Lectures
ALL is pleased to present short form lectures of interest to our learning community and will announce them as presenters are confirmed.
If you are interested in making a presentation or have a suggestion, please contact mmyenokida@gmail.com
April
Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 10 a.m. – noon
Thursday, April 9, 2026
$20 for members and non-members
Ron Judd, a veteran daily journalist, currently executive editor of Cascadia Daily News (CDN), an ambitious Bellingham-based news startup, discusses the vital role of local, independent news in a U.S. society drowning in misinformation.
His talk focuses on the many challenges of cutting through the white noise of "free" digital news, the surrendering of professional standards, and the difficulty maintaining public trust in an institution seen by America’s founding fathers as vital to national survival.
Lecturers:
Image
Ron Judd is the executive editor of Cascadia Daily News, a passion project and daily job since the newspaper’s founding in the fall of 2021. As overseer of the daily news operation, he also directs and edits CDN’s Opinion pages, writes a weekly column, and guides the news organization’s policies and coverage strategies — all with what he hopes is wisdom gained over four decades in daily journalism.
"My role is to encourage, cajole, guide and, I hope, lead by example a newsroom staff ranging in age from 20s to 60s to practice journalism the way I learned it: With solid reporting, careful fact checking, fairness, lively prose, stellar images and a distinct refusal to take 'no' for an answer, all with a strong consumer focus."
Image
Alana Marcum (she/her) is CDN’s audience engagement editor. Marcum is a national award-winning journalist with a passion for local journalism and connecting newsrooms with the communities that they serve. She’s responsible for guiding community interactions between the public and CDN. Marcum oversees social media management, writes CDN’s newsletters, helps plan community events, analyzes audience data and trends, and helps our communities see the value in local journalism.
May
Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1 – 3 p.m.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
$20 for members and non-members
Join us for a presentation on the background for wildfire behavior and urban interaction. There is a focused discussion on identifying and prioritizing mitigation actions to best instill resilience.
In awe of the beauty of natural systems and their interactions, let us be mindful of these systems in our everyday lives. Fire plays an important role in these systems but also requires that we are prepared and have plans in place for when fire crosses from the wildland into the settled land.
Lecturer:
Image
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Policy and Management from Oregon State University, Robert Walters spent 25+ years in residential, commercial, and modular construction, followed by work in water quality and wildfire preparedness for the San Juan Islands Conservation District. He is currently a community wildfire resilience specialist for the Skagit and Whatcom Conservation Districts.
“I’m focused on combining my experience and knowledge to reach multiple, varied audiences with resources and tools that they can use to be better prepared for wildfire and ultimately protect their life, structures, and property.”