February 18, 2019

9:30 – 10:30    ENVIRONMENT

Green is the New Black:  Green Burial and the Transformation of After-Death Practices

Speakers: Tom Koberstein and Marilaurice Hemlock, Funeral Consumers Alliance of Minnesota

Caring for the earth while we are alive includes choices we make about what happens to our bodies after death. There are shades of green in death as in life. Learn about the green burial movement, green burial options in the metro area, and other ways you can reduce the environmental impact of your final undertaking. They will address the pros and cons of these choice an offer resources to help with after-death planning.

10:45 – 11:45     PUBLIC POLICY

A Conversation and Review of Our Civil Rights Struggle

Speaker: Dr. Josie Johnson, former University of Minnesota Regent; retired University of Minnesota Associate Vice President for Minority Student Affairs; Founder, University of Minnesota Office of Diversity and Equity

Johnson has been an activist for equality for over five decades. She began as a teenager by gathering signatures with her father for an anti-poll tax petition in Texas, She has been called a “trailblazer” and “The First Lady of Minnesota Civil Rights.” Dr. Johnson will give us examples of her past struggles and will close with her candid opinion on the current status of civil rights in Minnesota.

11:45 – noon   Announcements
Noon – 1:15   Luncheon

1:15  – 2:15    HEALTH

Medical Cannabis Research and Development

Speaker: Dr. Rachel Loeber, Chief Scientific Officer, LeafLine Labs

Loeber oversees both production and research and development activities involving cannabis extraction, medical cannabis formulation, analytical testing, and regulatory compliance. She will share her experience in bringing scientific rigor and good laobratory practices to LeafLine Labs, differentiating them as a leader in the ever-evolving medical cannabis industry.