middle class.
	April 29 2008
	LOBBYISTS--LOVE 'EM OR LEAVE 'EM, BUT WE NEED 'EM! Since starting CRL Associates, Inc. 26 years ago, Maria Garcia Berry has been the guiding force behind what is today one of the most influential public affairs firms in Colorado. In fact, for three consecutive years, Denver's 5280 magazine named her one of Denver’s "25 Most Powerful People." Maria is highly respected for her skills in negotiation, mediation and advocacy and she is experienced at forging links among diverse interests and groups. She is widely recognized in her field for her expertise in government and public decision making, public finance, strategic planning, coalition building, crisis communications, community outreach, public positioning and legislative advocacy and she will discuss her experiences as a lobbyist in the Colorado legislature.
	April 22 2008
	"What's Wrong with U.S. Foreign Policy in the Middle East? Greg Dobbs spent ten years covering the Middle East for ABC News and today, still travels there as chief correspondent for "World Report" on HDNet. Hear his impressions about what American political leaders and diplomats need to do to improve our relations with the region's leaders. Dobbs is also the host of "Colorado State of Mind" on Rocky Mountain PBS.
	April 15 2008
	"The Challenge of Meeting the World's Energy Demands" When it comes to the exploration and production of oil and gas, there is no free lunch. Whether it be increased taxes or increased regulation, the consumer ultimately will pay more. But how much more? Jack Ekstrom, Director of Government Affairs for Pioneer Natural Resources, will answer this question as well as others at the April 15, 2008 City Club Luncheon. Pioneer Natural Resources is a large independent oil and gas exploration and production company headquartered in Texas and is the largest operator in the gas-rich Raton basin in Southeastern Colorado. Pioneer's corporate philosophy is to focus on delivering competitive and sustainable results while remaining committed to the environment and the health and safety of employees and the community.
	April 8 2008
	"Affordable Health Care Coverage for All Coloradans - Is It Possible or Realistic?" The Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform was created to study and establish health care reform models that expand health care coverage and decrease health care costs for Colorado residents. After a year of work, what did the Commission recommend to reach these goals? Come hear Bill Lindsay, chair of the Commission, review the recommendations presented to the legislature earlier this year.
	April 1 2008
	"Convention and Tourism Industry in Denver and Colorado" Founded in 1909, the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is a 1,000-member nonprofit trade association responsible for promoting both the Denver metropolitan area and Colorado as a meeting and vacation destination to local, national, and international travelers, meeting planners and conventioneers. Richard Scharf, President and CEO of the Bureau, will discuss the current state of our tourism and convention industry and the Bureau's progress in meeting goals of increasing economic development, creating jobs and generating taxes.
	March 25 2008
	"FasTracks Update" Chris Martinez, Regional Transportation District Board member from District B and the first vice-chair and immediate past chair of the RTD Board, will be joined by Bill Van Meter, the senior manager of systems planning for RTD to discuss the current status and plans for the build-out of RTD's FasTracks transit project.
	March 18 2008
	"The Future of Colorado's Constitution: Time for a Change?" The 2007 University of Denver Colorado Constitution Panel, a nonpartisan panel of accomplished Colorado leaders from across the state, recently issued its recommendations for constitutional reform in Colorado. Jim Griesemer, Chair of the Panel and Director of the Strategic Issues Program at the University of Denver, will summarize the panel’s findings concerning the problems with Colorado’s Constitution, the underlying causes, and recommendations for dealing with these issues. Griesemer says, “Unless changes are made, our constitution will continue to impede the ability of policy makers to respond to the needs of Colorado.” City Club members are encouraged to read the report at http://du.edu/issues/reports/.
	March 11 2008
	The Annual Legislative Roundtable Representative Andrew Romanoff, Speaker of the House Representative Andrew Romanoff is the Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives and the first Democrat to hold that post since 1975. He is serving his fourth term in the House, representing District 6 (Denver/Arapahoe). He serves on the Executive Committee and the Legislative Council. Rep. Romanoff teaches at the Community College of Aurora and has taught at the University of Colorado's Graduate School of Public Affairs, Metropolitan State College and Red Rocks Community College. He received the William M. Bulger Award in 2006 presented by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and the National Conference of State Legislatures to the nation’s top legislative leader. He is the award’s youngest recipient. Rep. Romanoff earned a bachelor's degree at Yale and a master's degree in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and is completing a law degree at the University of Denver. Senator Josh Penry, State Senator Senator Josh Penry is a Republican member of the Colorado State Senate, representing Mesa and Garfield counties. He is a member of the Capital Development, Education and Judiciary committees. Senator Penry was first elected to the House in 2004 and the Senate in 2006. He is the youngest member of the Senate. Born in Denver, Senator Penry received his undergraduate degree from Mesa State College. Before his legislative career, he served as a top aide to Congressman Scott McInnis. He is a leading advocate for education reform through raising graduation standards for Colorado high school students, especially in the areas of math and science. Senator Peter Groff, Senate President Senator Peter Groff is the President of the Colorado Senate – the first African-American to hold the position in Colorado and only the third in U.S. history. Senator Groff was elected to the Colorado House in 2000 and appointed to the Senate in 2003, representing a district from Denver and Adams counties. He became Senate President at the start of this session. Born in Chicago, he is the son of former Senator Regis Groff. He founded the University of Denver’s Center for African American policy, where he still serves as Executive Director. He is also a senior lecturer at the university. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Redlands and a JD from DU’s College of Law. Senator Groff was a senior assistant to Mayor Wellington Webb and an assistant to Councilwomen Happy Haynes. Representative David Balmer, Assistant House Minority Leader Representative David Balmer is the Assistant House Minority Leader. He was first elected to the House in 2004 and re-elected in 2006 from Arapahoe County. He serves on the House Business Affairs and Legislative Council committees. He is a consultant specializing in brownfield redevelopment. He previously was a Senior Manager with Cherokee Investment Partners. This redevelopment firm has purchased over 320 sites across North America and Europe, including the former Gates plant at Interstate 25 and Broadway. Representative Balmer earned a JD from Wake Forest Law School and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also is a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and has served in deployments to Afghanistan and Bosnia.
	March 4 2008
	"The I-70 Mountain Corridor: Decisions for Transportation" I-70 is Colorado’s most frustrating transportation problem for both motorists and policy-makers. After years of studies, there’s new consensus-building for a viable long-term resolution of environment, transportation modes and economic feasibility concerns. I-70 Mountain Corridor Citizen Advisory Committee member Bert Melcher will share these exciting developments. He has been involved in environmental issues and engineering as a professional or volunteer for over 40 years, specializing in environmental planning and multi-modal transportation policy. Bert received the 2005 Environmental Distinguished Service Award from the Wirth Chair in Environmental and Community Development Policy at the University of Colorado-Denver.
	February 26 2008
	CANCELLED Due to Speaker conflicts
	February 19 2008
	Denver Housing Authority - Moving Forward The Denver Housing Authority has embarked on a strategic vision to create thriving new communities that offer a range of affordable housing options, create opportunities for empowerment and economic development for residents, and are catalysts for neighborhood revitalization. New Executive Director Ismael Guerrero will present an overview of the housing authority as well as DHA's recent successes and its vision for future growth.
	February 12 2008
	"Denver Health: Successes and Challenges" Patricia A. Gabow, M.D., CEO and Medical Director of Denver Health.
	February 5 2008
	"2008: How Bad Will the Recession Be?" Tucker Hart Adams, president and CEO of The Adams Group, Inc., will discuss the present condition of the state and national economy and the outlook for 2008. Founded in 1989, The Adams Group, Inc., is a regional economic consulting firm, providing research, analysis and forecasts throughout the Mountain West. Clients include a major regional bank holding company, the Colorado tourist industry, law firms, real estate developers, a variety of other private businesses, local governments and Chambers of Commerce.
	January 29 2008
	The 2008 Democractic National Convention - A Once in a Century Opportunity! Not since 1908 has a national convention been held in the Rocky Mountain West. One hundred years later, the spotlight will once again be on Denver as an estimated 35,000 people attend the Democratic National Convention this summer. Elbra Wedgeworth, President/Chair of the Board for the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee along with Mike Dino, CEO of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, will give a progress report on the planning for this historic event and will discuss the convention's anticipated impact on our city. Wedgeworth is the former President of the Denver City Council as well as a former Denver City Councilwoman and Dino is a senior policy advisor with Patton Boggs.
	January 22 2008
	Dan Ritchie - Chairman and CEO of the Denver Center of the Performing Arts Daniel L. Ritchie, formerly CEO of Westinghouse, formerly Chancellor of the University of Denver, formerly a rancher in Routt County, now Chairman and CEO of the Denver Center of the Performing Arts, will address members of the City Club of Denver at noon on January 22.
	January 15 2008
	"Why the donkey owns Colorado's capitol; can (and should) the elephant get it back?" In recent years, the seemingly solid Republican west, and most particularly Colorado, has turned in the Democratic direction. Why, and is this for the long term, or simply a temporary blip on the GOP radar screen? Join John Straayer - Department of Political Science, Colorado State University to hear this timely topic.
	January 8 2008