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Does Ohio Need Gerrymandering Reform? Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

With early voting already underway, Ohio voters are being asked to decide if a new approach to redrawing the state's electoral districts is necessary. At stake is potentially nothing less than the future control of Ohio's statewide legislative bodies.

The nonprofit Citizens Not Politicians asserts that Ohio's current electoral districts are gerrymandered – or drawn unfairly to tilt the electoral playing field – and favors Republicans who currently control both the Ohio House and Senate, while Republican leaders have said no such unfairness exists and that the Democratic failure to secure more of Ohio's legislative seats is simply an accurate reflection of voter preference.

If the proposed ballot initiative passes, control over drawing Ohio's electoral districts will pass from politicians to a new 15-member nonpartisan board.

Will the state's voters agree that gerrymandering is an issue Ohio needs to solve with a fresh approach, or will the status quo win out? We unpack the future of Ohio's legislative districts and the stark choice the state's voters face this fall.

Featuring:

Kareem Crayton, Vice President, The Brennan Center for Justice

Keith Faber, Ohio Auditor of State

Maureen O'Connor, Former Chief Justice, The Supreme Court of Ohio

Bradley Smith, The Josiah H. Blackmore II / Shirley M. Nault Professor of Law, Capital University

The moderator is Jessie Balmert, State Government Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch | Gannett | USA Today Network.

This forum was sponsored by The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, and The Ohio Debate Commission. Our forum partner was The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC's livestream and marketing partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by Vue Columbus.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at Vue Columbus in the Brewery District on October 16, 2024.

Are LGBTQ+ Rights Losing Ground? Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

An erosion of LGBTQ+ rights seems to be the latest casualty of America's deepening polarization. This week's panel takes stock of the trajectory of LGBTQ+ rights and what the future may hold for LGBTQ+ Ohioans and their families.

Featuring:

The Honorable Nickie J. Antonio, Ohio State Senate Democratic Leader

Karen Hewitt, Founder and CEO, K Hewitt Consulting, and Co-Founder and COO, The Ohio REST Collective

Cam Ogden, Policy Manager, Equality Ohio

Ken Schneck, Editor, The Buckeye Flame

The moderator was Ronald Murray, Associate Director of Health Advocacy at Equitas Health, and Community Engagement Liaison, Stonewall Columbus.

This forum was sponsored by the Lynn Greer Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund Celebrating Inclusion & Equity for the LGBTQ Community, Huckleberry House, and Encova Insurance.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by Vue Columbus.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at Vue Columbus in the Brewery District on October 9, 2024

Outdated Funding, Lost Lives: Why Ohio's Babies and Birthing Parents Deserve Better Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Could fresh thinking about philanthropy help save the lives of mothers and babies in Central Ohio? This panel explores how participatory grantmaking, trust-based philanthropy, and low-barrier funding promise to improve the lives of Central Ohio's mothers and babies.

Featuring:

Isi Ikharebha Green, President, Physicians CareConnection

Kelley Griesmer, President and CEO, The Women's Fund of Central Ohio

Jill Miller, President and CEO, Bethesda Inc. and bi3

Danielle Tong, Executive Director, CelebrateOne

The moderator was Jennifer Bullock, Weekday Anchor, NBC4.

This forum was sponsored by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by Vue Columbus.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at Vue Columbus in Columbus, Ohio's Brewery District on October 2, 2024.

Housing, Health, and Hope: Opening The Gates To Opportunity In Central Ohio Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

What would Central Ohio's future look like with safe, affordable mixed-income neighborhoods as a part of everyday life? How much healthier, stronger, and more equitable would our region be?

For the most part, this is now just a dream for many central Ohioans. Our region is experiencing a severe housing shortage because we've built an average of only 8,000 housing units per year for more than a decade, while 20,000 units per year were needed to balance supply and demand. This caused the price of housing for both renters and buyers to increase by more than three times the increase in median income for both renters and homebuyers.

Today, we examine the links connecting housing, health, and opportunity and spotlight the will to act that could open the gates to healthier outcomes for all.

Featuring panelists:

Merisa Bowers, Council President & Member At-Large, Gahanna City Council

Michael B. Coleman, Former Mayor, City of Columbus, and Partner, Ice Miller

Dr. Craig Pollack, Katey Ayers Endowed Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (including opening remarks)

Kenneth L. Wright, Mayor & Council Member At-Large, City of Westerville

The moderator was Darci Congrove, Managing Director, GBQ.

This forum was sponsored by The Robert Weiler Company and the Thanks Be To God Foundation.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by The Ellis and by Families Flourish.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on September 25, 2024.

Open Every Door: Transforming Workforce Development in Central Ohio Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

Will an innovative new collaboration help Central Ohio attract and build the workforce it needs? The Central Ohio Workforce Development Network is a new large-scale collaborative between thirteen organizations that backers say will open a wide new pipeline funneling eager workers to employers. With a panel of employment advocates and regional leaders, we unpack this newest effort to keep Central Ohio's talent pool filled to the brim.

Featuring:

Toni Cunningham, President & CEO, Godman Guild

Lisa Divine, Manager, Learning and Development, Worthington Steel

Scott Johnson, Director, Central Ohio Workforce Development Network

The moderator is Bo Chilton, CEO, IMPACT Community Action.

This forum was sponsored by Accenture, Battelle, Otterbein University, Regionomics, and The United Way of Central Ohio.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by The Ellis and Aspyr.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on September 18, 2024.

What Would It Take To End Hunger in Central Ohio? Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

According to Hunger Ohio, our state has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the country, with over 400,000 children across the state living in food-insecure households. What would it take to end hunger once and for all in Central Ohio? This forum brings together passionate experts to spotlight hunger in our midst and discuss actionable steps we can take together.

Featuring:

Matt Habash, President & CEO, Mid-Ohio Food Collective

Dr. Mysheika W. Roberts, Health Commissioner, Columbus Public Health

Dr. Carol Bradford, Dean of The Ohio State University School of Medicine and Vice President of Health Sciences, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Adam Troy, Executive Director, Community of Caring Development Foundation

The moderator was Michelle Brown, President & CEO, Children's Hunger Alliance.

This forum was sponsored by The Jeffrey Family Legacy Fund, Kroger, Nationwide, and The Osteopathic Heritage Foundation.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by The Ellis.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on September 11, 2024.

Advocacy Without Animosity: Restoring Civility to Public Institutions Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

In today's polarized landscape, can we still have constructive bipartisan dialogue, especially with a contentious election season underway? Are good-faith discussions across divides even possible in America's white-hot political climate? Our panelists say not only are they possible, they're essential if our democracy is to survive and thrive. By fostering respect and understanding – and most importantly, by truly listening to one another - we can still bridge gaps, collaborate, and succeed. Join us with an incredible panel of public servants who believe bipartisan dialogue in a democratic society is both possible and indispensable.

Featuring: Lee Fisher, Former Ohio Attorney General, and Dean and Joseph C. Hostetler-BakerHostetler Chair in Law, Cleveland State University College of Law

Betty Montgomery, Former Ohio Attorney General, and Of Counsel, Mac Murray & Shuster

Nancy Rogers, Former Ohio Attorney General, and Former Dean of the Executive Committee for the Divided Community Project, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

The moderator is Laurel Beatty Blunt, Judge, 10th District Court of Appeals, State of Ohio.

This forum was sponsored by The Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer Legacy Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association and Porter Wright Morris and Arthur.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.

It was supported by The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus and by The Ellis.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on September 4, 2024.

The Invisible Problem Everywhere: Confronting the Gender Data Gap Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

Central Ohio's women face unique barriers compared to men in the creation and accumulation of their personal wealth. The cost of the disparity is enormous: the Federal Reserve estimated that closing gender and racial wealth gaps could have increased Ohio's GDP by $67 billion between 2005 and 2019. This week's forum digs into the challenges Central Ohio women face in the creation of personal wealth and the new data and policies needed to close the disparity.

Featuring:

Courtney Falato, Vice President and Program Officer, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Hannah Halbert, Executive Director, Policy Matters Ohio

Kimberly Minor, President and CEO, Women of Color Retail Alliance

Lillian Morales-Laster, Executive Director, Empowering Latinas Leadership Academy (ELLA)

The moderator was Kelley Griesmer, President and CEO, The Women's Fund of Central Ohio.

This forum was sponsored by The Ohio State University and The Ellis.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus, Ohio's historic Italian Village on August 28, 2024.

Real News, Fake News, and How Journalism Can Save Democracy Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

The free press and democracy draw strength from each other. When one fails, or is deliberately targeted for destruction, the other is likely to also be a casualty. This week's forum dives into the importance of a free press and the role journalism plays in keeping democracy vigorous.

Featuring:

Rita McNeil Danish, CEO of Signal Ohio

Dr. Kelly Garrett, Director, School of Communication at The Ohio State University

Michael Shearer, Executive Editor of The Columbus Dispatch

The moderator is Rodney Dunigan, Assistant News Director with ABC 6.

The forum partner was The Columbus Dispatch.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.

It was supported by The Ellis.

This forum was recorded at The Ellis in Columbus Ohio's historic Italian Village on August 21, 2024.

Is Central Ohio Ready for Retirement? Aug 07, 2024

Show notes

Get ready for retirement, because it's coming: while not everyone in Central Ohio is ready to clock out for the last time, the region will soon have more residents reaching the age of 65 than starting kindergarten. It's a situation with enormous implications for employers, school districts, healthcare providers, and taxpayers.

The 65+ age group of Franklin County residents is the fastest growing segment of the county's population, increasing over 50% between 2010 and 2022. During that time, the number of kindergartners – the 0-4 age group – grew by just 2.4%. According to a Columbus Dispatch article published earlier this year, the median age nationally is now 39 years old, rising steadily from 37.2 in 2010 and 35.2 in 2000. Ohio's average age is even higher at 39.6 years.

What policy and infrastructure changes are needed now to meet the housing, transit, homecare and healthcare needs of what's rapidly becoming most of us? It's a situation with HUGE implications for employers, school districts, healthcare providers, and taxpayers.

Featuring:

Dr. Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, Director of Research for The Age-Friendly Innovation Center, The Ohio State University College of Social Work

Katie White, Director, The Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging

Kalitha Williams, Outreach and Advocacy Manager, AARP Ohio

Chanda Wingo, Director, Franklin County Office on Aging

The moderator is Tasha Booker, Caregiver and Senior Vice President for External Engagement, City Year.

This forum was sponsored by AARP Ohio, The Franklin County Board of Commissioners, and The Isabelle Ridgeway Foundation. The forum partner was King Business Interiors.

The livestream presenting sponsor was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. The livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch. It was supported by The Ellis.

This forum was recorded at The Ellis in Columbus Ohio's historic Italian Village on August 7, 2024.

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