About Us
History
America’s only expressly progressive lecture series, The Progressive Forum premiered in 2005 in Houston, Texas, and has grown into one of the largest of any type with both in-person and online audiences.
Our history includes national book launches for Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Sonia Sotomayor’s My Beloved World, and James Hansen’s Storms of My Grandchildren. The Forum provided the film premiere for Robert Redford, who introduced his documentary Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars. Past speakers have included Ken Burns, Jane Goodall, Brian Greene, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Pollan, Robert Reich, Gloria Steinem, John Paul Stevens, Edward O. Wilson, and many others. More on our past speaker pages.
Mission
The Progressive Forum is dedicated to enriching our democracy and culture by presenting the great minds it believes are advancing the success of the individual, our species, and life itself—great minds from all the fields of human endeavor, the sciences and humanities, as well as business, politics, the environment, and more. Our progressive viewpoint is rooted in mainstream constitutional and egalitarian values that need continual affirmation.
Staff
Randall R. Morton, founding executive director and board director
Randall Morton founded The Progressive Forum in 2005. He also co-founded The Oilfield Breakfast Forum, the largest speaker series in the petroleum industry. He operated Randall Morton International, an agency providing market communication, advertising, and public relations to leading oil service companies in the US, Japan, Mexico, and Europe. He earned a degree in government from Georgetown University, and at the same time, served the Democratic National Committee as an intern issue writer. At Georgetown, he was ranked third nationally as a pass receiver on a football team that ranked sixth in the nation among non-scholarship leagues. He was also a starter on Georgetown’s rugby team. He returned to his native Tulsa, where he earned a second degree from Tulsa University in communications, where, a year later, he served as an adjunct professor teaching advertising design and copy. He is a member of a working group at Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies, supporting the nonprofit company BCarbon, a registry enabling the storage of carbon with nature-based solutions. He is an enrolled member of the Osage Indian tribe of Oklahoma, the proud father of two grown children, and a pretty good cook.
Karen Mata, operations manager
Karen is an experienced event, stage, and operations manager with over 20 years in live performance, event production, and arts administration. Karen has held leadership roles at Houston Grand Opera, Alley Theatre, Miller Outdoor Theatre and Stages Theatre, managing everything from large-scale events to backstage production. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she holds a BA in technical theater from the University of Houston. Lover of all things beach, and a pug mom to Maya, she proudly supports her daughter in the rigorous architecture program at the University of Houston.
Laura Mills, communications coordinator
A native Houstonian, Laura has always been drawn to organizations that provide space for community gathering and the exchange of ideas. She has held marketing, communications, and customer-facing roles at Houston institutions such as Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Brazos Bookstore, and Houston Botanic Garden. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English and creative writing from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA. In her spare time, you can probably find her with her nose in a book or spending time in nature.
Board of Directors
Mike Blocher
Mike has been a lifetime participant and advocate for the performing arts and public discourse. It all started when he was a "Teapot" in kindergarten and went on from there. After graduation from Rice University, Mike served in the US Navy for six years, two in Vietnam. He then returned to Houston and worked in the development office at Rice University for four years and then for the Xerox Corporation for twenty years. After retirement, he continues to enjoy the Houston arts scene and community education at Rice. Mike finally engaged with The Progressive Forum and has participated for many years. He is a life-long Democrat and served as a precinct chair for ten years.
Stefania Tomaskovic, PhD
Stefania Tomaskovic, Ph.D., believes that a strong, resilient Texas is possible: one where every person can access safe, affordable housing, where every neighborhood has healthy air, water, and soil, and where our economy is strengthened by meaningful work opportunities that support healthy livelihoods without doing harm to each other or the environment. Stefania serves as executive director for the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER). Stefania joined the Progressive Forum's board because of her commitment to the Forum's meaningful programming which enriches democracy, progress and public discourse. When there's downtime, you might catch Stefania at a local coffee shop or heading out to the Sam Houston National Forest for a hike in the Piney Woods.
David Sterling, of counsel
David Sterling is a partner at Baker Botts law firm and former chair of the firmwide litigation department. Before that, he headed the firm’s securities and shareholders group. The National Law Journal named him to its list called “litigation trailblazers.” He is a graduate of Williams College and the University of Texas School of Law.
Advisory Board
Ann Hamilton
Ann Hamilton has been involved in environmental issues for decades. She served as the first executive director of the Houston Parks Board for four years, and as senior grant officer at Houston Endowment Inc. for eighteen years. Her primary interests include land and water conservation, native prairie restoration, climate change and progressive issues. Ann serves on the board of directors of Bayou City Initiative, emeritus director of the International Crane Foundation, and on advisory boards to the Coastal Prairie Conservancy and Houston Audubon Society.