The Seward County Community College/Area Technical School Agricultural

Department is hosting a rural issues conference on Sustaining our Rural

Communities, Feb. 18-19 in the Student Activities Center, 1801 N. Kansas,

Liberal, Kansas.

Keynote speaker will be Dr. Lowell Catlett, a regent¹s professor/dean and

chief administrative officer at New Mexico State University's College of

Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. As a futurist, his

knowledge of technologies and their implications on the way we live and work

is addressed in his varied and upbeat presentations.

Mike Irwin, director of the Kansas Farm Bureau Legal Foundation, is the

Friday luncheon speaker. A native of Goodland, he has an extensive

background in commercial and civil litigation and public administration.

The conference, which begins with registration at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 18, will

cover estate planning, retirement investment, being a successful landlord,

career opportunities, alternative energy sources, commodity trends and

outlook and rural transportation.

Platinum sponsors are Pioneer Seed‹Bill Hatcher and Rock Ormiston; KSCB

radio; First National Bank of Liberal and Hugoton; and Seaboard Foods. Gold

sponsors are Great Western Dining and Farm Credit of Southwest Kansas. Meal

and conference sponsors are Bank of Beaver City, Seward County Farm Bureau

Association and The Community Bank.

Full registration is $30, which includes Thursday evening dinner and Friday

lunch. Registration for the Thursday evening dinner and keynote speaker is

$20. Student registration is $15. Registration without meals is available at

the door for $15.

To register for the conference, contact Evan Winchester, 620-417-1353