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Who we are
 Between 1985 and 2004, the Sedona Academy of Public Affairs produced 19 forums -- 16 of them Sedona Forums, more or less limited to issues of the Greater Sedona area. But the 1999, 2002 and 2004 forums were expanded to study issues of the entire Verde Valley region, in cooperation with people of all its communities. Membership of the Academy and its Board of Directors had grown to include residents of all Verde Valley communities and unincorporated areas.
We’re all Verdeans
Recognizing that a new spirit of cooperation had arisen between Verde Valley peoples in all kinds of activities, the Academy Board determined that it was time to change the organizational makeup and its goals to meet regional needs. It was agreed that “We’re no longer just residents of Sedona, or Camp Verde , or Clarkdale, or Cottonwood , or Jerome, etc. Now we’re all Verdeans!”
So on Feb. 27, 2004, at the opening of the third region-wide forum, it was announced that the Sedona Academy of Public Affairs was no more, having been reorganized and transformed into the Verde Valley Forum for Public Affairs.
The activities of this not-for-profit organization are to conduct regional forums such as the 1999, 2002 and 2004 Verde Valley forums, and to undertake such other activities as may be deemed feasible for pursuit of its mission.
Our mission statement
The mission of the Verde Valley Forum for Public Affairs is to build informed consensus for action on issues of critical importance to the Verde Valley and its communities.
Our vision for the future
The Verde Valley is a well-integrated region whose residents share a sense of community and place and enjoy a sustainable quality environment. The Valley’s desirable aesthetic, cultural, social, and economic conditions are maintained by informed citizens, community and business organizations, local governments, and educational institutions. |
Things happen after our forums
Every one of the previous 19 forums has produced positive results. Although the Sedona Academy brought more than 2000 people and ideas together to study important issues, the organization was not designed to undertake implementation actions to meet the needs which the participants had identified.
But groups of participants, energized and inspired by their forum discussions, could and did. They went on to found such organizations as Friends of the Forest, the Task Force on Aging, the Sedona Teen Center , the Action Coalition for Transportation Solutions, and the Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute. Even the successful incorporation of the City of Sedona followed the first Sedona Forum, where other efforts had failed.
HOW IT WORKS • WHO WE ARE • PAST FORUMS • MEMBERSHIP • LINKS
Preserving the essence of our American communities—
cooperation and volunteerism
The Verde Valley Forum for Public Affairs
Email Verde Valley Forum
P.O. Box 2696
Sedona AZ 86339-2696
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