DABE is excited to present our 2022 Summer Event:

Title: The National Western Center and CSU Spur Development
Location: National Western Center, CSU Spur Vida Building
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 20 4pm to 7:30pm
- - Tours: 4:00pm - 4:45pm
- - Networking: 4:45pm - 5:15pm
- - Food Available: 5:15pm - 6:00pm
- - Speakers and Additional Networking: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Speakers: Tiana Kennedy, Associate Vice Chancellor of External Relations for the Colorado State University System and Brad Buchanan, CEO, National Western Center

The DABE 2022 summer event will be held at the CSU Spur Vida Building at the National Western Center development. The event provides an opportunity for the DABE community to get together in person and learn about the National Western Center (NWC) development, whose mission is to be a global destination for food and ag innovation, water, health, Western heritage and culture.

The event will include presentations about the NWC and CSU spur, food and drinks (including alcoholic beverage options), and an optional tour for attendees who are interested. The event is free for DABE members and $25 for non-members. (Non-members can elect to become a DABE member before the event in order to waive the attendance fee.) Please be mindful of COVID health concerns. DABE asks that individuals with any symptoms of illness refrain from attending. Due to space constraints, the event will be capped at the first 50 individuals who register for the event.

Speaker Bios:

Tiana Kennedy, Associate Vice Chancellor of External Relations for the Colorado State University System

Tiana Kennedy serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor of External Relations for the
Colorado State University System, which is made up of three campuses: CSU in Fort
Collins, CSU Pueblo, and CSU Global.

Tiana came to Colorado State University in 2008 and has held a variety of roles for the university at its Denver office. In her current position, Tiana manages strategic communications, partnerships, and visibility for the System office and its initiatives, including CSU Spur, the CSU Todos Santos Center, Colorado Futures Center, Together We Grow, and the North American Agricultural Advisory Network. She served for several years as a CSU faculty member, teaching Strategic Digital Communications in the Master of Communications and Media Management program. A CSU alumna, Tiana holds a bachelor’s degree in Technical Journalism and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

Brad Buchanan, CEO, National Western Center

Brad Buchanan is the CEO of the National Western Center Authority. Appointed in 2018, he is responsible for crafting the 250-acre National Western Center campus into a year-round, global destination for culture, entertainment, education and agribusiness innovation. Brad has extensive experience in planning, development, agriculture, community building, entrepreneurship and organizational leadership. An architect by trade, he served as Denver’s planning director from 2014- 2018 after working in design and construction in Denver for more than 25 years. He and his family own and operate Flying B Bar Ranch in Strasburg, Colorado, where they raise grass-fed cattle.