2010 Conference Archives

2010 Conference Agenda and Speaker Biographies
2010 Keynote Speaker Biography
2010 Conference Flyer

Rural Community Conference 2010
Montana State University, Strand Union Building
Bozeman, Montana

Tuesday, August 31

Welcome and Opening Remarks (Flash Video, click here for MPEG)
Doug Steele, Vice-Provost and Director of MSU Extension; and Waded Cruzado, MSU President

 Plenary Session: "Service as Solution" (Flash Video, click here for MPEG)
Moderated by Jan Lombardi, Governor's Office of Community Service; with Bill Basl, Corporation for National and Community Service Washington; Dan Clark, MSU Local Government Center; Marissa Spang, Hopa Mountain; Jono McKinney, Montana Conservation Corps; and Holly Hill, National Center for Appropriate Technology.

WORKSHOP SESSION I

One Montana: A Rural-Urban Partnership for Sustainability in the 21st Century
Bill Bryan, Rural Landscape Institute, with Anne Boothe, Triangle Communications; Keith Bosak, University of Montana; Doug Steele, Montana State University; Jeff Welch, MercuryCSC; and Bill Yellowtail, Montana State University Tribal Partnerships

Building Community Through Food: Assessment and Building Capacity in Rural Food Systems
Katie Weaver, Community Action Program of East Central Oregon; and Kate Stoysich, Gorge Grown Food Network

Supporting Parents and Caregivers in Rural Communities as They Provide Early Home Learning Environments
Madeline Kotowicz, Hopa Mountain

Trolling for Dollars in Troubled Waters
David Young and Clarann Weinert, Montana State University Extension and College of Nursing

WORKSHOP SESSION II

One Montana: A Rural-Urban Partnership for Sustainability in the 21st Century
Bill Bryan, Rural Landscape Institute, with Anne Boothe, Triangle Communications; Keith Bosak, University of Montana; Doug Steele, Montana State University; Jeff Welch, MercuryCSC; and Bill Yellowtail, Montana State University Tribal Partnerships

Connecting Communities and Stimulating Wellness Through the Montana Rural Health Initiative
Carolyn Pollari, Montana Office of Rural Health/Area Health Education Center, with Teresa Danelson, Frank Rowland, and Mayor Gene Townsend

Preserving Affordable Housing Already in Our Towns
Sheila Rice, NeighborWorks Montana; Jim Morton, HRDC Missoula; and Brian Gion, Montana Cooperative Development Center

Hand in Hand: Workforce Development and Advocacy Skills
Toni Svaleson and Lauren Sukut, Rural Employment Opportunities

Wednesday, September 1

WORKSHOP SESSION III

Revitalizing Rural Communities: The Key is Bringing Our Youth Home as Future Owners and Leaders
Dean Weldon Sleight, University of Nebraska - Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Farm to Table: Local Food Sustainability
Bruce Smith, Dawson County Extension; and Peggy Iba, Glendive Horizons

Transportation Options for Rural Communities
David Kack and Rebecca Gleason, MSU Western Transportation Institute; Taylor Lonsdale, Montana Safe Routes to School; and Barbara Stiffarm, Opportunity Link

Poverty 101: Cultural Competencies for Those Serving People in Poverty
Lynda Sowell, Rural Dynamics Incorporated


WORKSHOP SESSION IV

Revitalizing Rural Communities: The Key is Bringing Our Youth Home as Future Owners and Leaders
Dean Weldon Sleight, University of Nebraska - Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Kansas State University's Rural Grocery Initiative: Saving Our Rural Stores
David Procter, Center for Engagement and Community Development - Kansas State University

Strength in Numbers: How Rural Communities Can Build Economic Prosperity Through Helping Local Entrepreneurs Compete Effectively and Plugging Leaks in Consumer and Institutional Spending
Jeff Mitchen, American Independent Business Alliance

Engaging and Creating Online Communities
Jolene Bach, Rural Dynamics Incorporated 

Keynote Address and Closing Remarks(Flash Video, click here for MPEG)
Joseph Marshall III, The Power of Four: Leadership Lessons of Crazy Horse