Conference Agenda

CBDL Conference Logo

2025 CBDL Conference
& Annual Meeting

November 13th, 2025

Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, WA

Join fellow leaders, advocates, and stakeholders working to shape the future of the Columbia Basin Project. The Columbia Basin Development League (CBDL) welcomes you to our 2025 Annual Meeting—a vital forum for updates, dialogue, and collaboration.

Conference Agenda

  • 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
    Coffee & Connections: Building Big Ideas Together
  • 8:45 a.m. – 9:05 a.m.
    Welcome & Opening Remarks: “Honoring the Visionaries Who Built the Basin” with Erik the Peanut Guy and CBDL President Jon Erikson
  • 9:05 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
    “Growing What Feeds Us: State of Agriculture in Washington” with U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse & U.S. Rep. GT Thompson – Chair of Ag Committee
  • 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
    “Building on Success: Legislative Wins and What’s Next for the Basin” with WA Rep. Tom Dent, WA Rep. Mary Dye, WA Sen. Mark Schoesler, & WA Sen. Judy Warnick
  • 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
    Networking Break: Conversations that Build Connections
  • 10:30 a.m. – 10:55 a.m.
    “Reclamation in Action: The Bureau’s Role in Building Big Things” with David Palumbo – BOR (video) & Roland Springer – BOR
  • 10:55 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
    “Voices from the Basin: An Interactive Panel Discussion” with Marc Maynard – BOR - Ephrata, John O’Callaghan - SCBID, Craig Simpson - ECBID, & Roger Sonnichsen - QCBID
  • 11:20 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
    “Powering the Conversation: NW River Partners Update” with Clark Mather – NW River Partners
  • 11:50 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
    “Lunch & Networking: Celebrating Builders, Dreamers, & Doers” with Invocation by David Dormier
  • 12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
    Annual Meeting & Trustee Awards: Recognizing Those Who Build the Future” with U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (video), and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (video)
  • 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
    Voices of the Basin: Tribal Perspectives on the Columbia Basin Project with Cody Desautel – Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
  • 1:00 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.
    “Sustainable Water, Shared Vision: Columbia Basin Sustainable Water Coalition Update” with Ben Lee, Dr. Sasha McClarty – WSU Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, & Kristina Ribellia – Columbia Basin Conservation District
  • 1:25 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
    “Project Partners in Progress: Continuing the Legacy of Big Builds” with Aubrey Bettencourt (invited), Roylene Comes at Night – NRCS Washington State, Harold Crose – OGWRP, Jon Wyss – FSA Washington State
  • 1:50 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
    “Office of Columbia River: Innovation in Water Management” with Larry Mattson – OCR & Melissa Downes – OCR
  • 2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
    “OGWRP Progress Report: Turning Vision into Vital Infrastructure” with CBDL President Jon Erickson & Kristina Ribellia - Columbia Basin Conservation District
  • 2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
    Networking Break: Building Relationships that Last
  • 3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
    “Cultivating Growth: Washington State Potato Commission Update” with Chris Voigt – Potato Commission
  • 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
    “Funding the Future: State and Federal Strategies for Building Big Things” with Tony Bean
  • 3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
    “Powering Progress: The 5th Congressional District’s Role in the Basin’s Future” with U.S. Rep Michael Baumgartner & Chelsea Martin – Infrastructure Committee
  • 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    “Reflections in Legacy: Honoring Alice Parker and the Builders of the Basin” with Alice Parker, Clark Kagele, Dale Pomeroy, Mark Booker, Reid Phillips - Ritzville, Kevin Lyle, John Moody, Mike LaPlant, and others.
  • 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
    “Post-Conference Social: Raising a Toast to Big Ideas and Bigger Futures”
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