On August 21, President Deane traveled to the Big Sky Resort in Bozeman, Montana for the Northwest Region Meeting, which spanned two full days.
The Northwest Region, or Region III of the College, is a huge area, consisting of Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. This year’s regional meeting was hosted by the Montana State Committee, headed by State Chair Randy Bishop. There was a tremendous turnout of approximately 100 Fellows, including Regent Carey Matovich, Alberta Chair Deborah Hatch, Washington Chair Malaika Eaton, as well as Past President Tom Tongue. A number of notified inductees also attended, expressing their anticipation of induction at the Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Following a Friday morning breakfast, Chair Bishop welcomed the group to Big Sky. President Deane addressed everyone and discussed the College’s strategic plan, recent public statements, and the hiring of a PR firm to assist the College efforts to promote itself among the judiciary, academics and the profession. Then Michael Punke, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, was interviewed. Besides these accomplishments, Mr. Punke is a published author, having written The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, later made into a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Mr. Punke described the writing and film-making processes, along with his other projects including historical novels about the settlement of the American West. Mr. Punke then joined a panel discussion featuring Alberta Chair Hatch and Vice Chair Perry Mack. This panel was on Canadian perspectives on the Rule of Law and threats to judicial independence. There is growing concern among Canadian Fellows resulting from attacks and insults to Canadian sovereignty by American officials. There was hope the College could navigate these issues and remain an exemplary professional organization.
The next speaker was Fellow Mike Lamb, who gave an account of the dedication and determination of Diane Carlson Evans, the driving force behind the creation of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Evans had to overcome fierce opposition to create the monument honoring the service and sacrifice of nurses during the Vietnam War.
The Saturday presentations began with Alan Townsend, Ph.D., who focuses broadly on environmental issues. He gave a powerful presentation chronicling life lessons learned during the independent diagnoses of life-threatening brain cancers for his wife and young daughter. Townsend is the author of This Ordinary Stardust, A Scientist’s Path from Grief to Wonder. The next presenter was Judicial Fellow, Dana Christiansen, U.S. District Judge from Montana. Judge Christensen offered insights on the erosion of the Rule of Law. The final speaker was Madison Myers, Ph.D., a volcanologist at Montana State University, where her studies focus on the volcanic activities at Yellowstone National Park. Her presentation was truly engaging. The morning session closed with a presentation from the Region’s State and Province Chairs honoring Regent Matovich for her exemplary service to the College.