Kimber Lanning, Local First Arizona’s founder and director, will be a special guest speaker at the Green Business Roundtable in Durango on Dec. 14. A leader in the local economies movement, she fostered adaptive re-use and used her record store and gallery to jump start the creation of the Roosevelt Cultural District in Phoenix.

Lanning, founder and director of Local First Arizona, is an entrepreneur and economic specialist who works to cultivate strong, vibrant communities and inspire a higher quality of life throughout Arizona. Lanning is actively involved in fostering cultural diversity, economic self-resilience and responsible growth for the Phoenix metropolitan area. In 2003, Lanning founded Local First Arizona, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to raising public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by local businesses.

The organization has since mushroomed to nearly 2,500 members. Lanning works extensively with city and state policymakers to create a supportive environment for entrepreneurs of all sizes. She works to inform, educate and motivate consumers to support local enterprise and encourages public policy that enables locally owned and operated businesses to thrive.

The roundtable is Wednesday, Dec. 14, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Henry Strater Theater, 699 Main Ave., in Durango.

To attend, register or RSVP, go to info@sanjuancitizens.org by 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7. Cost is $15 when you RSVP or pay in advance or $18 for walk-ins.

For more information, go to sanjuancitizens.org/gbr or contact the San Juan Citizens Alliance at info@sanjuancitizens.org.