Moving Forward

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Victoria (Tori) Nefflen, who discusses her work with End Medical Debt Maryland, her experiences as a young adult cancer survivor, being a champion for blood and marrow donation, a volunteer ambassador for Be the Match, and a patient advocate on the Johns Hopkins Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Dr. Mona Becker who discusses her candidacy for Mayor of Westminster, MD, her plans for making Westminster a sustainable community, her activism in promoting a sustainable, inclusive climate for scientific and technological advancement, and the realities of climate change and how to talk with climate skeptics.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Corynne Courpas about her experience as a 2020 MD Electoral College Voter during a period of pollical strife and COVID-19, her decades-long involvement in public service, and her insights on the role politics plays in our lives, the importance of local elections, and turning a passion for a cause into political activism.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Scott McKenzie and Jeremy Uhrich, creators of Cookies for Caregivers, a group that shows gratitude to those folks who have continued to go to work and serve their community during the COVID pandemic by serving them freshly baked cookies as a modest sign of appreciation and respect. The group originated in Huntingdon, PA and has now gone nation-wide.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Mia Mason who is running for Congress in Maryland Congressional District One. Mason discusses her plans and policies on key issues such as health care, jobs and the economy, the environment and climate change, education, veterans’ issues, and COVID-19. Lean more about Mia Mason at https://miadmason.us/.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Jennifer Bergantz, Founder of Maryland InKind Network. Started in 2017, the Maryland InKind Network is a grassroots group of adults and children helping families seeking asylum and local families in need, mainly through the donation of goods. They collect and distribute food, clothing/shoes, winter gear, diapers, school supplies, first aid supplies, and cleaning materials directly to families. The key mission for the group is the reallocation of extra or unwanted materials to where they are most needed. 

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Laura Morton who is running for Judge of the Circuit Court Carroll County MD. In the podcast, Morton talks about the function of the Circuit Court, the role of the Judge of the Circuit Court, the need for a Judge to have trial experience and knowledge of her community and of community resources that can help break the cycle of recidivism and repeated incarceration and keep our communities safe. She also discusses how her experience as a trial attorney for over 23 years makes her the most qualified candidate for Judge of the Circuit Court Carroll County. Learn more about Laura Morton at https://www.lauramortonforjudge.com/

The UN Refugee Agency states that nearly one person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution worldwide. Yet, the Trump administration* has significantly decreased the number of refugees and asylum seekers the U.S. will accept and has now cut back on all immigration. Amidst its anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, we do well to remember the contributions that immigrants have always made to the United States. Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Liuda Galinaitis, who shares the courageous story of her father’s family who were forced to flee their home in Lithuania during WWII. She also shares her research on the current immigration crisis, the contributions immigrants make to our nation, and the importance of keeping up the fight today for immigrants, refugees, and asylees who help keep us strong.

Private Indiana Hunt-Martin was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion - a group of unsung heroes of WWII. The unit’s nickname was the “Six-Triple Eight” and they were the first and only all Black Female Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to be deployed overseas. Their task was to clear a mountainous backlog of mail in England and France that had not reached servicemen in the European Theater of WWII. Their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”  Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Ms. Indiana Hunt-Martin who talks about her enlistment in the WAC, being assigned to the Six Triple Eight, and being deployed overseas. She also talks about the challenges of their task of addressing the mountainous backlog of mail, the challenge of racism and segregation, and her life and work once she returned to the U.S., and the honors and recognition that are now being bestowed on the women of the Six Triple Eight.

One group of unsung heroes of WWII were the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The 6888th was the first and only all Black Female Women Army Corps (WAC) unit to be deployed overseas during under the Command of Major Charity Adams. Their nickname was the “Six-Triple Eight" and their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale.”  Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Colonel Edna W. Cummings and Master Sergeant Elizabeth Helm Frazier who discuss the efforts being made to secure the recognition these women so rightfully deserve including the Six Triple Eight Monument, the "Six Triple Eight: No Mail, Low Morale Documentary" and the Six Triple Eight Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019.

June is PRIDE month. Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Joy Fisher and Judy Gaver of the Westminster, Carroll County, MD chapter of PFLAG. PFLAG is the largest national organization of the extended family of LGBTQ+ community made up of LGBTQ+ individuals, family members and allies working together to move equality forward. “PFLAG works to make sure that all people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer are not only valued by society, but take pride in and value themselves Joy and Judy talk about: the mission of PFLAG and of their chapter, the support services they provide to our LGBTQ+ community, their education outreach to all sectors of our county, and their advocacy efforts on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community in Carroll County, and the role of allies to the LGBTQ+ community. The Westminster-Carroll County PFLAG family is made up of all ages, sexual orientations, and gender identities.  “We don’t just celebrate diversity in our chapter…we are diversity!”

April is Donate Life Month. Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Jim Ford, Executive Director of Donate Life Maryland, about the life-saving and life-enhancing mission of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. Register to #DonateLife today! Donate Life Maryland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and enhancing lives by registering organ, eye and tissue donors. Donate Life Maryland maintains and manages the official Maryland Donor Registry and provides education and awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation as well as how to register as a donor. Prior to joining Donate Life Maryland, Jim served as Director of Communications for The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland where he led community outreach, hospital relations and marketing and PR. In 2007, Jim was instrumental, along with members of The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland and the Washington Regional Transplant Community in the establishment of Donate Life Maryland and the creation of the Maryland Donor Registry.  

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Joyce Tuten, M.S., B.S., Joyce is a high school science teacher who is an expert at teaching science to non-science people. She is a member of the Middletown, Maryland Sustainability Committee, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Steward Educator and a trained Climate Reality Project Leader. Tuten is passionate about and committed to teaching about climate change and has developed a 60-minute presentation that she offers to groups and organizations. As she describes on her website, this presentation “connects the dots between science, our climate, people and planet – and the solutions”. Joyce recognizes that we all have a moral obligation to act to address the crisis of climate change and her goal is have those who hear her talk “walk away as new ambassadors for understanding and agents for change that will last generations”.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Dr. Angela Putman, a critical intercultural scholar and Assistant Professor at Penn State University Brandywine.  Dr. Putman’s Bachelor's and Master's degrees are in Organizational Communication and her Ph.D. is in Intercultural Communication. Her dissertation focused on educating people about systemic racism, intersectionality, and white privilege. She is passionate about communication, social justice issues, education, and speaking out against injustices.  In this podcast, Dr. Putman explains systemic racism and white privilege and presents practical ways for every white person to take action against them.

Kate Sanner, the host of Moving Forward, presents interviews with community leaders, community activists, candidates and elected officials on a number of civic, political and social justice topics. Today's guest - Bridget McCullough, Maryland Campaign Lead for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America - talks about taking action to prevent gun violence.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Emily Shank, who is running for Maryland House of Delegates, District 5. In such a tense and important time for our state and country, we need real representation in Annapolis. Emily Shank believes the folks of Carroll County want a delegate who will bring a fresh perspective to the issues, shake things up, be responsive, and accountable, and maybe even have the audacity to be bipartisan. Emily will be that Delegate.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Ysela Bravo, candidate for MD House of Delegates, District 4. Bravo is running for office because she feels she owes a great debt to her community and wants to fix what’s broken. She strongly believes we need to set aside partisanship and focus on issues and solutions. Ysela Bravo has learned the true meaning of what being a neighbor is from her community and wants to bring that spirit to Annapolis.

The following is a presentation about the Prescription Drug Affordability Resolution by Stephanie Klapper, MSW, Deputy Director of the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative in Baltimore, Maryland.   The Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative established the Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition in 1999. The Coalition is working to make prescription drugs more affordable for Marylanders. Ms. Klapper gave the presentation at the September 10th, 2018 meeting of the Carroll County Democratic Club at Johanssons Dining House in Westminster, Maryland.   After the presentation, Moving Forward host Kate Sanner gives some resources to learn more about the Resolution and the Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition, including an opportunity tell them your story about dealing with high prescription drug prices.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Natalie Ziegler, who is running for Maryland House of Delegates, District 9A. As a farmer and small business owner, Natalie is a practical person committed to common sense solutions and getting things done. She has deep roots in her community and will work hard to expand economic opportunity for everyone and make her district an even better place to live.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Steven Bolen who is running for Maryland House of Delegates, District 9A. As a 27-year veteran of patriotic, dedicated Federal Service, Steve has taken an oath to protect and defend our democracy, our freedoms, and our way of life. Now he wants to serve our community, to fight for Maryland, and to fight for the hard-working people of Howard and Carroll Counties.

Kate Sanner, host of Moving Forward, interviews Eva Lewis, Political Director for the Maryland Democratic Party and for the Maryland Coordinated Campaign on the importance of Midterm Elections to the everyday lives of Maryland voters and the importance of these 2018 Midterm Elections in particular.

Active, engaged citizens, fighting for progressive values, help make our democracy stronger. In the Moving Forward podcast, you’ll hear about the contributions these engaged citizens make to address the challenges that face us.   Kate Sanner, the host of Moving Forward, will be presenting interviews with candidates, community leaders, community activists, and elected officials on a number of civic, political and social justice topics.