Theme: Far in the Past, Far in the Future

A cheerful winter evening that threads the idea of long-term influences through political processes and social service organizations.

Yakima Valley Museum
2105 Tieton Drive
Yakima, Washington, 98902
United States

Margaret Filkins

Director, Wellness House; Social Services Entrepreneur

Wellness House has made a conscious policy to not accept state or federal funding to support their diverse social services support programs; this allows timely response to community needs that spring up. Initially begun as a safe place for cancer victims to gain help, the organization responds to a wide variety of demands. Peer-based support is the primary means of financial contributions, as well as for determining the services that are most meaningful.

Urban Eberhart

Director, Kittitas Valley Reclamation District; Water Resources Scientist and Policy Maker

As one of the collaborative partners of the group of conservationists, irrigators, tribes, state and local stakeholders, fish passage experts and federal agencies, Mr. Eberhart's role was instrumental in development of the multi-billion dollar Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan. It is unique within the United States. He now travels extensively to lecture on the unique cooperation and commitment that all these agencies exhibited that lead to bipartisan support of critical legislation.