Rural Voices Network
Brian Kuehl
Brian Kuehl is a partner and Director of Government and Public Affairs at Pinion, a global food and agriculture accounting and business advisory firm. In this role, Brian coordinates Pinion’s political intelligence efforts and works with food and agricultural associations to build national advocacy campaigns.
Brian serves as Executive Director of Farmers for Free Trade, a 501(c)(4) non-profit that advocates for trade that benefits U.S. agriculture and that has helped establish the Congressional Agriculture Trade Caucus. Brian also serves as Executive Director of Rural Voices Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes policies that benefit rural communities.
Brian was a founder and Managing Partner of Vela Environmental, a consulting firm that became part of Pinion in 2013. Prior to founding Vela Environmental, Brian served as Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, and Environmental and Energy Adviser to U.S. Senator Max Baucus.
Brian was a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and served as a U.S.-Japan Leadership Foundation Fellow. Brian received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California at Davis.
Jessica M. Western, Ph.D.
Jessica Western is Principal of Big Goose Creek Resolutions and Adjunct Professor/Research Associate with the University of Wyoming. Big Goose Creek Resolutions finds solutions to complex natural resource problems through social science and the design and facilitation of collaborative public policy processes. Jessica is a peer-reviewed social psychologist specializing in the relationship between people and natural resources and has taught natural resource policy related to the United States and the European Union at Colorado State University (CSU) and University of Wyoming (UW). Dr. Western was Co-Director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at CSU and Director of the Collaboration in Natural Resources Program at UW. She has done extensive social psychological research regarding forest management, energy, wildlife issues and social license. She has worked with Governors, federal and state agencies, corporations, county commissioners and many communities in Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado.
John Sanderson
John Sanderson is Director of the Center for Collaborative Conservation at Colorado State University. The Center for Collaborative Conservation develops solutions to complex environmental problems through facilitation, mediation, and collaborative public policy processes. John is a freshwater ecologist specializing in wetland systems and has extensive experience in conservation science and watershed management. Dr. Sanderson previously spent 14 years with The Nature Conservancy, where he served as Director of Science and Water Program Director, managing teams of scientists to address pressing environmental challenges. He also operated Paluster Environmental Services, his own environmental consulting firm, for nearly seven years and worked as a Wetland Ecologist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. He has worked with federal and state agencies, conservation organizations, and communities across Colorado and the western United States on water resources, wetland conservation, and collaborative environmental solutions.
Susan Bitter Smith
Susan is a respected public affairs professional and leads Technical Solutions, one of the Valley's leading public affairs firms specializing in neighborhood, community, and public outreach. Technical Solutions has been recognized by Arizona State University as one of the Sun Devil 100 and as a finalist for the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce's Sterling Awards. Susan is a Certified Association Executive and Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives, serving as Past Chair of ASAE and recipient of its highest honor, the Key Award. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Southwest Cable Communications Association and was recently recognized by CableFax magazine as its inaugural Regional Association Executive of the Year. Susan has extensive public service experience, having served on the Scottsdale City Council, Central Arizona Water Conservation Board, Arizona Corporation Commission, and currently the Maricopa County Community College Governing Board.
Susannah Maddux
Susannah Maddux is Owner and Publisher of Macon Magazine, a bi-monthly publication celebrating local soul in Macon and Central Georgia since 1986. Macon Magazine showcases the stories, culture, and community spirit that define Macon and the surrounding region. Susannah is also Co-founder and Owner of The Web, a membership work club created by women and founded on the notion of creating space and community for productive work. She has extensive experience in public relations and communications, having operated goods public relations since 2010 and previously worked as an assistant and publicist with george public relations. Maddux has a BA in Communication, Design Studies, and Spanish from North Carolina State University, where she was active in the Alumni Association Student Ambassador Program. She has demonstrated community leadership through her role as Race Chair for Komen Central Georgia's Race for the Cure and continues to champion local businesses and community initiatives throughout Central Georgia.