Registration is now closed for Power Forward!
DAY AT A GLANCE
Doors Open • 9 am
Sign in and grab some light snacks and coffee. Catch up with old friends and say hi to some new ones.
Business Meeting • 10 am
Yearly reports, election of officers, and ratification of platform.
Celebrations and Awards • 10:45 am
Lifting up stories of success and honoring our people!
Keynote Address • 11:15 am
Act Free to Be Free by Karime Rodriguez of LUCHA Arizona
Lunch • 12 noon
Group Photo • 1 pm
Bring your smiling face to the annual membership photo!
Plenary Workshop • 1:15 pm
To November and Beyond! Building a Pro-Democracy Framework This Election Season
Anyone paying attention knows this November is a critical election — not just because of what’s on the ballot, but because of growing efforts to interfere with elections and undermine voting rights. To protect our democracy, we must turn out voters, counter misinformation, and defend the integrity of our local elections. The good news is we’re not alone. Organizations and communities across the country are working together to ensure free and fair elections. Join our Alliance and LUCHA to learn how we can meet this moment together. What happens in the coming months depends on what we choose to do — and that’s why democracy is worth fighting for.
Concurrent Workshops • 2:15 pm
Protecting Free and Fair Elections in Western Colorado
Led by Tyler McDermott, Alliance Director of Civic Engagement, and Aly Belknap from Colorado Common Cause
The 2026 Voting Rights Lab Election Risk Heat Map identifies Western Colorado and Congressional District 3 as “at risk of election interference.” Following Tina Peters’ efforts to undermine the 2020 election, election deniers continue to spread doubt about our local election process. We can prepare now to counter misinformation and protect free and fair elections in Western Colorado. Join us to learn about our election protection plan and how you can get involved.
Pies and Charts - Understanding the Colorado State Budget and Tax Related Ballot Measures
Led by Bianca Diaz, Alliance Community Organizer, and Caitlin Schneider from the Colorado Fiscal Institute
Colorado has faced years of budget shortfalls, leading to deep cuts affecting health care, affordable housing, conservation, and other essential programs. It’s time to move beyond cuts and solve the state’s budget challenges. Join us to learn how we got here, what solutions are on the table, and how our Alliance and partners across the state are advancing a Care Over Cuts agenda during this election cycle and the 2027 legislative session.
Watts on the Line - Building the Western Colorado Movement Against Data Centers
Led by Emily Hornback, Alliance Executive Director
As the AI boom expands, Big Tech is building data centers across Colorado, putting pressure on our water, land, communities, and electric grid. Rural Coloradans shouldn’t bear the costs while some of the world’s largest corporations reap the benefits. Join us as we build a plan for the 2027 legislative session to protect our communities, safeguard our natural resources, and ensure Big Tech pays its fair share.
Bringing it all together/Happy Hour • 4 pm
OUR 2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
KARIME RODRIGUEZ
Karime Rodriguez is a grassroots organizer, strategist, and movement leader dedicated to building the power of immigrant and working-class communities. Her commitment to organizing began long before she had a name for it through her own experience with immigration law.
Today, Karime serves as Director of Neighbor Defense at Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), where she leads statewide organizing and advocacy across immigration, democracy, and economic justice. Her work has included building immigrant defense networks, organizing parents and directly impacted communities, developing election protection programs, and advancing legislative and federal advocacy. She has helped build the infrastructure communities need not only to respond to attacks but also to organize for the future they deserve.
Karime serves on the National Leadership Committee of United We Dream and the Steering Committee of the Home Is Here campaign, helping shape national movement strategy and priorities.
Her work also extends across broader movements for racial and social justice. As a young organizer, she advanced federal efforts for the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act through congressional advocacy. She also uses storytelling, creativity, and multimedia to shift public narratives and build power, directing DACA in Their Voices, co-producing Taste la Tradición, and sharing her own story as a chef and storyteller on Season 2 of No Borders, Just Flavors.
A first-generation college graduate, Karime holds a B.A. in Communications and a Certificate in Legal Studies. Her work is grounded in the belief that the people closest to the issues are not beneficiaries of organizing, they are its drivers, bringing the lived experience, knowledge, and leadership needed to transform the systems shaping their lives.
OUR 2026 BOARD CANDIDATES
KEVIN WILLIAMS
Board Chair
Kevin Williams grew up in a small town in upstate New York surrounded by family farms, which instilled in him a deep connection to people who work the land and a strong work ethic. Kevin migrated west in 1980 to attend the University of Idaho where he met his spouse Brenda. “I could not have come this far in life without her love, support and counsel.” As he was completing his MS degree in Forest Resources, he applied for a community organizer position with Western Colorado Alliance. “Teresa Erickson hired me sight unseen after I interviewed with her sister Lill in Boise, Idaho. That was 1984, and the rest is history.” Kevin also serves on the Board of Directors of Delta Montrose Electric Association, one of the more forward-thinking rural electric cooperatives in the state and nation.
Treasurer
Western Colorado Alliance currently has no candidates for Treasurer. We are still accepting nominations for Treasurer through August 3, 2026. If you have interest in or questions concering the Treasurer position on the Board of Directors, please contact Emily Hornback at emily@westerncoloradoalliance.org.
We're taking nominations for our awards!
One of our favorite parts of the annual Western Colorado Alliance Annual Conference is honoring outstanding members and leaders from across our network who are advancing the mission and vision of our Alliance across Western Colorado. We have three annual awards: The Worley Award (for individuals who have made outstanding volunteer contributions to our Alliance), the Rising Star Award (intended to honor new volunteers), and the Rawlins Award (offered to those who show “determination, grit, and fearlessness in speaking truth to power”). Nominations for any of these awards may be made by an individual member, a local affiliate group, or campaign team. If you have someone you would like to nominate for any of these awards, please reach out to Deputy Director Sara Rinne at sara@westerncoloradoalliance.org by August 3, 2026.
