Melissa Stockwell

American War Hero & Paralympic Medalist

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Melissa has shared her remarkable story, and the inspiring insights she has uncovered along the way, to standing ovations across the country for Fortune 500s, military bases, professional organizations, charities, government events and countless schools.

If you ask Melissa Stockwell to describe herself one of the first things you’ll hear is, “I am a Patriot, a lover of the red, the white and the blue.” She had an American flag stitched to the inside of her wedding dress. Melissa proudly wore the uniform of the United States Army, where she very nearly gave her life for her country. Today, she proudly wears the uniform of Team USA as a World Champion athlete and Paralympic medalist.

Melissa shares her inspiring story, from the battlefields of Bagdad to the podium on the beach of Rio de Janeiro, in an emotionally powerful presentation that leaves audiences forever changed to see ability not disability, to maximize what you do have and forget about what you don’t and to apply, as she describes, “…the amazing power of choice.”

Michael Coleman

Principal Fiscal Policy Advisor

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Michael Coleman is a leading expert on California local government revenues, spending, and financing. He is the creator of CaliforniaCityFinance.com, and the California Local Government Finance Almanac, an online resource of data, analyses and articles on California municipal finance and budgeting. He is the principal fiscal policy advisor both to the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) and, for over twenty years, to the League of California Cities. Michael is a popular presenter at graduate schools and conferences and is the author of numerous articles and references, including the California Municipal Revenue Sources Handbook , and – as co-author with Mike Multari, Ken Hampian and Bill Statler – the Guide to Local Government Finance in California , published by Solano Press. An experienced city fiscal officer, Michael previously worked for the cities of San Mateo, Milpitas, Daly City, and Sacramento. He received his BA in Policy Analysis from UC Davis and his MPA from the University of Southern California, and is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program. In February 2013, the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers honored Michael with its Distinguished Service Award for dedicated service and outstanding contribution to the municipal finance profession.

Dr. Chris Thornberg

Founder of Beacon Economics

Friday, February 27, 2026

Dr. Christopher Thornberg has been called many things throughout his career, but his favorite thing to be called is correct. He founded Beacon Economics in 2006 and the firm quickly made a name for itself as the only major forecast on the West Coast to correctly predict the collapse of the sub-prime real estate bubble and the global recession that followed.

More correct calls followed, including predicting the rapid V shaped recovery from the pandemic and the subsequent surge in inflation. Under Dr. Thornberg’s leadership, Beacon Economics has become one of the most respected research organizations in California producing economic forecasts, impact analyses, policy studies, and regional economic analysis for private industry, public agencies, and nonprofits.

With a career rooted in academia, Dr. Thornberg holds a Ph.D. in Business Economics from the Anderson School at UCLA, where he later taught in the MBA program and served as a senior economist with the Anderson Forecast.

As a thought-leader and dynamic public speaker, Dr. Thornberg speaks in front of tens of thousands of people every year, urging audiences to ask the right economic questions before accepting pervasive social and political narratives.