John McBride and his daughter Kate McBride Puckett founded The Sopris Foundation in 1993. The State of the World conferences were held for four years and featured speakers of renown such as Lester Brown, Bill McKibben, David Orr, Ambassador Joe Wilson, Jim Hightower, Amy Goodman and Oystein Dahle. The Sopris Foundation hosted film competitions for students, and have focused on issues that concern population, natural resources and political balance.

Innovative Ideas for a New West marks a shift in focus; we strongly maintain the goal of educating and informing.

The work of The Sopris Foundation remains focused on preserving ranch land, in keeping community intact in the face of changing land-use patterns, and working with Western leaders to develop a region-wide blueprint for livability.

John McBride always loved the West and moved permanently to Colorado in 1962. He was involved in the initial development of both Vail and Snowmass. Later, as an entrepreneur, he created the Aspen Business Center and the North Forty employee housing project. He cares deeply about preserving community and open space, and commits his time to agencies that promote this vision. He lives on a working cattle ranch and is a longtime pilot. Such activities give him an unusual perspective to ponder the future of the West. As a developer, he knows how easy it is to screw it up; as a rancher how hard it is to protect; and as a pilot how easy it is to see the difference.

Piper Foster, Executive Director of the Sopris Foundation, received her BA in Politics at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. She served as a legislative aide for Congressman George Nethercutt, Jr. in his Washington DC office, and lived in Barcelona studying music and Arabic. She worked in the Development office at Rocky Mountain Institute prior to joining the Sopris Foundation in May 2005. She works part time as the Executive Director of Tomorrow's Voices (www.tomorrowsvoices.org), and volunteers at the Buddy Program; Ruby, her Little Buddy is 12. After several years of long study, she is a Financial Planning Certification degree-candidate. Most weekends, she rides her telemark skis.

Kate McBride Puckett, President of the Sopris Foundation, runs The Other Side (www.theotherside.us) Ranch and Equine Center in Old Snowmass, Colorado.

The Sopris Foundation was started by John and his daughter Kate Puckett, is managed by Piper Foster, and is dedicated to introducing new ideas for a better West.