Upcoming events

    • 08/07/2025
    • 12:00 PM
    • Santa Rosa Country Club
    • 0
    Join waitlist


    SOLD OUT

    Thursday, August 7, 2025 at Noon

    Climate at a Crossroads:
    Innovation and Survival in a  Shifting World Order

    with David Callaway
    Founder of Callaway Climate Insights


    David Callaway's sponsor is
    Michele Chaboudy,
    President of World Affairs Council of Sonoma County

    About the Program         

               Join us for a compelling talk with David Callaway, founder of Callaway Climate Insights and a leading voice at the intersection of climate change, finance, and policy. With decades of experience as a journalist and former editor-in-chief of USA Today, Callaway now focuses on how global markets are responding to the climate crisis—and where they're falling short. His deep insights and engaging style shed light on what governments, businesses, and individuals can do now to prepare for  climate-driven disruptions ahead.

              As the Western world veers toward the right and global powers compete to dominate the AI frontier, climate change solutions once hailed as urgent are now being dismissed as costly, slow, and inconvenient. But the story doesn’t end there. Visionary entrepreneurs and climate-focused investors are rising to meet this new moment—adapting to the geopolitical shift toward “energy security” and leveraging breakthrough technologies to meet the soaring global energy demand.  Join us for an illuminating talk that explores how the climate movement is evolving in real time—and why this next chapter may be the most pivotal yet.  Whether you care about the environment, policy, or truth itself—this is a talk you can’t afford to miss.

    This Event is SOLD OUT
    Register Here for the Waiting List

     Date:  Thursday, Aug 7, 2025
     Time:  Noon
     Venue:  Santa Rosa Country Club
     333 Country Club Drive
     Santa Rosa, CA  95401 
     Menu:

     Meat and Vegetarian Options Available on the Buffet Table.

     Cost:  $45 for Members
     Bring up to 2 guests at the member price.
     $60 for Non-Members
     Health Note:  We suggest that everyone
     be vaccinated and wear a mask.

    About Our Speaker         

              David Callaway is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Callaway Climate Insights. He is the former president of the World Editors Forum, Editor-in-Chief of USA Today and MarketWatch, and CEO of TheStreet Inc. His climate columns have appeared in USA Today, The Independent, and New Thinking Magazine

    • 11/12/2025
    • 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
    • 0
    Join waitlist

    A CIA Officer's Journey
    From War to Peacebuilding

    With Janessa Gans Wilder
    Ex-CIA Officer and Peacebuilder

    Janessa's sponsors are
    Anne and Russ Peterson, WACSC members.

    About the Program

    Peace seems elusive in our war-torn world and many wonder what anyone can do about it. Enter Janessa Gans Wilder with A CIA Officer’s Journey from War to Peacebuilding. A California native, Wilder joined the CIA before 9/11, and in 2003 volunteered to serve in Iraq, where a 90-day tour turned into 21 months as a counterinsurgency analyst and political liaison. After a major battle between US Marines and insurgents in western Iraq, she had a personal awakening along the Euphrates River, which ultimately led to her forging a very different path as peacebuilder.

    Wilder will take us through her extraordinary journey culminating in her founding of the Euphrates Institute -- a non-profit peace-building organization currently active in over 40 countries.  Along the way she’ll share some lessons learned, including how each of us can play a role in bridging divides in our communities.

     Date:   Thursday, October 3, 2024
     Time:   12 Noon
     Venue:   Santa Rosa Country Club
      333 Country Club Drive,
      Santa Rosa, CA 95401
     Menu:    Herb Roasted Chicken Breast
       With Caesar Salad & Ciabatta Rolls
       or
       Cheese Ravioli
       with Tomato Basil Sauce
     Cost:    Members: $45.
       Want to bring a guest?
       Do so paying member’s price
        (limit of two per member)
     Otherwise:      $60 for Non-Members
     Health Note:     We suggest that everyone
        be vaccinated and wear a mask.

    Make Your Reservation Now!
    The Deadline to Register is September 25
    Register HERE

    About Our Speaker

    Janessa Gans Wilder grew up in Redding, CA. and earned degrees from Principia College and Stanford University, from which she was recruited to the CIA as an analyst. In Iraq she logged time in far-flung military outposts, interviewing insurgents in Abu Ghraib and High-Value Target prisons.

    After Iraq, Jessica founded the Euphrates Institute in 2006 and served as its CEO for 14 years. She is a frequent speaker in interfaith, community, government, international, and educational settings, and has written dozens of articles and been interviewed by major news outlets, including CBS, CNN, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, and Democracy Now.

    Janessa lives in Redding with her husband and three children where they enjoy spending time in nature (when they’re not evading wildfires).

    Sign up now – this is a rare opportunity to hear such an experienced speaker on this all-important subject.


Contact:

Phone: (707) 573-6014

Email: wacscca@gmail.com

Address:

P.O. Box 1433

Santa Rosa, CA 95402


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World Affairs Council of Sonoma County is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit educational organization.

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