The greatest question of life is what good will I do with it? - Benjamin Franklin

2012 Seminars

The 3rd Third will present the following seminars for 2012. Seminars will normally be held in Golden, Colorado, although at times they will be held in other parts of Colorado.

Coffee will be available at 9:45 am and all seminars will be from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm Free beverages and lunch will be provided. Those with dietary restrictions are asked to bring their own lunch.


Thursday, January 19
Hal Miller
Education Publishing, Testing, and Leadership

Hal Miller was chairman and CEO of Houghton Mifflin for 17 of the 40 years he with the company, starting as a textbook salesman, moving on to become the head of national testing, and ultimately on to become CEO and chairman. During that time Hal was on the forefront of what makes a good publishing house and knew that a good book is a product of vision. Some of his authors: Rachel Carson and Roger Tory Peterson. If you are interested in how children learn reading and arithmetic, in testing programs, in the selection of textbooks, in how authors and editors work together, and in the operation of an independent publishing house, this seminar is for you. We'll start with a filmed interview of Hal talking about book publishing, specifically textbook publishing, testing, and leadership. After lunch Hal will answer your questions by phone.


Thursday, February 16
Josiah Hatch
International Trade and the Law

Are the economies of the world so closely linked that what happens on one side of the world, as currently in Europe, impacts the economies on the other side of the globe? Are we headed toward a one-world economy or does it just seem that way? To what extent do stock market speculators alter reality? Find out the inter-workings of international trade from someone who knows. Josiah Hatch is an attorney specializing in international law, securities law and finance. This witty prolific writer and frequent lecturer, and has presented papers at the S.E.C. and Colorado Bar Association's Annual Rocky Mountain Securities Conference. In his spare time Josiah also teaches classes on multinational corporations, international business transactions and other related subjects at the University of Denver.


Thursday, March 15
Peter van Dernoot
Giving Children the Tools to Cope

We all know someone who has had cancer. But what if that person is a parent of a young child? How does that child cope with what mommy or daddy is going through? Why do they mistakenly think they caused their parent's illness? The Children's Treehouse Foundation's mission is to ensure that every child in this situation is given the early tools and emotional support to cope. Peter will talk about these tools and the programs designed to train cancer centers and hospitals to help both parent and child through this difficult illness. Peter, an adept public speaker, will share many inspirational stories. Peter van Dernoot operated van Dernoot & Associates, Inc. a public relations firm prior to starting The Children's Treehouse Foundation. He is the author of Helping Your Children Cope With Your Cancer, a book described as "an instant support group" and a "must read" for any family dealing with cancer.


Thursday, April 19
Richard Flanigan, MD
Prevention, Prevention, PREVENTION

We die too young of three diseases, heart disease, cancer and stroke. These three diseases do in 3/4s of the American population. It doesn't have to happen; up-to-date prevention principles can prevent, arrest, and reverse, (yes, reverse) heart disease, the biggest killer. The consequences of hypertension cause the tragedies of medicine and life--strokes, kidney failure, and dialysis, blindness, amputations, heart failure, and heart attacks. The biggest cancer, by far, is lung cancer and there is a simple technique that makes smoking cessation so much easier. This seminar will present the tools you need to add 20 years of disease-free, quality years. Dr. Flanigan, a preventive cardiologist, will also comment on an array of current diet, lifestyle, prevention books, including the new best seller, The End of Illness, by David Agus, MD, and Caldwell Essylston's book, (that turned Bill Clinton into a vegan), Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. Dr. Flanigan will also explain why he disagrees with being a vegan. This presentation can and will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Dr. Flanigan has a private cardiology practice. He has published many articles on longevity and heart issues and has written a book, Longevity Made Simple, with daughter Kate Flanigan-Sawyer, MD, MPH. He is also an artist, avid rower (current world master champion), skier, runner (8 marathons), and enjoys many other sports activities.



Thursday, May 17
Corinne Platte
Voices of the American West

The American West is home to many dynamic individuals and Corinne has spoken with several of them as she and co-author and photographer Meredith Ogilby were writing their book Voices of the American West. Voices, winner of the 2010 Colorado Book Award/nonfiction, is a tribute to those working toward a more sustainable West. Individuals like Stewart Udall, Terry Tempest Williams, and Patty Limerick plus lesser known individuals who were equally inspiring. Corinne will share some of these stories and talk about these amazing people. Corinne lives in the old mining town of Ophir, Colorado. For many years she worked as an outdoor educator as well as an English teacher in Carbondale, Colorado. She is now a freelance writer and mother of four year old daughter, Sonja.


Thursday, June 21
Morgan Carroll
Take Back Your Government

If you want to understand how our government works, don't miss this seminar. Morgan will show how anyone can be an effective citizen advocate and make and change law and policy in their state. She'll cover many areas including monitoring legislative proceedings, registering support or disapproval to a measure, how to testify at a legislative hearing, or even maximizing the influence of demonstrations and rallies. Morgan is a Colorado state senator whose own civic activism launched her ultimate decision to run for office. She is the Colorado majority caucus chair, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a practicing attorney. She has served in the Colorado legislature since 2005, and has conduced hundreds of town hall meetings and community seminars teaching ordinary citizens how to make and change laws. She is the author of Take Back Your Government: A Citizen's Guide to Making Your Government Work For You.


Monday, July 23
Kenny Salwey
The Elements of Good Storytelling

For thirty years, this weathered woodsmen eked out a living on the Mississippi River running a trapline, hiring out as a river guide, digging and selling roots and herbs, and eating the food he hunted and fished. Today Salwey is a master storyteller, environmental educator, keynote speaker, nature writer, and advocate for the Upper Mississippi River. He has presented his true-life adventures and words of natural world wisdom to both adult and young audiences across the upper Midwest. By sharing his hard-learned experiences, his respect for the Mississippi River, and his love of the natural world, Salwey hopes to inspire his audiences to protect this precious and fragile ecosystem. Kenny is the author of Muskrat for Supper, a story that includes questions young people have asked him about his lifestyle as a river rat living of the land.


Thursday, August 16
Patty Limerick
Water and the American West

In a world that can no longer take for granted a clean supply of water, we must look at Denver's water and its availability as Denver has grown into a world class city. Patty will talk about this most precious resource and its past, present, and future and raise awareness of the complex relationship among cities, suburbs, and rural areas, the crucial role of commerce and government and other negotiations in the control of the West's water. Patty is the faculty director and chair of the Board of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado, where she is also a professor of history. She has received a number of awards and honors recognizing the impact of her scholarship and her commitment to teaching including the MacArthur Fellowship and the Hazel Barnes Prize, CU's highest award for teaching and research.


Thursday, September 20
Bob Baron and Sam Scinta
224 Years in Selecting US Presidents

How we've selected the US president has changed over the last 224 years from the smoke filled room to open conventions among the political party members. Has the change in process improved the quality of the candidates? Or has the change in process watered-down the choices to be more pallitable to the masses? And how did they choose the winner in the years that the election ended in a tie, or too close to call: 1800--Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, 1824--John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, 1876--Samuel Tildon and Rutherford B. Hayes, and 2000--Al Gore, Jr. and George W. Bush (well, we know about that one)? Join us as Bob Baron and Sam Scinta talk about the history of the US presidential elections and how this selection process may have altered history along the way.


Thursday, October 18
Markian Feduschak and Kim Langmaid
Developing Community Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship is critical for the health and well being of people and their community of plants and animals. So how does a community develop an interest in nature and an environmental ethic that translates into stewardship? Markian Feduschak, Executive Director and Kim Langmaid, founder of the Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon, Colorado will talk about the center's genesis, the environmental efficiency of its campus, its educational outreach for all ages, and its unique role in the local Eagle County community--visited by people from throughout the world for the exceptional recreation opportunities. Markian has spent his career exploring the idea of a land ethic. Previously he was with Outward Bound serving as a field instructor, course director and Colorado program director. Throughout his career in outdoor education, Markian has focused on leadership development, effective team building, staff training, risk management, and environmental stewardship. Kim has two decades of experience in community-based conservation, sustainability education, and non-profit leadership. She has worked as the Colorado Director for the National Forest Foundation, served on the Graduate Faculty of the Environmental Studies Program at Prescott College and as Director of the Graduate Program at Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Her passion for community-based conservation and environmental stewardship began when she was a child, spending much of her time exploring the White River National Forest with her parents and grandparents.


Thursday, November 15
Rebecca Love Kourlis
Rebuilding Justice

The civil justice system in America is in crisis. The process has become expensive, and the courts are being eroded, defaced, and undermined. Our education system is partly to blame by failing to impart an understanding of the courts and of the judicial branch of our government. Rebecca will discuss how our justice system got to this point and what can be done to fix and restore its integrity and to ensure the right to a jury trial and the promise of a just, speedy and inexpensive process by which people can resolve their disputes. Rebecca Love Kourlis has served Colorado's courts for nearly two decades, first as a trial court judge and then as a Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. She is founder and executive director of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System. She and Dirk Olin are co-authors of the book Rebuilding Justice: Civil Courts in Jeopardy and Why You Should Care.


To register call: 303-277-1623, ext 220, or register via email here. You will receive a confirmation.

Map to Seminars

Missed a seminar? Let us know. If there is enough interest, we will hold the seminar again. Email your request to Seminar Repeat / Ideas.