In its tenth season, The College of the Florida Keys’ VIP Series presents new opportunities to educate, entertain, and enrich our community. The 2024 CFK VIP Series features speakers and performers of local, regional, and national prominence to share their visions, ideas, and perspectives on an array of topics. Four evening events will be held in the College’s Tennessee Williams Theatre. Tickets are $5 at the door; admission is free for CFK and Monroe County School District students.

Thanks to our sponsor First Horizon. 

 

January 18 - 7pm- Memoirs of the Holocaust

Lucy Barker and her daughter, Diana Tapper, will discuss their recent family trip to Poland and Germany, where they traced the journey of Lucy’s father, Jack Kowal’s survival of eight concentration camps.

February 22 - 7pm- The effects of Global Warming on Wildlife

Dr. Douglas Mader will discuss the impact that increasing temperatures have had on wildlife, especially sea turtles. Eighty percent of approximately 1,500 species of wildlife studied have shown stress effects from global warming.

March 14 - 7pm- Florida & the Cuban Missile Crisis

Michael Tougias will discuss the 13 harrowing days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and outline the steps President Kennedy made to reach a decision on a course of action. His talk will highlight the heroes of the crisis: the U-2 pilots that flew to Cuba to secure proof of nuclear missiles.

April 18 - 7pm- State of the National Marine Sanctuary

Sarah Fangman, Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, will discuss managing the sanctuary under stress and how marine researchers and the community have responded in novel ways to try to protect threatened resources.