Upside of a down economy: buying locally

Kimber Lanning, executive director of Local First Arizona, will present a talk titled “The Upside of a Down Economy: Buying Locally” at 4 p.m., Nov. 1, at ASU. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be given in the Memorial Union, Turquoise Ballroom 220, on ASU’s Tempe campus.

This is the third and final lecture in the 2010 Seeking Justice in Arizona fall lecture series, sponsored by Justice and Social Inquiry in ASU's School of Social Transformation, an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

An entrepreneur, arts advocate and community activist, Lanning founded Local First Arizona in 2003. The grassroots, non-profit organization is dedicated to raising public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by locally owned businesses. She became its executive director in 2005, when Local First secured nonprofit status. The organization has since mushroomed to more than 1,500 members, and Lanning works extensively with local and state policymakers to create a supportive environment for entrepreneurial businesses of all sizes.

The Seeking Justice in Arizona lecture series addresses topics of national and international interest but with a local focus. The lecture is followed by a reception for audience members to visit with the speaker.

“Our lecturers this fall are all addressing front-burner issues for Arizonans and the nation, and have drawn strong community turnout,” said Marjorie Zatz, director of Justice and Social Inquiry. “We are appreciative of the underwriting by Patricia and Frank AtLee that has helped make this lecture series so successful.”

Online parking maps for ASU’s Tempe campus are available at asu.edu/map. Additional information at 480-965-7682.