The Public Policy Speakers Series is an exclusive Chamber-member only dialogue with key government officials who will be on-hand to share the latest in their areas of expertise and answer questions from members on important topics impacting our businesses and community.

While no cost to attend, registration is required due to limited seating.

The guest speaker for this month is Katey McPherson. Katey's presentation, "The Warning Signs of Suicide: How To Reach, Teach, And Support Our iGeneration Youth," will focus on suicide prevention but start softer to outline that suicide and ideation of is often a long and slow lead up and journey and that recognizing warning signs is key. While it can be an impulsive act for some, it is often coupled with a trigger, event, or failure alongside of substances and trauma. Understanding the teen brain, healthy coping strategies, and building resiliency skills, is imperative for caregivers, parents, and trusted adults.

About the Speaker:

Katey McPherson brings experience in school leadership, prevention, and organizational change with 25 years as a secondary school teacher, guidance counselor, and PK-12 school administrator. Katey's educational career focus is on student and teacher social-emotional needs and wellness, youth mental health initiatives, social justice, and digital citizenship/social media responsibility. Katey recently led The Gurian Institute as its' Executive Director, an international teacher and parent training institute rooted in neuro-biological teaching strategies. Katey currently serves as a West Coast Associate of Hazard, Young, and Attea Associates. When not presenting or training, she is busy chauffeuring her 4 daughters aged 10-13 to various locations around the world.