About
photo courtesy of Jim Steinberg
Seminars at Steamboat was founded in 2003 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings experts on a wide range of public policy topics to the Steamboat Springs community. Over the years, Seminars talks have covered the economy, foreign affairs, national security, immigration reform, health care, the media, drugs and sports, the environment, climate change, education, the 9/11 Commission and more. See a complete list of past speakers and topics here.
Seminars at Steamboat talks are always free to the public. Traditionally, the summer series has taken place at the Strings Pavilion, often filling to capacity with more than 500 attendees. For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the series met virtually due to the Covid pandemic, returning to in-person programming in 2022.
Seminars have historically been re-broadcast on KUNC public radio. Now, KUNC produces a Seminars at Steamboat podcast that listeners can subscribe to wherever you get your podcasts.
Seminars at Steamboat is supported primarily by individual contributions from our audience, plus a grants from the City of Steamboat Springs and Yampa Valley Community Foundation. Become a Friend of Seminars by donating today.
Featured speakers have included:
- Former U.S. ambassadors and high-level officials from the State Department, Treasury, Federal Reserve Board, Central Intelligence Agency and Congressional Budget Office
- Political scientists and economists from The Brookings Institution, The Wilson Center, major universities and research centers
- Journalists and columnists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, National Public Radio and other media
- Medical experts
- Judges
- Prominent authors
- A former commissioner of the National Football League
Board of Directors
- Walt Dabberdt, Chair*
- Joella West, Past Chair*
- Neil Best
- Marianne Capra
- Tyler Gibbs
- Kate Hawk*
- Allan Kirkpatrick, Treasurer*
- Ron Krall
- Erin Litsey
- Gary Nelson
- Angelica Salinas
- Ken Spruell*
- Jane Stein*
- Joe Turner
- Anne Van Kleeck
- Mitch Wallerstein
(* Executive Committee)
Program Administrator:
- Lorie Bryngelson
Founders:
- Freddi Goodrich
- Jim Goodrich
- Belle Sawhill
- Bob Stein
- Jane Stein
Past Chairs:
- Joella West
- Jack Morrison
- John Worthen
- Kate Hawk
- Bob Stein