Podcast appearances and mentions of rocky mountain west

This week on Regional Roundup, we hear voices from the Hands Off! protests in Denver and Salt Lake City that took place on April 19. We'll learn about hazard mitigation planning in communities across the Rocky Mountain West, and how a now-canceled federal program has helped with those efforts. Then, a story about a bill that would regulate social media in Colorado that's facing a potential veto from the governor. Finally, we hear about partnerships with landowners in Wyoming who are trying to mitigate chronic wasting disease in elk.

Interview with B. Jason GiblerB Jason Gibler is a Clinical Psychotherapist, Leadership Coach, founder of Eco Spiritual Psychology, and author of The Way of the Jaguar. Born into an off-the-grid life, Jason grew up in the forests of the Rocky Mountain West. Over the decades, he has created powerful tools and programs that draw from clinical psychology, neuroscience, and diverse spiritual wisdom traditions to help others transform trauma into healing and meaning.https://jasongibler.com/https://jasongibler.com/media/https://jasongibler.com/book/https://jasongibler.com/eco-spiritual-psychology/

My guest today is Amanda Frutos, owner of Lottie, the famous Weimaraner, blood tracker. She shares the history of this amazing breed of tracker animal and the process and need for tracking big game in the Rocky Mountain West. It's a bit like CSI. SOURCES www.unitedbloodtrackers.org www.rockymountainbiggamerecovery.com www.akc.org/dog-breeds/weimaraner/

This week on Regional Roundup, we hear about the potential for geothermal energy in the Rocky Mountain West. A sociologist who studies gangs dispels the myths around immigration and gang violence. And we hear from some young mushers at a recent dog sled tournament.

This week on Regional Roundup, we hear voices from People's Marches across the region in protest of President Donald Trumps stance on social justice issues such as reproductive rights and immigration. We also hear about a coalition of labor unions calling for a renewed focus on clean energy jobs. Plus, we have a story about the Indy Pass, a cheaper ski pass that offers access to independent and smaller ski resorts around the Rocky Mountain West.

In this episode of the Men of Influence Podcast, host Tim Holloway welcomes sales expert JW Robinson, a seasoned professional in high-ticket real estate specializing in ranches, luxury mountain retreats, and horse properties in the Rocky Mountain West. Together, they explore the intersection of sales, influence, and personal growth, providing actionable insights for Christian men seeking excellence in business and life. JW shares his philosophy on the foundation of successful sales: honesty, transparency, and honoring commitments. With decades of experience in sales and development, he emphasizes the importance of building relationships that foster trust and long-term referrals. Drawing a parallel between farming and sales, JW unpacks how consistency in daily tasks—no matter how mundane—cultivates exponential growth. Listeners will learn practical strategies for growing their influence in business, from becoming an expert in their field to handling life's variables with resilience. JW also dives into the critical role of community and accountability, sharing how brotherhood and mentorship have propelled him to new levels of success. Key Takeaways: • Build trust through honesty and honoring commitments. • Embrace daily disciplines to sustain growth and avoid mediocrity. • Surround yourself with a community that challenges and uplifts you. • Identify your targets, execute with precision, and adapt to variables. Tune in for an inspiring conversation packed with wisdom, real-life examples, and tactical advice. Don't miss the opportunity to redefine your approach to influence and sales. Share this episode with a brother who needs inspiration today, and remember to subscribe for more life-changing conversations! “Honesty and transparency aren't just tactics in sales; they are the foundation of every meaningful relationship.” – JW Robinson Learn more about JW Robinson through the following links: Facebook Website Learn more about Tim through the following links: Facebook Podcasting group

Ashley Graham will be the first tell you, "There's no relation (to Bill Graham)." In Part 1 of this episode, meet Ashley. Today, she holds the titles of marketing manager and art director at The Fillmore, a San Francisco institution. But let's learn how she got here. ​Ashley comes to us from Spokane, Washington. Her mom is originally from there, too, but her dad's family moved around the Rocky Mountain West, from Colorado to Montana, and eventually, eastern Washington State. Her dad was a senior in high school when his family moved to Spokane. Her parents met a few years later and got married after knowing each other for a whopping five months (they're still married today). Ashley's mom worked at Bimbo's, a local Spokane burger joint. Her dad frequented the place ... with his first wife. At a certain point, he started to come in solo. And eventually, he asked her mom out. "The rest is history," Ashley says. Ashley's sister, Erin, is two years older than her. Growing up, the two had what Ashley calls "a classic older sister/younger sister vibe." They're close today, but it wasn't always that way. Ashley had severe asthma when she was young, and she thinks she was a drag to be around. Ashley is an Eighties kid. She was born in 1983 and grew up without cellphones and computers. At this point in the recording, we reminisce about those days and what it was like not having those things. She spent a lot of her early years playing Barbie with a cousin. She listened to a lot of music, too. She loved Michael Jackson, but it was his sister Janet who really stole Ashley's heart. Janet Jackson was her first concert, in fact. There's a good story about Ashley refusing to get on the school bus and her mom taking her home. After this incident, when she would take the bus to school, she'd receive a sticker. Once she accumulated enough of those, Ashley bought herself a copy of Rhythm Nation on cassette. Her high school years saw Ashley really, really dive into music. The Jacksons gave way to bands like Kiss (thanks to the movie Detroit Rock City), Aerosmith, and Poison. Then, in 1999, Ashley and her sister won tickets to see Sammy Hagar. "It was so good. So good," she says now. Looking back, she says that it was the relationship Hagar had with his fans that drew her in. The next day, she went out and bought a Sammy Hagar CD. A week later, she bought more CDs. She got a Hagar shirt on Ebay. Around this time, she also discovered Hedwig and the Angry Inch. She found the show thanks to her love of Stone Temple Pilots. Her, her mom, and her sister went to Seattle to see Stevie Nicks and Ashley seized the opportunity while there to see the Hedwig movie. Some in the theater were clutching their pearls, but the movie had a profound effect on Ashley. It "opened my heart and filled it with ... emotional intelligence," she says. ​Hedwig also helped open Ashley up to the wider world and the idea of possibility. This was all right before her senior year in high school. Despite her friends not really getting it, she took that inspiration and turned it into her drive to become a screen writer. And her senior English teacher encouraged those dreams. She read scripts while also writing her own. She graduated high school and moved to Los Angeles to attend Loyola Marymount. A year later, she came back to Washington to go to Seattle University and pursue a degree in "something between journalism and communications." But she says that about halfway through college, she decided that the old-school model of journalism school (think: hard news) wasn't a good fit. During her time in Seattle, though, music had started to take over her life. Ashley had gotten into The Strokes in her brief time in LA. "They felt like a band you could be friends with," the first time that had happened to her. At shows in Seattle, she started befriending bands. Eventually, she started a music site, and that blew up to the point that she cashed that in for internships at a local venue and a record label. One of those internships, the one at the venue, led to a job. And that led to her work with the Sasquatch music fest in Seattle. Rather than covering band quasi-journalistically, she was now working with bands behind the scenes, so to speak. Then, five years or so later, someone from The Fillmore called and offered Ashley a job. Check back next week for Part 2 with Ashley Graham. ​We recorded this podcast at The Fillmore in November 2024. Photography by Nate Oliveira

This week on Regional Roundup, we explore efforts to rename sections of a Colorado highway in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We also hear from one Utah academic who draws parallels between the state's elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and historical resistance to racial integration at public swimming pools. Finally, we examine how communities across the Rocky Mountain West are collaborating to manage wildfire risks.

When President-elect Donald Trump won reelection in November, some of the biggest questions for many in Jackson Hole — and resort towns throughout the Rocky Mountain West — were about immigration. In November, KHOL's Jenna McMurtry reported that immigration attorney and public defender Elisabeth Trefonas was taking many of those questions — sometimes before the sun rises and sometimes before she's out of her pajamas. 

This week on Regional Roundup, we examine how a second Trump administration could affect the Rocky Mountain West. From public lands and energy policy to climate science research and the impacts on immigrant communities, the region faces potential changes on multiple fronts. We hear stories from RMCR, KGNU, and KHOL.

George Anderson is the owner of Yellowstone Angler in Livingston, Montana, a fly shop he founded in 1979. His fly-fishing journey began in the Catskill Mountains of New York and was further honed in the Rocky Mountain West while attending the University of Colorado and working summers at a fly shop in West Yellowstone. After earning his business degree, George and his wife moved to Livingston, where he spent six years as assistant manager at Dan Bailey's before opening his own shop. In 1985, the current Yellowstone Angler location was built, just south of Livingston on Highway 89. Throughout his career, George has written for prominent fly-fishing publications, including Fly Fisherman, Trout, Big Sky Journal, and Saltwater Fly Fishing. He is also known for his success in competitive fly fishing, winning top honors at the Jackson Hole One-Fly in 1989 and 1990, setting records for the number of trout caught using his signature George's Rubber Legged Brown Stone nymph. George has appeared as a guest angler on numerous television shows, including Fly Fishing the World with John Barrett and Spanish Fly with Jose Wejebe, and he has filmed several ESPN segments with Trevor Gowdy in Cuba's Jardines de la Reina, targeting bonefish, tarpon, and permit. A passionate saltwater fly fisher, George leads annual trips to Caribbean destinations and hosts trout fishing excursions to Alaska, Argentina, and other world-class locations. When not on the water, he enjoys golf, alpine skiing, scuba diving, bird hunting, and cycling.

Nic De Castro takes us on an extraordinary journey from his roots in Southern California to the vast landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West. As an avid hunter and fisherman, Nic turned his passion into a groundbreaking venture with LandTrust, a platform revolutionizing access to private lands for outdoor enthusiasts. In our latest episode of the Grazing Grass Podcast, we unearth the challenges and triumphs behind LandTrust's mission to balance business with tradition, creating a harmonious connection between landowners and adventurers across 42 states and over a million acres.The conversation delves into LandTrust's innovative approach to land use, offering novel opportunities for multi-generational farm and ranch families. By providing flexible and profitable ways to monetize their land, the platform supports agritourism and land management through personalized experiences like crawfish harvesting. We tackle the complexities of modernizing rural communities while preserving their essence, underscoring how landowners maintain control and foster deeper connections with the public in a world increasingly interested in food production. Nic's insights reveal the potential to reinvigorate these communities by enticing younger generations back to the family farm.Listeners will also gain an understanding of the safety and security measures integral to LandTrust's success. Through features like ID verification, insurance, and agritourism liability protections, we explore how the platform ensures trust and transparency between landowners and guests. Open communication is championed, with unique tools like "field notes" enabling real-time updates and interactions, making LandTrust akin to an Airbnb for outdoor experiences. Join us as we uncover the transformative power of this platform in reshaping how we think about land access and the vibrant possibilities it holds for the future of rural America.Links Mentioned in the EpisodeLandTrustVisit our Sponsors:Noble Research InstituteRedmondKencove Farm FenceGrazing Grass LinksProvide feedback for the podcastWebsiteInsidersResources (Coming Soon)Community (on Facebook) 

David Scott is the Construction Industry Advocate at Encore Electric, where he helps the company continue to grow within the Rocky Mountain West. During his years at Encore Electric, Scott has helped to reshape the Human Resources Department to fit the company's expanding needs. His emphasis on a culture that focuses on teamwork, collaboration and ethics, and that rewards success, has placed Encore Electric among the top electrical contracting firms in Colorado. His extensive leadership and apprenticeship training programs support the company's long-term growth goals and incorporate knowledge gained over his 23 years in a wide variety of industries and disciplines within Human Resources. On this episode of A Seat at the Table, David discusses his fierce advocacy for the skilled trades, talks at length about Encore's unique apprenticeship program, and he and Debbie go in depth about the future of both education and labor.  Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.  Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher. For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

This week on Regional Roundup, we hear a story about the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, which is considering a move from Utah to Boulder, Colorado. Two other film festivals recently took place in the Rocky Mountain West: the Aspen Film Festival and the Crested Butte Film Festival. We also meet alien and Bigfoot enthusiasts who gathered in Vernal, Utah. Additionally, a recent festival in Ignacio, Colorado, highlights the significance of heavy metal music within Tribal communities. Contributors to this week's show include Jackie Sedley from KGNU, Kaya Williams from Aspen Public Radio, Emily Arntsen from KZMU, and Clark Adomaitis from KSUT and KSJD.

On this week's episode: Former President Donald Trump is coming to town for a costly private fundraiser, a Jacksonite is training to become the first Winter Olympian from his country, the science of wildfire smoke in the Rocky Mountain West and we'll take a trip to a jagged rock face in Grand Teton National Park. How do we balance safety with the desire to leave no trace?    Jackson Unpacked airs locally at 89.1 FM or via live-stream Mondays at 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and Fridays and Sundays at 12:30 p.m. Support Jackson's only nonprofit newsroom by becoming a member of KHOL today.

Today on the Regional Roundup, we hear a two way on the impact of dehumanizing political rhetoric targeted at immigrants from RMCR, a two way with the founder of the Rocky Mountain Welcome Center and its work with recently arrived Venezuelans from KDNK, a two way on the history of Buffalo Soldiers in the Rocky Mountain West from KRCL, and a feature on Diné Pride from RMPBS.

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Park City Gardens is an expert on high altitude gardening in the Rocky Mountain West. They aim to meet the challenges of the short planting season and micro-climates that come with mountain living. Owner Sophy Kohler joins us with more. Sophy Kohler: Established in 1983 and located on 10 acres of historic property, Park City Gardens is a Utah flower- and plant-lovers' sanctuary. Our slogan, "We Know What Grows," has been earned through over 40 years of gardening at over 6500 feet. Our focus from inception has been our outdoor nursery that provides trees, shrubs, and flowers that perform well in our area. Park City Gardens encompasses multiple businesses, each housed in their own historic structure. The Victorian glass greenhouse is filled with indoor plants year round; the Flower Barn is our floral shop; and the Garden Boutique is filled with unique gifts. The Garden Cafe, residing in Park City's first General Store, dates back to 1890 and serves small batch coffee and locally made bites. We pride ourselves on community involvement. Come visit our beautiful grounds, attend a floral or gardening workshop, and make our seasonal events a part of YOUR family tradition. Derek Miller: From floral arrangements to gardening expertise, Park City Gardens is here for all your plant needs. Learn more at their website. I'm Derek Miller with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business. Originally aired 3/1/24

Former Rep. Ken Buck eludes simple classification. He grew up on the East Coast but says he felt more at home on his uncle's Wyoming ranch as a kid. He is Princeton educated, but beelined for the Rocky Mountain West upon graduating. He is a former Freedom Caucus conservative who voted to certify the 2020 election and believes some of the charges against Donald Trump should be taken seriously. He resigned his seat in March 2024, citing the current dysfunction in Congress. Former Rep. Buck joined David to talk about his take on the Republican MAGA wing, Speaker Mike Johnson and how long he'll hold his leadership role, attacks on the Department of Justice, his issues with the Affordable Care Act, and the importance of bipartisanship.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Denver Art Museum is preparing to reach out to tribes following new federal regulations regarding possession of Native American sacred and funerary objects. After new rules went into effect, the museum removed a case of ceramics from display. Plus: people in the Rocky Mountain West will see some effects from an upcoming solar eclipse. And: a new hiking group in our region is pushing back on exclusionary stereotypes of hikers. Finally: author Terry Tempest Williams releases a fine arts book.

This week's podcast guest Mattie Mead competed in a 2013 pitch competition at Hobart College in Geneva, New York. He had just shared his vision for a company that made building materials out of hemp. “One of the judges for the contest said, ‘So let me get this straight, you're looking to build houses out of a Schedule 1 substance?' “And I said, well, ‘Yes.' “Today it's a Schedule 1 substance, but in five or so years it's going to be federally legal,” Mead said. “And I want to be on the forefront of what I believe to be an emerging industry.” Indeed, industrial hemp was legalized with the 2018 Farm Bill and today Mead is co-founder and CEO of Hempitecture, a building materials manufacturing company in Idaho. “We're focused on what we believe are the most truly sustainable building materials on the planet,” Mead said.  “And as you could probably guess by our name, our not-so-secret ingredient is hemp fiber.” Hempitecture makes several construction materials from hemp, including HempWool thermal insulation, a plant-based alternative to fiberglass insulation. Another product line is FiberPad, a hemp-fiber-based, non-toxic carpet underlayment. Hempitecture brought a state-of-the-art manufacturing center online in early 2023 in Jerome, Idaho. The company sources hemp fibers from Montana and Alberta, but recently a processor in Idaho — Whitefield Global — has come into operation, providing Hempitecture with fibers produced by farmers in Idaho. “Seeing this kind of movement towards industrial hemp cultivation in the Rocky Mountain West — and seeing it move closer and closer to our manufacturing plant — is really encouraging,” Mead said. He also talks about his company's latest round of fundraising. “We opened up our second round to the public on March 18. And within the first day of going public, we've put $740,000 of reservations in this investment round,” he said. He also speaks about expanding Hempitecture by building a second manufacturing facility in upstate New York. “As we look towards expansion on the East Coast, we want to use our Idaho facility as a blueprint and replicate that blueprint nationally,” Mead said. Also on this podcast episode, we hear from Morris Beegle, founder of the NoCo Hemp Expo taking place in Colorado in April. We'll have a handful of news nuggets as well, including a story about kitty litter made from hemp. Invest in Hempitecture https://wefunder.com/hempitecture Learn more about Hempitecture https://www.hempitecture.com/ News Nuggets All Walks Pet Products Hemp Litter https://allwalkspet.com/ Get Your Tickets for Noco Hemp Expo, April 11 - 13 https://www.nocohempexpo.com/ Hemp-Lime Appendix Published in 2024 US Residential Housing Codes https://www.hempbuildmag.com/home/irc-hemp-lime State attorneys general urge Congress to address risks posed by intoxicating hemp products https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/20/intoxicating-hemp-products-state-attorneys-general-congress-00147819 Manufacturing skis from hemp tapes https://www.knittingindustry.com/manufacturing-skis-from-hemp-tapes/  

From Anna's Obituary: Mary Annaleen Mooy, beloved sister, aunt, teacher, and devoted friend to many, age 65, peacefully passed away on January 15, 2024, due to complications of a brain tumor. I'm so grateful I have this conversation with Anna to remember and cherish, along with some truly impactful memories from my time as her student. It feels right to honor her by sharing this interview a second time. Rest in peace, beautiful Anna. Anna's Bio: Mezzo-soprano Anna Mooy received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in voice from BYU, Provo, and did doctoral study at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she studied with Glenda Maurice. She has received many honors, including Regional Finalist for the Metropolitan Opera Auditions on two occasions. She has also performed with many of the world's finest choral organizations including the Dale Warland Singers, VocalEsssence and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; both as choral member and soloist. Performances with other organizations include the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony, among many others. She has also been a judge for the the Metropolitan Opera District auditions in Utah and North Dakota. Active as a recitalist, she has performed widely through the Midwestern United States, as well as the Rocky Mountain West and Hawaii. She has been on the voice faculties of St. Olaf College, Bemidji State University, Brigham Young University, Provo, and BYU Hawaii.

You are in for a meteorological treat as we delve into the fascinating world of weather with none other than Wyoming's renowned meteorologist, Don Day. With his extensive experience forecasting weather across the Rocky Mountain West and High Plains, Don Day, has become a household name, sharing his expertise with 70 radio stations in the mountain west. But what's the connection between weather and the podcast's focus on wild places and wildlife? As it turns out, weather impacts everything and everyone, making this captivating episode an essential listen. Don Day also offers insights into a significant volcanic eruption that occurred in 2022, potentially influencing the harsh winter experienced the previous year. Don Day's journey from a graduate of the University of Wyoming in 1992 to founding DayWeather, Inc., where he merges his passion for radio and meteorology, has paved the way for an illustrious career. In this episode, he shares his biggest surprises and challenges throughout his meteorological journey, offering a unique perspective on how weather plays a pivotal role in our lives. Don's adventures and expertise have shaped his unparalleled insights into the wild and unpredictable world of weather. Listeners will discover the intricate connection between weather and wildlife, as Don Day, who is a hunter, shares his thoughts and experiences. His deep understanding of the interplay between nature and meteorology provides valuable insights on how historical weather patterns continue to influence our present and how we can be better prepared for the future. For those eager to dive deeper into the world of weather, don't forget to visit Don Day's website, where you can access more invaluable weather information: DayWeather Website. This episode is bound to leave you with a newfound appreciation for the untamed forces that shape our wild places and wildlife. Don't miss out on furthering the journey with Wild Things & Wild Places. Become a member of the Muley Fanatic Foundation and help make a difference. Join an organization that gets things done. Find out more here. The quick growth of MFF is a direct tribute to the value folks place on ensuring our wild things and wild places continue to exist for generations to come  

Joanna Lambert is a Professor of Environmental Studies and Faculty in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology for the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been teaching for over 25 years. Her research has covered primates in Africa, wolves in the Rocky Mountain West, and animals as they adapt to human based landscapes. She is also the Senior Science Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project. Joanna spoke to us about wolves in her research, their relationship with humans over time, and shared more information about the upcoming wolf reintroduction in Colorado. @joanna.e.lambertJoanna Lambert WebsiteLambert Lab@thewolfconnectionpod

Roo Smith is a commercial/documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. He has produced films for Outside Magazine in Ireland, camera operated for Netflix in the Rocky Mountain West, photographed among indigenous communities in Peru and Ecuador, directed videos with professional climbers in Mexico and has received notable recognition in his hometown of Orcas Island in Washington State for his work telling uplifting stories in the outdoor space. Roo joins us as part of our 4-part storytelling series to discuss the power and importance of stories.   In this episode, you'll learn: - about the importance of vulnerability and authenticity in storytelling - how to create emotion-driven strategies to create meaningful relationships with others - how to build brand resonance over building company awareness - why stories help us heal And much, much more! You can catch up with Roo at his website: https://roosmith.com/ This podcast is brought to you by Port Side Productions. If you work at a brand or agency in the outdoor industry that needs help bringing a video project to life, head over to portsidepro.com and send us an email. We'd love to help!

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @BatchelorshowBozeman MT 1933? 2/2 #Bestof2022: Tales of Western Law and the TV show, "Yellowstone." @Brian Yablonski, @PERCtweets Property, Environment Resource Center, Bozeman, Montana. https://www.perc.org/perc_reports/volume-4-no-2-winter-2021/ Yellowstone,” starring Kevin Costner, is one of the most popular shows on television. The action-packed drama follows the travails of a prominent Montana ranching family as they confront an onslaught of challenges to their way of life. The show sparked renewed interest in the American West and a creative idea at PERC. After bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policy experts—and even some “Yellowstone” cast members—for a PERC workshop this past summer, this special issue of PERC Reports was born. In it, we use “Yellowstone's” portrayals of the Rocky Mountain West to examine real-world western issues.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow Bozeman MT 1875 1/2 #Bestof2022: Tales of Western Law and the TV show, "Yellowstone." @Brian Yablonski, @PERCtweets Property, Environment Resource Center, Bozeman, Montana. https://www.perc.org/perc_reports/volume-4-no-2-winter-2021/ Yellowstone,” starring Kevin Costner, is one of the most popular shows on television. The action-packed drama follows the travails of a prominent Montana ranching family as they confront an onslaught of challenges to their way of life. The show sparked renewed interest in the American West and a creative idea at PERC. After bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policy experts—and even some “Yellowstone” cast members—for a PERC workshop this past summer, this special issue of PERC Reports was born. In it, we use “Yellowstone's” portrayals of the Rocky Mountain West to examine real-world western issues.

It's Regional Roundup Monday! Today we feature a new, biweekly production of the Rocky Mountain Community Radio Coalition, of which KZMU is a proud member. Today's show features a roundtable with two reporters on predatory sober living homes targeting Indigenous communities throughout the Rocky Mountain West. Plus, an interview with a regional endurance athlete who wrote a new book on his father's Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Two different weather will occur over the Rocky Mountain West.  Drier in the north while wetter in southern states.

How much is too much? A Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, is both the calculation and the plan to meet water quality standards. A TMDL defines the maximum amount of a specific pollutant allowed to be in a waterbody for it to meet designated water quality standards. While a specific equation, a TMDL is also what we call the plan that outlines how to reduce pollutant loads. TMDLs are typically developed by states and approved by the EPA, and represent a watershed-level strategy to meet the goals of the Clean Water Act. Podcast guests share their experiences developing and implementing TMDLs in two regions of the country, as well as the role of assessment and monitoring, innovative tools, and collaboration.   About our guests: Traci Iott is the supervising environmental analyst with the Water Quality Group at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), where she oversees the implementation of the Water Quality Standards and 303(d) programs. Iott also serves as the co-chair of the Watersheds Committee with the Association of Clean Water Administrators. Ron Steg is the TMDL and assessment program manager for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. He has over 35 years of experience working with water quality issues throughout the country and has spent the last 22 years focusing on implementing the various aspects of the Clean Water Act 303(d) program in the Rocky Mountain West. Learn more about TMDL's at https://www.epa.gov/tmdl/overview-total-maximum-daily-loads-tmdls Follow us @cleanwaterpod on Twitter to keep up with the latest podcast news! Learn more about NEIWPCC at neiwpcc.org.

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (WY) joins our hosts to discuss Cowboy Code, being a rodeo doctor, and getting D.C. to understand the Rocky Mountain West.

A bill removing abortion protection advances, Montana's governor focuses on cutting taxes, and Bozeman boasts one of the most sustainable neighborhoods in the Rocky Mountain West.

Get your EVOLVE merch today at https://evolve-cast.myshopify.com Tanya Halliday is an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the Department of Health and Kinesiology where she conducts research related to weight management and appetite regulation. Hallilday is also a Registered Dietitian and has a background in sports nutrition and obesity medicine. She became interested in research while an undergraduate Nutrition major and student-athlete at the University of Wyoming. Initially her interests were related to nutrition and athletic performance, but they expanded to a focus on how lifestyle interventions can be utilized to prevent and treat obesity-related comorbidities. Following her Dietetic Internship at the University of Houston, Tanya completed her PhD in Clinical Physiology and Metabolism at Virginia Tech and then went on to train as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Colorado's Anschutz Medical Campus. She moved to Salt Lake City to begin working at the U in 2018 and has fallen in love with all of the outdoor recreation opportunities available in the Wasatch. Tanya grew up in a small town outside Boston, MA but fell in love with the Rocky Mountain West during a family vacation to a horse ranch in Wyoming in middle school. She grew up playing soccer, which eventually transitioned into playing for the University of Wyoming, working as a ski instructor at a small mountain in New Hampshire, and horseback-riding.   After her soccer career ended Tanya fell in love with trail running, outdoor adventures, and weight lifting. She has completed a few marathons (including Boston in 2021 where she raised money for the Cam Neely Cancer Care Foundation) and competed in a bodybuilding show (Figure division). More recently Halliday has developed a passion for Reformer Pilates and currently teaches 1 day/week at Rocksteady Bodyworks in Holladay, UT. Tanya is passionate about advocating for cancer research and support for those going through cancer treatment. In 2018 her younger sister, Jessica, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, and despite being an absolute fighter, unfortunately passed away in October 2021. When Jess was diagnosed she and Tanya started "Buck Off Cancer" (a play on words and a nod to Jess' dedication to a career as an equestrian), which is now a 5013c non-profit.  Follow Us! EVOLVE Insta: https://www.instagram.com/official_evolve_podcast/ Steve Cutler Insta: https://www.instagram.com/stevecutler_/ W Myles Reilly Insta: https://www.instagram.com/wmyles.reilly/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevecutler_ Web: https://www.evolve-cast.com Shop: https://evolve-cast.myshopify.com The EVOLVE Podcast is produced by Steve Cutler, all rights reserved. The mission of the EVOLVE Podcast is to empower people to disrupt their lives to EVOLVE their body, mind, soul and tribe. Steve Cutler helps people and organizations Evolve to higher levels. As a coach and consultant Steve has helped hundreds of people and businesses improve processes and protocols that have led to skyrocketing performance. With over 20 years in health, fitness, tech and entrepreneurial ventures Steve brings a strong background in operations, marketing, sales, and financial performance. Currently Steve runs EVOLVE, a lifestyle clothing, coaching and consulting business. Steve is the host of the EVOLVE Podcast, a podcast that disrupts peoples lives leading them to greater growth and evolution. #evolve #evolvepodcast #stevecutler #disrupt

In this episode I sit down with Jeff Currier.  Jeff has fished in over sixty countries and has landed over 430 species on a fly rod, I think I need to say that again just so it resonates with people, 60 countries and 430 species on a fly rod. Unreal… Jeff was born in Massachusetts and grew up fly fishing throughout New England.  After graduating from High School, his search for new fly fishing adventures led him to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin.  After four years of hardcore fly fishing for walleye, Northern pike and muskellunge, he graduated with a Naturalist Degree.  After graduation he headed for Wyoming for a summer of trout bumming.  This led to a fly shop management job in Jackson, Wyoming that for the next 23 years would guide him fly fishing around the world.  Jeff's articles, photographs and artwork have graced the pages of magazines, catalogs, brochures and books.  Jeff is the acclaimed author of Currier's Quick and Easy Guide to Saltwater Fly Fishing and Currier's Quick and Easy Guide to Warmwater Fly Fishing guide books.  He is a well sought after expert for television and commentary on radio appearing on Fishing the West, Fly Fishing the World, In Search of Fly Water, Reel Adventures, Fly Fish TV, Fly Fish America and Ask About Fly Fishing Internet Radio.  He was also a featured angler in the popular fly fishing movies Connect, Waypoints, Soulfish 2, Carpland  Evolution, Kendjam and Atlanticus. One of Jeff's most recognized accomplishments was leading Team USA to its first ever top-ten finish in the World Flyfishing Championships in Jaca, Spain.  During the competition Jeff managed to fool fish on every venue and placed third in the individual standings, becoming the first American ever to take home a medal in the thirty year history of the Championships.When the Fly Fishing Show season kicks off, Jeff can be found with crowds of people watching, listening and actively participating in his presentations.  Jeff's programs entertain, inform and instruct through his stories and beautiful photography.  Jeff is an active member of the R.L. Winston Rod Co, Simms Fishing Products, Scientific Anglers, Bauer Reels, Yeti, Costa Sunglasses, Kate's Real Foods, Fly Fishers International and Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures as well as a fly fishing lecturer and well known fish artist. I have been fortunate to know Jeff for over 20 years and we have been able to do some amazing trips together, the Amazon, Bhutan to name a few and all around the Rocky Mountain West.  We were featured in the film Carpland together which was another adventure in itself locally.  Jeff's sense of humor and authenticity follows him wherever he goes.  He has a unique ability to be at ease in all situations (even when being smuggled in and out of India).  Today Jeff resides in Hayward, Wisconsin with his wife Yvonne where he bases his globe-trotting career in fly fishing.  Without further adieu please welcome Jeff Currier to the show!Be sure to subscribe to this show on iTunes, Spotify, and your favorite podcast hosting platform. Check our website (www.permittothink.com), subscribe to the newsletter, and get updates on the show.  Please forward the show onto anyone who you think might dig it. Reviews help, thank you!

Let's all gather ‘round the campfire, Buckaroos and let Ol' Cactus Jim here tell you about some of today's hardy, hard-working cowboys. Yes, those manly men who live free-spirited, yippy-ti-yi-yo, cowboy lives out in the rustic ranch country of the Rocky Mountain West. Oh, wait – that was a century ago. The “cowboys” who're now humming “Home On The Range” across Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming are multimillionaire and billionaire corporate titan and celebrities like Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, and Bruce Willis. They don't really live there nor mix with locals, no do they actually “ranch” their spectacular 300,000-acre spreads, since they don't know how. So they hire real ranching outfits to bring in some cattle, sheep, and other ranching accruements, then they fly in on private jets occasionally and strut around like John Wayne. They are in a word, pathetic. But they surely are land barons, spending up to $200 million each for their vast spreads. Indeed, these dilettantes rule the availability of ranchland and scenic wilderness, pricing out people who really want to ranch and locking out families who want to experience some of nature's most majestic rivers and mountains. Fifteen years ago, the biggest private landowners held 27 million acres; now they've grabbed 42 million acres for themselves. Well, say apologists for wealth concentration, they bought the land with their money, so it's fair and square. But hold on slick. They don't come just for the views, hunting, and exclusivity – their ranches get generous land subsidies, plus, states like Wyoming provide no-tax hideaways for their wealth. This is Jim Hightower saying… So, even though you and I are shut out of these gated land baronies, at least we can take pride in knowing that it's our tax dollars that help the rich buy them… and lock the gates.

To end our second season, Patti, Val, and John spend a little time with several of the attendees at the Colorado Wyoming Association of Museums. Ranging from students to career professionals, we hear their take on the CWAM conference and some of the issues facing smaller museums in the Rocky Mountain West. So strap in as we open the cabinet of curiosities for one more time this season.

Organizations like Latino Outdoors and Here Montana are expanding access to the outdoors across the Rocky Mountain West — giving people of color opportunities to get out and recreate that may not have been there before. Elinor Smith reports on efforts to expand outdoor access to everyone. Through programs focused on community outreach and building, students of color and people across Missoula are able to get outdoors and try new things.    The Second Look is reported and edited by Elinor Smith.   Questions? Comments? Email us at editor@montanakaimin.com   A podcast from the Montana Kaimin, University of Montana's independent, student-run newspaper. 

Note: This is part II of a two-part interview.An interview with Ryanne Pilgeram, author of Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the US West. In the book, a small town weighs the economic compromises of growth in the Rocky Mountain West.

Note: This is part I of a two-part interview.An interview with Ryanne Pilgeram, author of Pushed Out: Contested Development and Rural Gentrification in the US West. In the book, a small town weighs the economic compromises of growth in the Rocky Mountain West.

“When I was young, I always had a mountain range over my shoulder,” he says. “I still come back looking for lost dignity.”  We were very fortunate to have Gregory Hinton on for our latest episode of “What's Your Why!” He is an novelist, filmmaker, lecturer, curator, and playwright. As A Buffalo Bill Center of the West Resident Fellow, Hinton is the proud creator and producer of “Out West”, a national museum program series offering lectures, plays, films, and gallery exhibitions dedicated to shining a light on the history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community in the American West (follow this link for a video presentation of the program). It is the first regional LGBTQ western archive at the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center in Laramie. Gregory's latest theatrical endeavor is “A Sissy in Wyoming”, based on the life of cowboy crossdresser Larry “Sissy” Goodman. Born in Wolf Point, Montana, Hinton resides in Los Angeles, dividing his thoughts and his time between the Golden State and the backroads of his native rural Rocky Mountain West. Follow him on Twitter! Thank yo so much for your words and time Gregory!! -‘He motors toward Shoshone Canyon and its prehistoric majesty, on what Teddy Roosevelt is said to have called the most beautiful drive in the world. Back home in Hollywood, he dreams about this place. He emerges from a tunnel, the expanse of the Buffalo Bill Reservoir before him. “Now you see,” he says, “why I come back.”' - John M. Glionna on Gregory Hinton-

On this episode of RadCast Outdoors, David and Patrick discuss the future of the RadCast Outdoors Podcast and what is on the horizon. David has a couple of trips planned for Alaska and Africa. Patrick has trips planned for Alaska and the Rocky Mountain West. They also outline the plans for expanding to a video podcast within a few months.  This episode of RadCast Outdoors Podcast is sponsored by PK Lures, Hi Mountain Seasonings, and Bow Spider. Please go visit our sponsors and thank them for sponsoring RadCast Outdoors by giving them your business.  

From beer labels to literary classics like A River Runs Through It, trout fishing is a beloved feature of the iconography of the American West. But as Jen Brown demonstrates in Trout Culture: How Fly Fishing Forever Changed the Rocky Mountain West (U Washington Press, 2017), the popular conception of Rocky Mountain trout fishing as a quintessential experience of communion with nature belies the sport's long history of environmental manipulation, engineering, and, ultimately, transformation. A fly-fishing enthusiast herself, Brown places the rise of recreational trout fishing in a local and global context. Globally, she shows how the European sport of fly-fishing came to be a defining, tourist-attracting feature of the expanding 19th-century American West. Locally, she traces the way that the burgeoning fly-fishing tourist industry shaped the environmental, economic, and social development of the Western United States: introducing and stocking favored fish species, eradicating the less favored native "trash fish," changing the courses of waterways, and leading to conflicts with Native Americans' fishing and territorial rights. Through this analysis, Brown demonstrates that the majestic trout streams often considered a timeless feature of the American West are in fact the product of countless human interventions adding up to a profound manipulation of the Rocky Mountain environment. Troy A. Hallsell is the 341st Missile Wing historian at Malmstrom AFB, MT. The ideas expressed in this podcast do not represent the 341st Missile Wing, United States Air Force, or Department of Defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As an integral and formative part of the Rocky Mountain West, mining helped shape public attitudes toward the land, labor unions, cultural and social mores, and community development. The ways in which mining history is preserved and presented does the same. Dr. Dayle Hardy-Short, professor of communication studies at Northern Arizona University, provides a preliminary overview of topics, organizational structures, and historical approaches used in mining museums in Montana and elsewhere across the West.

Find out more about Dawson's Den....a humorous look at life in the Rocky Mountain West. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/will-dawson7/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/will-dawson7/support

This week we have meditator and athlete Sasha Dingle on the podcast. Sasha is a mindfulness teacher and coach based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and is also the founder of Mountain Mind Project. Sasha and I have actually never met in person, but our paths have crossed in different ways throughout our lives, starting with ski racing in the same circuits in Vermont as kids, moving to the Rocky Mountain West, and now connecting through mutual interest in supporting people to live fully using tools of meditation, mindfulness, and compassion. In this episode, Sasha shares her story of growing up in Vermont, competing on the Freeride World Tour, and how the ups and downs of being an athlete in the mountains led her toward contemplative practices.In this episode we discuss: Sasha's upbringing and cultural backgroundThe longing to make sense of ourselves and our worldsCompeting on the Freeride World TourSasha's pathway into deeper meditation practice through injury and healingFounding Mountain Mind Project and training the mind like you train the bodyThe "3D" experience of practicing within Tibetan BuddhismUnique mental and public health challenges in mountain towns and communitiesLeveraging the mind for performance in sports, relationships, parenting, and workThe importance of a teacher and community on the pathHow meditation can actually help you hide from yourself and how to come out of hidingLaying the foundation for flow to emergeMeditation apps: to use or not to use? Working with trauma and grief How losing people in the mountains can impact us and how these practices can support healing through thatWhy Sasha encourages group learning Resources: Sasha on IG: @sashadingle Mountain Mind ProjectmPEAK 3-day intensive 8/6/21-8/8/21Mindfulness-Based Stress ReductionMay You Live Well on IG: @mayyoulivewell

In the first of three episodes, Meghann and Reba sit down with Lori Manhart (Reba's Mom) as she gives us an introductory crash-course in general foraging, but also foraging in the Rocky Mountain West. Lori talks about how she began her foraging journey, reviews the basic do's and don'ts of foraging, Meghann tries spruce tips for the first time, and Lori discusses all the fun ways you can use foraged foods. References:The Wild Wisdom of Weeds - 13 Essential Plants for Human Survival by Katrina Blair437 Edible Wild Plants of the Rocky Mountain West by Caleb WarnockEdible & Medicinal Plants of the Rockies by Linda KershawPeterson Field Guides: Venomous Animals & Poisonous Plants by Steven Foster/Roger CarasSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/theholistichoedown)

Even though pinyon jays are common in certain parts of the Rocky Mountain West, they are often overlooked or mis-identified as bluebirds. Their antics make them a fun species to observe and their vocalizations are sure to bring a smile to the listener's face. 

Accountability, integrity, commitment. These values provide the lens through which ALPS realizes its vision. To live these values requires a culture of authenticity, a place where people can be true to themselves. In this episode of ALPS In Brief, ALPS President and CEO David Bell meets with ALPS Risk Manager Mark Bassingthwaighte to reflect on how the company navigated the pandemic, the success of which David credits to the company's healthy culture and its ability to remain transparent. Join them as they discuss the implications of 2020 and their effect on ALPS in 2021. Transcript: MARK BASSINGTHWAIGHTE: Hello and welcome. I'm Mark Bassingthwaighte, and you're about to listen to the next episode of ALPS In Brief, the podcast that comes to you from the historic Florence Building in beautiful downtown Missoula, Montana. Over the years, David Bell, the CEO of our company and I have got together and chat periodically about what's happening internally, looking at vision and just trying to share some things. And the point of it has been... I think it allows you as the listener and our insureds to learn a little bit more about us each time. And I also hope to have the discussion of vision and what ALPS does, in this regard educate lawyers as to the value of, and a little bit about the process of creating a corporate or a firm vision. So before we jump into it, I'd like to spend a little bit of time here and introduce David a little more formally than I have in the past. David Bell is the president and CEO of ALPS Corporation and ALPS Property & Casualty Insurance Company. David joined us here at ALPS in 2012. Prior to that, he was previously with Allied World Assurance Company, and that's a publicly traded global reinsurance company. David was a founding executive and served as the chief operating officer. After graduating from the University of Montana in 1996 with a degree in finance, he began his career with the Chubb Corporation. David also co-founded and serves on the board of Grateful Nation Montana, a first of its kind in the nation organization that provides tutoring, mentoring, and college education for the children of Montana soldiers killed while on active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has also appeared on NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, and numerous other television and radio outlets talking about the need to make funding education for the children to fallen soldiers, a national priority. And that's just an outstanding and excellent organization David has been involved with you. I'd also like to share that that David has recently been appointed chair of the board of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center. This is a center that promotes better understanding of Asia and of U.S. relations with Asia. And we'll talk about that a little bit here shortly. So David, always a pleasure. Welcome to the podcast. DAVID BELL: Thank you, Mark. I appreciate you taking the time. I always enjoy our conversations about life and business. MARK: It has been fun and I've been surprised, pleasantly surprised and I'm sure it's... these visioned podcasts have had a lot of attention over the years, so it's always a pleasure to get back into it. I thought I would start out. In a prior podcast we set up 2020 and going into 2020, we had a vision and a strategic plan and things were rocking and rolling. And then, the rest of the world, we got hit upside the head with an unexpected global pandemic. I would... Let's start out. How did ALPS survive? How did we do in terms of how did this impact the vision? Let's just explore the impact of all of this. DAVID: Sure. Well, certainly 2020 was not what any of us envisioned. As we began the year, this time, last year, the year threw us a lot of curve balls and the nation and families and everyone, curve balls. And it's been an interesting, at times tragic example of what can happen unexpectedly. But in terms of the company, 2020 was and is closing to be a very good year both in our strategic objectives, largely having been accomplished, not withstanding COVID and our financial objectives as well. And so I think it gave us an opportunity to put some of our core values into practice. They look great on paper and they were fun to talk about when they're not being tested. But a lot of what COVID included necessitated really leaning on those core values as our employees had unexpected needs, as our insureds had unexpected needs and how we had to kind of plan for those and around those and line up in partnership with our different stakeholders. So it was definitely an interesting year. Now, I certainly feel grateful and for us as an organization, that we are not in the type of business that would have been directly in the cross hairs of some of COVID more problematic after effects. And that's frankly... it has as much to do with luck as it hasn't to do with anything else. So, 2020 almost saying with the tone of guilt was a really good year for the company. MARK: Did it impact where we go in 2021? Did it make some changes in terms of how you approach the corporate vision, the strategic plan? DAVID: In terms of the strategic and financial milestones and our vision of where we're taking the company, I really don't think that it played a meaningful role in any detours. MARK: Mm-hmm (affirmative). DAVID: I think it did forever change the landscape of a lot of aspects. Internally, I think the way that we had to rearrange our business, where we did it from- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... to how we handled the various different circumstances that our employees had and have had to co-exist with. Some of those changes will be permanent and so I think that it certainly wasn't a business as usual year by any stretch of the imagination. But I do think we will emerge better in a lot of ways as a company. And I can't really think of any ways that we would come out of 20 and into 21 weaker. MARK: Mm-hmm (affirmative). DAVID: And that was... Again, I attribute a lot of that to the fact that we just aren't in the many types of businesses that have had such a profoundly problematic impact. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: And I think our employee base... I'd like to believe that our employee base is stronger in 21 than in 20, because we experienced some pretty profound things together. And I think for evidencing that core values comment, when people have an opportunity to see some of those values put in action, I'd like to believe that they emerged from the other side of that with a stronger bond with one another and more confidence in the organization that they work for. MARK: Well, let me comment about that because speaking as one of these employees that has gone through all of this, I absolutely agree with you. My own personal experience was such that, this transition to the remote work setting for all of us for quite a while, we had to accelerate new tools, using Microsoft Teams as an example, and the communication ability and in terms of just being able to see each other talk. I felt closer now to everybody in the company than I have in... I'm coming up on 23 years here. So it really is... I do want to underscore that it's been a good thing. Initially my response was, everybody's coming. Wow, this is... We've got to get used to it. I used to walk into our world as some of us there have been remote all along, but now it's, I truly do, I feel much closer as part. Okay. Maybe a quick moment, since we're on the topic, do you want to share a summary of your own observations about what we saw in terms of the population we ensure that we are in service to? Any thoughts about that? DAVID: Sure. I mean, we've seen the results of COVID impact our insured firms at both ends of the extremes. For some firms they have seen overall, the COVID dynamic result in more business and more growth. MARK: Right. DAVID: On the other end of the extreme, particularly when the courts are closed and the economy is frozen up, there is not the commerce occurring that creates billable hours. And it has created significant challenges in... and has created a great deal of fear financial and otherwise by particularly some of the smallest firms. And so we've had to... We've reacted based on what our insured partners are coming to us with. We came out for example, for those that that found a reduction or virtual for time, virtual elimination of billable hours revenue, right? We came out and had opportunities to postpone premium payments. And well before the state regulatory bodies entered the scene and started to require insurance companies to do that, we did it. I'd like to think because it was the right thing to do. MARK: Right. DAVID: Right away when we saw that it was going to be necessary, it was clear in the very early stages of COVID, that this was going to create a problem for blocks for lawyers and a problem paying premiums, both because of financial constraints and because of just the tactics of being in a whole office and not being worried, your mail comes and all of that type of stuff, so that part of it was interesting. And I think the survey results that we've gotten back as we survey our insureds based on their experience that they've had with us each year, would suggest that our folks here who bring a great deal of compassion and empathy, many people, and I hope so lawyers themselves, had been in the shoes of our insurance. And so, I'm pleased that by all accounts, it seems we've done that well. On the landscape of what our insureds are seeing from a claims perspective, we definitely saw what I call a significant reduction in the volume of claims. MARK: Yes. DAVID: And we've actually seen a reduction in the severity of the claims that we did get. And so, that will clearly be a temporary phenomenon, right? MARK: Yeah. DAVID: When commerce has stopped and the courts are closed, then it's... You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that you're going to have at least a temporary lull in claims activity. Now the big question is, as this thing ramps up, will it hockey stick up? And as businesses fail coming out the other end of COVID, and tragically as marriages and other institutions fail, we effectively "make up" for lost ground on the claims picture. I think that there are pretty reasonable predictions on both sides of that ledger but it's an interesting dynamic to be looking at- MARK: It is. DAVID: ... and talking about. MARK: Yeah. Well, time will tell on that one. When I think about how ALPS has survived or navigated through the pandemic thus far, and seeing wins and losses in terms of some of our insureds from struggling in some ways, and profiting very much in other situations, I really start to believe that the... One of the ways that we navigated this so well, was because we had a solid strategic plan. We had established core values that people understand and live by. Our culture is important. And so to the degree that sharing some of the insights about what we've done, I guess I'd say... How do I say, I'd like to talk about some of this stuff as a tool, as a way to give firms that may be struggling a little bit, one path to try to move forward and come out of this. So if we could take a little bit of time, just briefly, let's start with this whole concept of core values. Can I just... What does that mean to you and where do they come from? And perhaps let me share,folks, the core values that drive us, that David has talked about already here today, as are driving some of this conversation. We ask, is this the truth? Is it fair? Does it benefit our people and the company? And does it help us make a profit? So, those are our core values. So again, David, how do we get to them? Why are they important to you? DAVID: Sure. Well, I think the core values are kind of the went through, which we all hope everything else that we're doing is filtered. And we didn't hire consultants to- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... I'm sure these could be worded differently. I'm sure there are core values that could be added and there are ways that we could word the ones that we have better. I've been in the learning sessions that many people listening to this, have been with great companies that have come up with very different ways to approach this and I'm convinced that there's no right or wrong way to do it. I felt like there was a lot of the golden rule kind of baked into this. MARK: Yes. DAVID: And our stakeholders include the people inside this company who labor every day on our common mission. It includes the people who we insure, right? We make a promise to transfer the risk of something bad having happened, the financial risk of something bad having having happened from their balance sheet to our balance sheet, right? MARK: Mm-hmm (affirmative). DAVID: And so we need to make that promise clear in the contract. We need to represent it accurately. We need to fulfill it justly when our claims attorneys are working on the claims. And we need to have the financial stability to be able to fulfill the promises as well. And then of course we do have shareholders too, and so we have kind of different stakeholders. But I think these four points which we've repeated so many times, I think most people probably know by memory. But is it the truth? It's kind of self-explanatory- MARK: Yeah. DAVID: ... a bit self-evident. I do believe that relationships are the headquarters to everything, including financial and business transactions. Without a healthy relationship, it's very difficult to get anything else constructive done. And without truth, it's almost impossible to have a healthy relationship. If you have reason to believe, but the person on the other end of your negotiation or discussion is being dishonest. MARK: Mm-hmm (affirmative). DAVID: I mean, I can't imagine how you can have anything constructive come out of that. And so we have to ask ourselves, is it the truth? Is what I'm telling my employees the truth? Is what our people are telling our insurers the truth? Right? MARK: Right. DAVID: And so that is in some ways, so obvious that it could be glossed over, but boy, is it essential in just everything that we do. The second one is, is it fair? Is it fair? Is it equitable? That's trickier because it's obviously a subjective question, right? Fairness to one is not seeing the same as fairness to other, and so when I look at that is, it's kind of thinking about it from my own perspective, as a leader, as a flawed human being who brings the bias of my experiences that I've had in my own life, into my decision-making. Many of those biases being unconscious, right? And so, the question that I ask for me and the decisions that I'm making, and then I would ask others is, are you in pursuit of fairness and of equality? And it doesn't mean that you'll be perfect all the time. It doesn't mean that everybody... When you feel that you've done something fair, it doesn't mean that everybody else will feel that way. In fact, I think a truism of leadership and arguably one of the ways that you can know whether you'll be successful in leaders, if you're comfortable with the fact that something that you believe is the right thing to do, will not be shared by other people who are important to you. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: We're just going to have people who believe differently about this. But I think if we say, Hey, look, I'm trying my best, I'm going to be truthful and transparent. I'm happy to explain the reasoning for what I'm doing. And I'm using my best efforts to seek fairness and equality. I think if there's a genuine, recognized effort to do that, there's room for shades of gray, as people have their own interpretations. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: That's number two. Number three, as you pointed out, is, does it benefit our people and the company. By the company, obviously it means our insureds- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... and the various people, right? But we don't want to do something to serve people outside this company that hurts our own people. And we don't want to do something that helps or enriches our own people at the expense of folks externally, who we serve as well. And that's also a prioritization question, right? I mean, there's a lot of things to distract us. There's a lot of places that we can spend time and money. And I think sometimes we just need to ask ourselves, is what we're about to do going to benefit our people and the company? Because if the answer isn't an unqualified yes, maybe that's not the best allocation of time or financial resources. And then fourth, which I include unapologetically but also intentionally include last, is, does it help us make a profit? MARK: Right. DAVID: We're a for-profit business. Our ability to fulfill the promises that we make now and in the future, is entirely dependent upon us being a profitable company that is financially strong. But that being said, it's not profit above all else. There are clearly numerous ways that this organization could have, and could today make a lot more money than it is making. And if this were number one, there might be an organizational temptation to do that. Profit is important. It is not the most important. MARK: Right. Yeah. DAVID: And I think if you do everything else well, profit will come. It might not come as much or as fast as some people would like but it is a function of where it sits in your order of priorities. MARK: What I like about this, and it's something I've learned as a result of my experience as an ALPS member. I think a lot of companies, when you sit down and they talk about core values, and they list, these are the things we value and it becomes this thing you put on the wall and you want to advertise, and sort of pound your chest a little bit. These are not things that are symbols. What I like about these values, I've transitioned from a list of things that we value, to a list of things that enable us. They become the lens if you will, of how we view the vision, how we view who we are, how we view what we're trying to do. And I think that distinction, at least for me was very, very important. And I just share that with all of you listening, to approach core values from this perspective of, how do we want to set the view of where we are going? Of who we are? That's what core value is. It's defining us, not defining what we value in the sense of making a profit or... and that's important but we value diversity. And again, I'm not trying to dismiss any of that as relevant, but in my mind, there's a distinction there, I've set up the food for thought. Culture, let us just take one or two minutes. How is culture important in this process from a CEO perspective? DAVID: I've actually evolved as I've gotten older in years and had more experiences, made more good decisions and made more poor decisions, and lived with the consequences of both. I've always been a very metric driven person and would probably define my default management style as in a kind of a KPI terms, right? Key Performance Indicators. I've recognized over the years that if you had to pick, culture is frankly not only more important than the financial metrics, but the financial metrics are more dependent upon a healthy culture to produce them over the long-term, then the people realized that, then I probably appreciated it in the early chapters of my profession. And I'm really... We've hired quite a few people in the last year or two as the company continues to grow and expand in different parts of the country and write more business and in States all around the country. Culture, I think is sometimes the most misunderstood word that's commonly used. And people say, well tell me about your culture. And I say, I can give you kind of my culture speech, but if you want to know what the culture... If people have the opportunity to come to the company, we're not all but most of the employees are based and you walk around, the question that I've asked people to observe for themselves without any ability by me to influence it, is walk around, look at the way that people engage with one another, do their mannerisms show that they are genuinely interested in the discussions that they're having? Are they smiling? Are they able to have a little fun? Are they self-deprecating? Is their energy... Is it a library or look at where it feels like a professional salt mine? Or is it a place where there's vibrancy and laughter but it's also professional and it's very intentional. And so I think that if you have an organization where people feel safe, which has a lot to do with these core values, right- MARK: Right, right. DAVID: ... They feel safe because it's not politicized, there is an expectation that what you hear is honest. Then I think it gives people the ability to be their unguarded cells and be comfortable. And to me, that's culture, that's the culture you want. Because that's where you start to get true performance out of folks- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... because they feel that they can spread their wings, take some risks. And sometimes the risk for somebody who's just putting themselves out there to suggest something, where that might be not in their default picture. MARK: The way I describe this as again, a member of the ALPS family, culture in my mind... A healthy culture encourages, enables, allows, et cetera, mutual investment so that all of us regardless of position, are able to increase to invest in what we're doing as a group. But the organization also invests in us. It's a two-way street. And perhaps it's another way of saying, I think, culture when it's really working, is the... So I've talked about the lens. Core values is the lens that we look at vision, all this. The culture is living the vision. It is walking the talk of what our values say at our... and it is moving towards something, a common goal. Now, I'd love to hear your comment on vision planning in general. ALPS is a corporation. We don't all sit down, all of us and get together. And what's the vision. How do we get to our vision? Can you just give a brief overview of the process? What does that look like? DAVID: Sure. I mean, I think in order to have a vision that you can communicate in order to get the people who you depend upon to make the vision a reality on board, you first have to have a very clear and honest reckoning with where you are right now, right? You can't portray yourself as something other than what you are, or other than the state in which you are in. And so when you say this is who we are, this is where we are. And then this is where we're going. And this is why, right? Because I think, in private enterprise too often, the objective is more. MARK: Yes. DAVID: More is a lot of things, but sustainably inspiring to an employee population. It is not, right? People need to understand what's in it for me? Why, should I be as excited about the vision casting and where we're going? You've told me where we are, you've shown me where we're going. You've outlined some way station milestones in between here and there. Tell me why I should be fully bought in to this pursuit, because it is easier to just do what we're doing right now. Well, and not really venture out with all of the risks and work that are involved with going out onto the vision timeline. And so, I think one of the key approaches is to bring clarity to what those points look like and bring transparent explanation for the reasons, because you are asking people to do more and, or do different than what they are doing right now. MARK: Right. DAVID: And people need to know why they should do that. MARK: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mm-hmm (affirmative). And I can also share, it includes, sort of measurable metrics. It's one thing to say, well, my vision is to be the most profitable family law firm in greater Montana or something. But if you don't have a pass, we need to sit down and I can assure you folks, we do. That's part of this strategic planning process. David, I want to give you a little bit time, if we still have some time to talk about the Mansfield Center. But before we get to that, can you just... Share what you feel comfortable sharing. What does the future look like for ALPS? DAVID: Sure. We are- MARK: In terms of your long-term vision? DAVID: Yeah, well, so ALPS, it's got such a great three decades of history. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: It started in the wake of the S&L crisis, when there was a genuine crisis of a complete lack of availability for legal malpractice insurance, particularly for the smallest firms. MARK: Right. DAVID: Right? ALPS was one of a handful of kind of white Knights that were created by State Bars in order to solve this problem. Obviously the market has evolved in different cycles over the last three decades. The crisis went away. We've had times when it's been very, very competitive and at times where has been very problematic from a loss perspective. And so, what ALPS has always been is, a direct carrier, a direct insurer of legal malpractice, the GEICO or Progressive, of lawyers malpractice. And it's far more common to have these commercial lines of insurance traded through brokers or agents. And I do believe that brokers and agents provide an important value proposition- MARK: Oh, yes. DAVID: ... for midsize and larger commercial risks in general. But they add a very significant cost as a percentage of the full transaction. And so I think one of the reasons why we've been as successful as we have been particularly in the last five to 10 years, is because we've been able to take the economics that traditionally go to brokers and agents, and share those economics between insureds and the company, really more to the benefit of the insurance. We didn't make this up. It's how Progressive and GEICO- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... permanently disrupted the Personal Lines Industry several decades ago. So, we are not pioneers, I think we've done things differently- MARK: Yeah. DAVID: ... and in many ways done things better as it relates to Commercial lines. But that's been our journey. So, in brief, Mark, to answer your question, the States that we are not in, we need to be in, now there are only a very small number of States that we have no appetite to be in, right? But for the 47 States where we do have an appetite, the States that we're not in, we need to be in. The States that we are in, we need to have critical mass in. MARK: Yes. DAVID: There are States where we're in, but we're not a substantial player. I mean, there are States where we are the undisputed largest- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... LPL carrier by policy count in the state. And there are multiple States where we are that. But there are also a lot of States where we have a very small market share. We need to have critical mass. And then eventually, as we gain more critical mass in places where we don't yet have it, we can start to look laterally and offer products other than legal malpractice. Right now we do legal malpractice, Cyber and EPL, Employment Practices Liability. But our attorneys who buy from us, arguably, the most important risk transfer product that they buy, they trust us directly with. And so we can bring to them offerings of other insurance products whether or not our balance sheet specifically is protecting or not, that's a step. And then eventually, we have ambitions to get into other lines of commercial business beyond legal malpractice. It could be accountants, it could be miscellaneous errors and emissions. I mean, we are now... What I'm describing now, I would put in the intermediate to long-term time horizon- MARK: Yes, right. DAVID: ... not in the short to early intermediate. But those are... When we have vision, I have a timeline illustration that I'm sure both of you and I are picturing in our minds right now, because we've both seen it, that shows for the purpose of employees. These are the steps along our path, going to this place, here is why we're doing this. This is why we think it's important. And I think just as important as that, and I guess, I think the next observation that maybe the final one that I'll offer will kind of wind in almost all of your questions. For me, I think it's important to acknowledge what we are and what we aren't. I think some companies love... And I'm not criticizing this, it works for them. They create almost a cult like atmosphere right there, where you just bleed the color of the company. And I think that that's great and cool, and for some companies. I don't believe that for what we do, right? We are a lawyer's malpractice insurance company, right? So we are not ending homelessness, we are not feeding- MARK: Right. DAVID: ... hungry kids, right? To be sure, the money that we're making enables us to be generous to others- MARK: Absolutely. DAVID: ... and that is a significant priority for us. I think we've had the ability to do a lot of really wonderful things- MARK: Yeah, yeah. DAVID: ... with that, but our core business isn't digging wells in impoverished nations. And so, I think it's not only okay to me, it's important to say, this is a job, a career, it's a place to labor alongside of people who you trust and hopefully who you enjoy. And I think the reason why people at ALPS, why we have so little turnover and why by all of our measuring techniques, people seem to have a very positive perspective of being here, because they can get up and look in the mirror and whether or not legal malpractice was necessarily the job they dreamt up when they were a wee lad, they can nonetheless look in the mirror and say, "We're doing great work." Right? MARK: Yeah. Yeah. DAVID: We create our product honestly and ethically, we sell it transparently. And the instructions that we get from the top on down is, if we owe it we pay it, if we don't know we fight it. We don't really have to get much more complicated than that, right? MARK: Right, right. DAVID: If we've made this promise, keep it. If we haven't made this promise, then we have a responsibility to the other stakeholders to dig in. And so we do dig in and do battle, on occasion. So, that I think is an important aspect of who we are, because it lets people feel... It lets people contextualize the purpose of their role here. I tell people often that I view, I love my job, I love the people who I work with. I look forward to it every day. It is not my life. I take vacation. I largely view the time that I spend here as giving me the means and the ability to do other things, and with other people who I care deeply about. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: So, if you are here 24-7, and on the weekends, you should not be- MARK: Yeah, I agree. DAVID: ...right guys? This should not be your life. MARK: Right. Yeah. DAVID: It should be an important part of your life because of the hours we spend together. But it should not define who you are and it definitely should not be your identity. So, those are kind of, some of the aspects of life under the ALPS umbrella. MARK: Yeah. We're kindred spirits in this regard. If we have a little bit of time and if you need to go, David, you need to go, but I would love if you have a few minutes, you were sharing prior to starting lists, the Mansfield Center. And I suspect a lot of people really have no clue what the Mansfield Center is, and what incredible stuff is happening here in Montana. So, I would love if you could just give a few minutes and share what you'd like to share and fill us in a little bit about what's going on with the Mansfield Center. DAVID: Sure, sure. I mean, I've been on the Mansfield Center Board for probably 15 years. Mansfield Center was created... Mansfield Center and the Mansfield Foundation was created by an Act of Congress, actually. MARK: Oh, wow. DAVID: Senator Mike Mansfield was, I think still to this day, the longest serving Senate president in U.S. history. He and I actually probably don't share ideologically many of the same priorities, but that's the beauty of this whole thing. I mean, Mike Mansfield was... He had kind of epitomized the good old days of bipartisan friendships, deep lasting friendships with people who felt very strongly in opposition politically to aspects of Mike. I recently became the chair of the Mansfield Center Board. Mainly I had a ton of time for the Executive Director. She's wonderful. And I believe that we're in a very... We all know that we're in a precarious time in our country. We all know the dangers that are around us. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: But I also think that there is a national yearning for bipartisanship, for civility, for cooperation. And the Mansfield Center is an ideal national and regional too in the Rocky Mountain West, but national vehicle to channel those types of things. So for example, we have, Dr. Fauci coming up in event that we've planned. We've got the chair of the Problem Solver Caucus, chairs. And if you're not familiar with the PSC which goes under "new labels" sometimes, it's worth a Google. PSC, Problem Solver Caucus, 50 Republicans, 50 Democrats in the house. They are a force now, four key legislation really needs to involve the Problem Solvers Caucus. And you have... It's just such an under-reported wonderful example of what is actually going on, which is, the two chairs, a Republican and a Democrat, who probably don't agree on anything politically, but when you listen to these two people talk, it's very clear that they definitely trust one another, that they, I think soundboard and value the opinions of one another as much, or in some cases more than the members of their own party. And so, they are opportunities, I think to harness this yearning. I just did a call with the U.S. Chamber. I'm also on the board there, and the Mansfield Center. And so, my hope over the next 24 months, is to try to play some small role in tethering together organizations like the Mansfield Center and the Chamber and the Bipartisan Policy Center. And these organizations who have this, we have to work together mission, because I think there is an opportunity right now even where people, even who aren't interested in politics, recognize that we have to start to treat one another better. We have to start respecting the opinions of people who we don't agree with more. We have to talk about things. And so, that's why I'm currently kind of somewhat jumped in the deep end of Mansfield Center activities. I think that there's a good opportunity, and I'm privileged to be a part of it. MARK: Well, I'm really pleased that you shared all of this. I absolutely agree with you in terms of the political situation we're in and the amount of discord is going on just crazy. But just hearing this, it brightens my day. I mean, it so does, it's just... I can just speak as a citizen at this point and say, it's hard, it really is hard, to find the bright spots of hope. And this is one, so I really appreciate. DAVID: Yeah, hopefully we'll see more example. I believe that media, social and mainstream, is the greatest threat to our nation's mental health that exists today. And so I just, I hope that there will be more and more opportunities to witness the current examples of healthy bipartisan dialogue that's going on and more, perhaps just as important, lots of opportunities to create, make, and be a part of new ways for people who have been camped for a long time to extend a hand, to be friends. It doesn't mean you have to agree. MARK: Right. Yeah. DAVID: Right? It just means that you have to just listen for a bit and maybe a little give and take, negotiations. Everybody listening to this podcast, they're likely in a profession where negotiation is a central part of what they do. And give and take is an absolute essential ingredient. We need more of that- MARK: Right, right. DAVID: ... political discourse as well. MARK: Yeah. DAVID: It should not be whoever's in control when the pendulum swings that way, as an absolute. So thank you, Mark for that. MARK: Well, you're welcome. And thank you. This is where we're going to need to leave it folks. I know David has got quite a busy day. David, it truly, it's always a pleasure to get together and spend a little time chatting. I thank you for fitting us in today. Folks, I hope you found something of interest and value in this podcast. And as always, if any of you have any additional thoughts about podcast topics or something you'd like to hear about, someone you'd like us to try to visit with, please don't hesitate to reach out. You may reach me at MBaaS, M-B-A-A-S @alpsinsurance.com. So that's it folks. Bye-Bye. Thanks again, David. DAVID: Thank you.  

In today's episode, Rick and Sam are joined by Beth Conover to discuss conservation in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through their conversation they discuss two approaches to conservation, the more traditional approach and a more collaborative approach. Furthermore, they consider challenges and successes of engaging seemingly disparate groups of people, building trust within communities, practical approaches to conservation efforts and establishing common ground to more effectively accomplish the various goals of conservation. Beth Conover has spent her entire career working at the intersection of environmental policy and community development. Beth is currently the Executive Director of the Salazar Center for North American Conservation, which works to support and advance the health and connectivity of the natural systems and landscapes of North America. Prior to joining the Salazar Center, Beth served as the Senior Vice President for Natural Resources and Community Development for the Gates Family Foundation. She has worked on community conservation program development in diverse places including Providence, Rhode Island; Zimbabwe, Southern Africa; and the Colorado Plateau. Born in Denver, she was Director of Parks and Environment for the redevelopment of the former Stapleton International Airport and a senior advisor and founder of Greenprint Denver for Mayor John Hickenlooper. She is the editor and co-author of How the West was Warmed: Climate Change in the Rocky Mountain West. For further reading: Weaving the Strands Together: Case studies in inclusive and equitable landscape conservation (https://salazarcenter.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/01/Weaving-the-Strands-Together_Case-studies-in-inclusive-and-equitable-landscape-conservation.pdf) Sam Scinta is President and Founder of IM Education, a non-profit, and Lecturer in Political Science at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Viterbo University. Rick Kyte is Endowed Professor and Director of the DB Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University. Music compliments of Bobby Bridger- “Rendezvous” from "A Ballad of the West"

In this episode, Dr. Kerian Duncan and I talk about how to define your intuition when it comes to handling your child's healing and trusting that intuition as a parent and patient. We also talk about allowing intuition to enter patient care and how to access and strengthen your intuition through heart-based problem-solving.Our guest, Dr. Kerian Duncan, PT, DPT, MSc has a  Master of Science in Neuroscience (MSc), and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT). Well versed in both neuroscience and developmental research and clinical practice, she believes that the best advocate for children are their parents when it comes to early childhood intervention.She is also a trainee for the Utah Regional Leadership Education for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (URLEND) program. There she works to change the internal dynamics regarding the lack of support for children with special health care needs across the rural Rocky Mountain West.

Signs from loved ones are real. Ward Barcafer is the author of the book “Beyond the Veil to Heaven - Inexplicable manifestations and Signs from a Woman's Transition to Heaven while Maintaining Earthly Life Connections.” He has so many amazing stories he shares on this episode. Ward was the husband to Suzette Shockley his wife for 33 years. He was born in Missouri and grew up in Kansas. After college Ward joined a Fortune 100 company and was transferred to Denver where he was a sales promotion manager for Rocky Mountain West. Ward's book "Beyond the Veil to Heaven" is available on Amazon at: http://amzn.to/2fQUGRd Visit Ward's website at: http://www.signsfromsue.com/ YOU'RE INVITED  Sandra Champlain will be speaking at the upcoming Afterlife Symposium September 15-17, 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can find out more and register for the Symposium at http://www.afterlifestudies.org/ *Enjoying We Don't Die Radio episodes? Consider donating to help operating costs of the show (I keep the show commercial-free on purpose) please visit: https://www.paypal.me/SandraChamplain JOIN THE INSIDER'S CLUB to receive a free chapter of We Don't Die – A Skeptic's Discovery of Life After Death (also available at: http://amzn.to/2fCQPqs ) and the healing audio “How to Survive Grief” at http://wedontdieradio.com/