Forums

Friday, 3 to 4 p.m., Campus Locations

Following the afternoon seminars each Friday, an "open forum" is held from 3-4 p.m.

The Forum features invited speakers of note, usually from outside Renaissance, who share their views on varied topics with members, followed by lively question-and-answer sessions. The locations vary depending on CSUS availability, so check below. The speakers and locations can change, so check here right before each Forum.

Marcos Breton, Roger Baccigaluppi

Lorna Peters, Carlos González Gutiérrez

Barbara Vohryzek, Barbara O'Connor

Ted Lascher, Sandra Kirschenmann

Ann Evans, Rex Fortune

Rich Ehisen

Feb. 1:: No Forum.
Feb. 8: Marcos Breton, Sacramento Bee Columnist
Union Ballroom I: Sacramento City Politics, Kevin Johnson, the Kings and the Maloofs As well as writing a Bee column on city issues, he is an author and radio personality. A former sports writer, he is featured in the outstanding documentary, The Tenth Inning, by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.
Feb. 15: Roger Baccigaluppi, RB International
Union Ballroom I: My Life at Blue Diamond He started at Blue Diamond Growers, then called California Almond Growers Exchange, in 1961. After serving in a variety of sales, advertising and marketing positions, he was elected president and chief executive officer in 1975. He retired in 1991 and founded RB International, a trade advisory firm, in 1992. He was chairman of the California Chamber of Commerce in 1995 and continues as a director. He received a BS degree from University of California, Berkeley, and an MS from Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Prior to joining Blue Diamond Growers, he held various positions in advertising and publishing fields in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco
Feb. 22: Lorna Peters, Associate Music Professor, CSUS
Capistrano Hall 151: Harpsichord Performance Lorna Peters received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Lawrence University. At SUNY-Stony Brook, she completed an MM in piano and a DMA in harpsichord. In 1989 a Fulbright Scholarship took her to Salzburg, Austria. She has given solo and chamber music concerts in California, New York, Washington, D.C., Austria, Germany, Holland and Switzerland, and her performances are frequently heard on National Public Radio and Austrian radio. She is currently associate professor of piano, harpsichord, chamber music, and music theory at CSUS and maintains a private studio of aspiring pianists and harpsichordists.
March 1: Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico Consul General
Redwood Room: California-Mexico: Challenges and Opportunities He was appointed Consul General for Sacramento, with jurisdiction over 24 counties in Northeastern California. He has a BA degree in Foreign Relations from El Colegio de Mexico and a Masters degree in Foreign Relations from University of Southern California. He has been a member of the Mexican Foreign Service since 1987. He is the author of several publications about the relations between the government of Mexico and its community in the United States of America.
March 8: Barbara Vohryzek, Small Business Advocate, Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development
Redwood Room: Small Business Future She will discuss three top items on the horizon for California's small businesses, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Covered California's Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP). She was appointed last year. Vohryzek was president and founder of Vohryzek and Company since 2009 and has been director and founder of Community Business Bank since 2005. She was executive director and founder of the California Statewide Certified Development Corporation from 1987 to 2009 and served in various positions at the California Trade and Commerce Agency, Office of Local Development, from 1984 to 1991.
March 15: Barbara O'Connor, Emeritus Professor of Communications, CSUS
Del Norte 1004: Political Action Committees (PACs) and the Legislature Besides Sacramento State, she has taught at Georgetown and University of Southern California, where she was the assistant director of debate. She currently sits on the National Board of the American Association of Retired Persons. She has previously served as a consultant to McClatchy Newspapers, the Boston Globe Media Properties, the Tribune Company, the Washington Bureau of the Associated Press, the California Legislature, the United States Congress and the Federal Communications Commission. In 2011, she joined Lucas Public Affairs as senior counsel.
March 22: Ted Lascher, Interim Dean, College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies, CSUS
Del Norte 1004: CSUS Growth Dr. Lascher studied Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His specialty is the policy process, legislative politics, and the impact of institutional structures on policy outcomes. He previously taught at Harvard University and worked for two California state agencies. He is also acting director of the Center for California Studies and a Professor of Public Policy and Administration. He is the CSUS liaison to the Renaissance Society Board.
March 29:: Spring Break; No Forum.
April 5: Sandra Kirschenmann, Executive Director, Drexel University Graduate Center, Sacramento
Redwood Room: Drexel in Sacramento Prior to becoming the associate vice provost and executive director of Drexel University Sacramento, she was vice chancellor of Resource Development for the Los Rios Community College District. She had the lead faculty role at American River College in the Oak Café and Culinary Arts program, was lead faculty for the Foodservice Management Program at Cosumnes River College, and worked as an adjunct professor in the Benerd School of Education at the University of the Pacific. She received her Baccalaureate and Master's degrees from the University of California, Davis. Her doctoral degree in Educational Administration and Foundations was granted by the University of the Pacific.
April 12: Ann Evans, Consumer Food Consultant
Del Norte 1004: Farm to School She is a partner in Evans and Brennan, LLC, which works to put fresh, regional foods on to school lunch plates, and to develop regional food economies. She is cofounder of the Davis Food Co-op and the Davis Farmers Market and coauthor of the "Davis Farmers Market Cookbook." She cofounded one of the first-in-the-nation Farm to School programs 12 years ago, Davis Farm to School Connection, which is funded in part through a community supported parcel tax. A former mayor of Davis and state legislative and California Department of Education employee, Ann holds a degree in Consumer Food Science from the University of California at Davis and is a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier. Ann lives in Davis with her husband, six chickens, and several thousand bees.
April 19: Rex Fortune, former Superintendent of Center Unified School District
Redwood Room: The Student Achievement Gap and How to Overcome It He received a doctorate in education from Stanford University. He began his career teaching high school before moving on to serve as a school site administrator. He was associate superintendent of public instruction in the state Department of Education for 11 years, superintendent of the Inglewood Unified School District for five years and superintendent of Center USD for 15 years before he retired in 2003. His presentation will be based on his recent book, Bridging the Achievement Gap: What Successful Educators and Parents Do.
April 26: Rich Ehisen, Editor of State Net Capitol Journal
Del Norte 1004: Sacramento's Film Community Ehisen is the editor and publisher of the online news publication that covers state-level public policy trends across the 50 states. He has also published hundreds of free-lance articles in a wide spectrum of local, regional and national publications, from politics and business to sports and the arts. Ehisen holds a Master of Arts degree in Public and Political Communication from California State University, Sacramento. He is the immediate past president of the Sacramento Press Club. He wrote, produced and directed his first short film, Child's Play. He will show this film and talk about movie-making in this town.
May 3:: No Forum.