Small Town… Big Ideas

Letter from the President

“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”

— Jane Goodall

August 2026

Dear Friends of the Crested Butte Public Policy Forum,

It is hard to believe another summer—and another season of the Crested Butte Public Policy Forum—has already come to a close.

This was my first season as President of the Forum, and I came away from it more convinced than ever of how special this organization is and how fortunate we are to have it here in Crested Butte. Each summer, we have the opportunity to gather as a community, hear from extraordinary people, ask difficult questions, encounter different perspectives, and learn more about some of the most important issues shaping our world.

Our 2026 season took us across an incredible range of topics, from international law, democracy, corruption and election integrity to Russia and China; from artificial intelligence and global health security to disaster response and mental health. Our speakers brought expertise, experience and, perhaps most importantly, a willingness to engage thoughtfully with our community.

One of the things I value most about the Forum is that these conversations are free and open to everyone. At a time when our world can feel increasingly divided, creating a space where people can come together to listen, learn, ask questions and engage with complicated issues feels especially important.

And this year, for the first time, the conversations don't have to end when the summer does. All of our 2026 talks were professionally videotaped and are available to watch on our website and YouTube channel. If you missed a speaker—or want to share a favorite talk with someone else—I hope you will take advantage of this new resource.

On behalf of the Board, I want to thank everyone who made the 2026 season possible. A special thank you goes to our Executive Director, Diane Markowitz, whose hard work coordinating speakers, events, communication and all of the logistics behind the scenes keeps the Forum running throughout the summer.

Thank you as well to our wonderful interns, Taylor Bottoms, Tessa Reiser and Floyd Sedunov; our videographer, Chad Reich; the Center for the Arts for being such an outstanding partner and home for our talks; our Board members; our business sponsors and donors; and the many members of our community who opened their homes to our visiting speakers.

Most of all, thank you to you, our audience. The Forum is only as interesting and engaging as the people who show up, listen, ask thoughtful questions and continue the conversations long after Tuesday night. Whether you attended one talk or every talk this summer, thank you for being part of it. 

As we look toward 2027, we also want to hear from you. Your feedback helps us understand what worked, what we can do better, which topics you want to hear more about and what you would like to see from the Forum in the future. We encourage everyone who attended this season—or who cares about the Forum and its role in our community—to fill out our online audience survey, which can be found here on our website.

We are already beginning to think about next season, and we would love for you to stay involved. If there is a speaker you would love to hear, an issue you think we should explore, or if you would simply like to get more involved with the Forum, email us at crestedbutteforum@gmail.com. 

You can also keep up with us throughout the year by following @cbpublicpolicyforum on Instagram and finding us here on Facebook. 

Finally, bringing nationally and internationally recognized speakers to Crested Butte while keeping our talks free to the public is possible only because of the generosity of our community. If you enjoyed this season and would like to help us continue this work, you can find information about making a donation here.

Thank you for a wonderful 2026 season, for your curiosity, your questions, your support and your civic engagement.

See you next summer—on the trails, around town and at next season’s Forum!

Warmly,

Devon Cone

President of the

The Crested Butte Public Policy Forum