The ninth annual Strategic Perspectives conference was an exhilarating experience for the more than 700 who attended this year. The event was held again in North Idaho at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, October 23–26, 2014.
In addition to those actually at the event, there were another 600+ watching the streamed conference online in Australia, Canada, China, Ecuador, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, The Virgin Islands and in the United States. Another 500 DVDs of the event have been pre-ordered, so even more will be able to view the program.
Our exciting lineup of speakers provided a mosaic of topics that included comments about significant world events that occurred before the first century and how they connect to those things that are happening right now in the twenty-first. And, although the schedule of events and speakers this year was extended by one day and was somewhat more demanding than in years past, the vast majority of those who attended gave the program exceptionally high marks.
In the past, one of the most popular conference events was a ticketed dinner at which a keynote speaker provided a private presentation to attendees. This year we not only had two such dinners, we added a fellowship reception for KI members on Thursday evening and speaker luncheons Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Most of these events were again sold out.
Another event that is always filled to capacity is our Sunday breakfast cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene. This year we took two boats. The vessels were lashed together to allow for passengers to move safely from one to the other at will.
The conference would not have been possible without the efforts of staff members such as Karen Johnson who knitted together the myriad of details in getting all of our speakers, guests, meals and facilities coordinated.
Claude Eichelberger couldn’t wait to get behind the KI membership table and share the experiences he has had and the impact that KI has had on his life. It was more than obvious how much he valued being at the conference and being a part of KI.
Several KI members graciously volunteered their time to help out with the multitude of tasks associated with the conference. Longtime member, Jason Vorpagel, could be seen throughout the conference on duty at the A/V table in the back of the auditorium. Sherry Dwire drove half way across the country, arrived in town on Wednesday, and was ready to help us set up book tables on Wednesday evening. Robin Buss helped us with set-up and then remained available to lend a hand wherever needed.
We are grateful to those listed below, many of whom are regular volunteers at our Post Falls facility, for their assistance in making this annual event go so smoothly. They served in every imaginable capacity to make our guests feel welcome.
- Erich Vorpagel
- Eric and Chris Rockett
- Chris MacCloud
- Robin Buss
- Valerie Robey
- Stephen and Carrie Durham
- Jennifer Bartlett
- Melanie Hamons
- Glen Iverson
- Lisa Richards
- Mark Thompson
- Eve Hanson
- Patrick Hamlin
- Darrell Tenderholt
- Kris Storey
- Harold Brazil
- Jim Jensen
- John Samuelson
- David Hill
- Bill Steinhour
- Robin Adams
- Alan and Marilyn Golub
- Pat Bonny
- Nalini Harrold
- Sherryl Lafountain
- Dani Parsons
