AICP Water Flows. Where Does It Go?
Population growth has California cities increasingly looking to purchase water from farmers. What are the potential advantages and pitfalls of this trend within the Central Valley?

Christopher Campbell, Baker Manock & Jensen
Ellen Hanak, Public Policy Institute of California
Nick Pinhey, City of Tracy

Session Sponsor: Public Policy Institute of California

Healthcare: Social Service or Economic Engine?
Health care contributes $4.7 billion to the Valley economy each year. Opportunity? Yes. But, how can Valley job seekers get needed training?

John Melville, Collaborative Economics
Kelly Morgan, Sierra View Local Health Care District

Session Sponsor: Applied Development Economics

The Struggle Over Land: Rights and Responsibility
The Valley's past land struggles continue to influence current and future actions. Review the role past conflicts play in responding to today's challenges.

Terry Beers, Santa Clara University
Frank LaPena, Author
Roman Loranc, Photographer
Mike Madison, Yolo Bulb
Malcolm Margolin, Heyday Books

Session Sponsor:

Dirty Air: Is There Anything We Can Do?
It's not all up to others . . . Play a role in improving Valley air quality. Learn what is being done by individual residents and businesses.

Kathy Eckerson, City of Fresno
Lori Kobza-Lee, Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District
W. James Wagoner, Butte County Air Quality Management District

Session Sponsor: Diesel Technology Forum

It's Our Environment Too!
Young Valley residents demonstrate a passion for the environment by doing important projects in their communities. Youth speakers tell the story.

Nalelli Herrera, Madera Youth Leaders
John Mataka, Central California Environmental Justice Network
Matt Richards, Tri-County Watchdogs
Andrea Velasquez, Grayson Neighborhood Council

Session Sponsor:

AICP Buildings of the Future
Green buildings cost less to operate, improve health and last longer without costing more.

Judi Ettlinger, Truitt & White
David Johnston, What's Working

Session Sponsor: RRM Design Group

Leadership and Capacity-building
Developing leaders can dramatically increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations, helping thrive, not just survive.

James Burruss, HayGroup
Roy Childs, University of the Pacific

Session Sponsor: Staff Resources

Hip Cities: The Creative Community Movement
Communities that welcome and foster creative residents can reap financial benefits. Valley efforts to uncover the creative economy are showcased.

Reza Assemi, Artist
Jocelyn Fuller, Economic Development Corporation Fresno County
Brady Matoian, OK Produce
Henry Perea, Fresno City Council Member

Session Sponsor:

Budget Education and Action for Reform
A new civic partnership has been created to educate regional civic leaders on California budget basics and get their input on budget priorities for California's future.

Nick Bollman, California Center for Regional Leadership
Stephen Levy, Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy

Session Sponsor:

AICP Tools for Citizen Engagement
Charrettes, study circles and interactive software make up the citizen engagement tool box. Use them to create a community vision.

Doug Walker, Orton Family Foundation
Helen Whyte, Orton Family Foundation

Session Sponsor: Criterion Planners/Engineers

Agricultural Innovation: Business Models to Sustain Profitability
Hobbies turned to profit and outdoor classrooms for urban neighbors are only two innovative examples improving the bottom line for agriculture in the region.

Bill Burrows, Sunflower Coordinated Resource Management Program
John Melville, Collaborative Economics

Session Sponsor:

AICP Storytelling for Grantseekers
Powerful storytelling can make or break a grant proposal, presentation or media interview. Learn the components of effective storytelling.

Cheryl Clarke, Author, Storytelling for Grantseekers

Session Sponsor:

AICP GIS 101 for the Policymaker-Why & What You Need to Know
Who controls your base map? Knowing the fundamentals of GIS is critical when participating in the community planning process.

Patrick Kelleher, Lynx Technologies
Mary Tsui, Land Systems Group

Session Sponsor: Geographical Information Center and Center for Economic Development, CSU Chico

Waste Not, Get More
By harnessing waste streams, minimizing resource consumption and eliminating toxics, businesses can increase productivity and competitiveness and help the environment.

Gil Friend, Natural Logic
Ken Grossman, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Brady Matoian, OK Produce

Session Sponsor: Engine Control Systems

Kitchen Table Discussion: Meet the Funders: Technology
Foundation representatives are available in an informal setting.

Heather Bernikoff, California Consumer Protection Foundation

Session Sponsor:

CATAPULT! Young People Taking Action
Young people can be forces for change and help develop strong communities. CATAPULT supports and encourages youth to step forward.

Session Sponsor:

Voices from the California Delta
The Delta's history developed from the diverse stories of people who adapted to life there; it's future depends on the negotiation of those different voices.

Margit Aramburu, Delta Protection Commission
Jane Wolff, Washington School of Architecture

Session Sponsor:

AICP Community Building for Community Health, Part I
Building healthy communities requires community leaders, public officials, and health care professionals to collaborate. Learn proven techniques for navigating this changing field.

Edward O'Neil, University of California San Francisco

Session Sponsor: Local Government Commission and Surface Transportation Policy Project

Food, Habitat, Open Space -- Compliments of Farmers & Ranchers
Farmers and ranchers give us food to eat, steward our open spaces and provide habitat. How do they do it? Come see.

Markus Bokisch, Bokisch Vineyards & Winery
Nicole Montna Van Vleck, Montna Farms

Session Sponsor: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Civic Venture Capital
The venture capital model, often associated with launching new businesses, adapts to financial and in-kind investments for civic enterprise.

John Melville, Collaborative Economics
Glen Toney, Retired Corporate Executive, Silicon Valley

Session Sponsor:

AICP Blueprint: A Plan and a Process
Blueprint has attracted nearly 2,000 participants with a series of high-tech, interactive workshops. The regional planning effort is now serving as a model for other regions.

Karen Baker, Valley Vision
Martin Tuttle, Sacramento Area Council of Governments
Robert Waste, California State University, Sacramento

Session Sponsor: Cotton Bridges Associates

Healthy Parks, Healthy Communities
Our nation's parks provide the raft keeping nearby communities economically afloat. Having all oars in the water can be a challenge in today's travel climate.

Diane Boyd, National Parks Conservation Association
Barry Brouillette, Bear Creek Cabins
Peter Mayfield, Gateway Mountain Center

Session Sponsor: The Trust for Public Land

Art Among the Dust and Dirt - Can Murals Save Small Towns?
Hope for tourist dollars has inspired several small towns to engage local artists to muralize downtown buildings. If we paint it, will they come?

Paul Saldana, Tulare County Economic Development Corporation
Josie Talamantez, California Arts Council
Michelle Walker, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission

Session Sponsor: Small Farm Center, UC Davis

Kitchen Table Discussion: Meet the Funders: Health
Foundation representatives are available in an informal setting.

Barbara Webster-Hawkins, The California Endowment

Session Sponsor:

Big$
From market analysis to mutual funds, young people learn stock strategies that can subsidize youth programs and pay their college expenses.

Steve Lehane, Avant! Foundation

Session Sponsor:

Little-known Treasures: Discovering and Preserving Valley Architecture
Valley style? Of course. Architectural gems, old and new, can be found in many Valley communities.

Roger Klemm, Synthesis Design Group
David Wilkinson, Mercy Housing California

Session Sponsor:

AICP Community Building for Community Health, Part II
Building healthy communities requires community leaders, public officials, and health care professionals to collaborate. Learn proven techniques for navigating this changing field.

Session Sponsor:

Structures of Utility: The Influence of Valley Agriculture
Designer and photographer David Stark Wilson leads a tour of the Valley's built heritage and agricultural sense of place featured in his new book.

David Stark Wilson, Designer, Photographer and Author

Session Sponsor:

How Prepared are Central Valley Youth?
How do our youth fare? Educators and researchers reveal important youth indicators for the Central Valley.

Jorge Aguilar, University of California Merced
Nancy Goodban, Nancy Goodban Consulting
Mary Jo Ortiz, Walter R. McDonald & Associates

Session Sponsor: Foster Farms

Asthma Relief in the Valley
Valley coalitions are working to improve our air quality and reduce asthma attacks. Learn more about local air quality and their innovative efforts.

Alicia Bohlke, Merced/Mariposa County Asthma Coalition
Rebecca Flournoy, PolicyLink
Christine Foster, Tulare County Asthma Coalition

Session Sponsor:

Community Technology: The New Town Square
In a few short years, community computer learning centers have risen from obscurity to thiving virutal villages offering multi-lingual tech training and more.

Keith Boggs, County of Stanislaus
Nancy Martinez, Lodi Public Library
Judith Monast, Modesto Junior College
Jessie Ryan, Lodi Public Library

Session Sponsor:

AICP Mitigating Factors
Mitigation is a useful device for land conservation. Professionals demonstrate ways to design and implement a local mitigation plan.

Aimee Rutledge, Sacramento Valley Conservancy
Tricia Stevens, City of Woodland
Heidi Tschudin, Tschudin Consulting Group

Session Sponsor:Jones & Stokes

AICP Building Business and Capacity in Underserved Areas
A package of technical assistance, creative solutions, and financial literacy can provide incentives and an economic stimulus for small and minority business.

Sharon Evans, Business Resource Group

Session Sponsor: USDA Rural Development

From Ranches to Rivers: River Restoration
Landowners farming or ranching along the Valley's rivers are taking landscaping to new heights by restoring flood-prone orchards and farmland into riparian habitat.

Stein Buer, California Department of Water Resources
John Carlon, River Partners
Jeff Hart, Hart Restoration, Inc.
Albert Medvitz, Grower & Rancher

Session Sponsor: River Partners

Hands Across the Valley, Open or Closed?
Understanding. Tolerance. People learn to build ethnic bridges and raise the cultural competence of their community through innovative programs.

Janine Cuellar, Butte County Behavioral Health
Galen Quenzer, Boys & Girls Club of Tulare County

Session Sponsor:

The San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Journey
Traveling the road to cleaner air, where have we been and where are we going?

Donald Hunsaker, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Tom Jordan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District

Session Sponsor: Western States Petroleum Association

Safe and Secure: It's our Food
From grower to processor to transporter and retailer, the food industry is taking steps to assure that our food supply is safe from contamination.

Michelle Ganci, California Poultry Consultants
Jerry Prieto, Fresno County Ag Commissioner

Session Sponsor:

AICP Front Door on the Corridor: Interchanges, Gateways & Community Identity
The Highway 99 Task Force is working with Valley communities and Caltrans on corridor improvements to enhance the region's identity.

Elbert Cox, Caltrans
Matthew Machado, City of Ripon
Karl Schoettler, Collins & Schoettler Planning Consultants

Session Sponsor:

Socially Sustainable Communities
Cultural trailblazers who have more than 60 years combined experience working with disadvantaged communities share what is possible.

Jah'shams Abdul-Mu'min, Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles
M. C. Canlas, Filipino American Development Foundation
Song Qinghua, Wildflowers Institute
Kouichoy Saechao, Wildflowers Institute

Session Sponsor:

Seeing the Future
New software technology creates true-to-life "what if" images of proposed development or land use changes. Previewing outcomes helps planners, elected officials and community members make informed decisions.

Eliot Allen, Criterion Planners/Engineers Inc.
Darin Loucks, ESRI
Steve Price, Urban Advantage

Session Sponsor:

Rural Migrations through the San Joaquin Valley
Lemon Cove resident and 2003 finalist for the Pulitzer prize in featured photography, Matt Black creats a photographic record of the region's people.

Matt Black, Photographer

Session Sponsor:

Latinos and Environmental Health
The Latino Enviornmental Health Project partnership, spearheaded by the Latino Issues Forum, engaged 26 communities to acquire information on those communities' environmental concerns.

Rey Leon, Latino Issues Forum
Paola Ramos, Latino Issues Forum

Session Sponsor:

Youth Programs that Help Communities -- Cool!
New programs created by and for young people provide community service while training future leaders. Experts offer tips on attracting and keeping young participants.

Jonathan London, Youth In Focus
Jim Muldavin, California Center for Civic Participation & Youth Development

Session Sponsor: Castle & Cooke California Inc.

Long-Term Care: The Retirement Protection Concept
As the Valley median age increases, individuals and policy makers need to know about planning, preparing and paying for long-term health care.

Kim Bryce, Citibank
Steve Walton, GE Long Term Care

Session Sponsor:

Guestworker: New and Improved Bracero Program?
Higher paying jobs continue to lure Mexican workers to illegally cross our borders. The need to legitimize long-term guestworkers demands a new plan of action.

Philip Martin, University of California, Davis

Session Sponsor: Food Processors Credit Union

Healthy Children: Is Insurance Coverage the Solution?
Will changes in Medi-Cal and in Healthy Families, emerging local children's health initiatives, or legislation requiring employment-based insurance help or hurt children's health?

Catherine Quinn, California Health Collaborative

Session Sponsor: Health Net

GAIN-Great Valley Asset Improvement Network
GAIN's goal is simple--increase the dollars from federal grants received by Valley organizations. PS. GAIN also helps with applications and grant administration.

Deborah Hurley, Office of Congressman Radanovich
Ryan Kelly, Office of Congressman Cardoza
Tim Ransdell, California Institute for Federal Policy Research

Session Sponsor:

Looking to the Future: Communities Taking Charge
Neighborhood discussions can play a lead planning role. Learn how a new discussion group guide is being used to spark community dialog.

Rosemary Atkinson, Campaign for Common Ground
Mary Brill, Sacramento County Alliance of Neighborhoods
Jaime Holt, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District

Session Sponsor:

Tales of the San Joaquin
Explore the San Joaquin River though oral history and a behind-the-scenes look at a new documentary by an Emmy-winning filmmaker.

Coke Hallowell, San Joaquin River Parkway & Conservation Trust
Walt Shubin, Grape Farmer

Session Sponsor: Quad Knopf, Inc.

AICP SIM Valley
Crystal ball not required. A scenario-building land use game allows users to see the cumulative affects of many small decisions.

Mike McCoy, University of California, Davis
Sharon Scherzinger, Caltrans

Session Sponsor: