Podcasts about Commonwealth Institute

What does it take to become a dedicated funeral director? Cody Lopasky, president of Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services, delves into the education, hands-on labs, and apprenticeship that shape a skilled death care professional. With changing industry needs, students now require both academic rigor and a compassionate calling. Despite challenges, this profession is deeply rewarding. Key Takeaways 1. The profession of funeral directing is versatile. Individuals can choose to become funeral directors, embalmers, or educators within the field. This highlights a career path that caters to different skill sets and interests, beyond just working in a funeral home. 2. The curriculum at Commonwealth Institute has evolved to include more hands-on labs like funeral directing, embalming, and restorative arts, reflecting changes in accreditation requirements. These changes provide students with practical experiences that mirror real-world scenarios. 3. There are multiple types of funeral and memorial services, such as liturgical, non-liturgical, and military. Additionally, disposition methods have diversified beyond traditional burial and cremation to include newer techniques like alkaline hydrolysis, subject to state approval. 4. Becoming a funeral director is often viewed as a calling, with individuals drawn from diverse backgrounds and motivations. Commonwealth Institute offers both on-campus and online courses, providing flexible educational pathways for those interested in entering the field. 5. The profession involves emotional and technical challenges, such as working with deceased bodies and supporting grieving families. The rigor of mortuary science education prepares professionals to handle these complexities, emphasizing the importance of their role in aiding families during difficult times. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Exploring Careers in Funeral Services 05:50 Funeral Home Training Program 09:22 Texas Disposition Options Explained 13:30 Evolving Hands-On Learning in Education 14:22 Innovative Funeral Industry Training 19:58 Calling to Care for the Dead 23:44 Exploring Careers in Funeral Services 27:08 Funeral Director Licensure Requirements 28:27 Reluctance in Funeral Home Careers 33:13 "Paid Licensing Path for Funeral Work" 37:40 Preset Curriculum at Commonwealth 39:28 On-Site Certification for Off-Site Students 43:53 Embalming: One Chance, Lasting Impact Plan your visit to the museum today at nmfh.org and take a journey through over 30,000 square feet of fascinating history. Subscribe to The Final Curtain Never Closes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, conference director Matthew Biberman speaks with Sam Vaknin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Management Studies at the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Cambridge and Birmingham, UK; Ontario, Canada; and Lagos, Nigeria. A former Visiting Professor of Psychology at Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Vaknin is a prolific writer on narcissism and psychopathy, often consulted by the media for his insights.This LCLC podcast episode is geared toward graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and anyone interested in the conversation about anti-semetism in the modern era.

Book talk with Ashis Ray The Indian National Army (INA) trials of 1945–46 have generally been given short shrift by historians in their cataloguing of the Indian freedom movement. This book examines to what extent the trials had an impact on the final phase of India's quest for independence. In so doing, it unveils that, while the Indian National Congress's extended odyssey to win independence was essentially about a passive push-back, at a critical juncture of its campaign to extinguish British colonialism in India, it applauded and capitalised on the INA's use of force. The central, explosive narrative is about Britain holding a court martial of three officers of the INA – Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Dhillon – convicting them, before a dramatic turn in events. The material unearthed by the book throws new light on a decisive juncture leading to the transfer of power in India. It will be indispensable for researchers interested in South Asia, especially the Indian freedom movement. It will be invaluable for students of history, colonialism, military studies, politics in pre-Partition India and law. Ashis Ray has been a foreign correspondent since 1977, broadcasting on BBC, CNN and ITN and writing for Ananda Bazar Group, The Times of India, The Tribune, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The Times, Financial Times and Nikkei Asia, among other publications. He was CNN's founding South Asia bureau chief before becoming the network's editor-at-large. He has been elected president of Indian Journalists' Association (Europe) for several terms. In 1982, the Commonwealth Institute selected him among 10 ‘eminent Indians' in Britain. In 1995, he was conferred a National Press Award in India. He was made an academic visitor by St Antony's College, Oxford for 2021–22. He intends to continue in academia. The Trial that Shook Britain is his fourth book.

In this episode, conference director Matthew Biberman speaks with Sam Vaknin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Management Studies at the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) in Cambridge and Birmingham, UK; Ontario, Canada; and Lagos, Nigeria. A former Visiting Professor of Psychology at Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Vaknin is a prolific writer on narcissism and psychopathy, often consulted by the media for his insights.This LCLC podcast episode is geared toward graduate students, advanced undergraduates, and anyone interested in psychology, narcissism, and contemporary mental health discussions.

Researchers and advocates discussed zoning ordinances and education equity in the Richmond area at an event at the University of Richmond Oct. 3. The event, titled “Reading Between the Lines: Zoning, Housing, and Education in the Richmond Region,” was hosted by UR in collaboration with Partnership for Housing Affordability, HousingForward Virginia, The Commonwealth Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education, VCU Research Institute for Social Equity, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, and the RVA Eviction Lab. Researchers from HousingForward Virginia spent the first half of the evening introducing the Virginia Zoning Atlas, a statewide map showing data about the...Article LinkSupport the show

Juliette is joined by Pam Reeve, Chair of the Board, American Tower. Pamela has built her career around the advancement of women and support for technology innovation. In roles starting and running businesses, serving at the helm of public company boards of directors, and leading non-profit organizations and boards, Reeve has left her mark on the region's business landscape while mentoring and in other ways supporting its people.A champion for women's leadership, Reeve serves as the Chair of The Commonwealth Institute, working with women CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to help them grow their businesses and their careers. In this position, her active involvement in Board-Ready Bootcamps, and through her work with the Boston Women's Leadership Network Last Mile Initiative and Women Corporate Directors, she has demonstrated a commitment to increasing the number of qualified women serving on boards of directors.Pamela shares her story of creating her own path. Pamela talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and how she found the confidence to forge her own way. This episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories, so be sure to tune in!Highlights:03:54 - When I look back on the journey, I think it's more about how I wanted to be, what I valued, relationships that meant a lot to me and a lot of connecting dots that otherwise might seem not connected.07:25 - I think that you have to look around on what might be available to help you out and maybe do move if you can.13:18 - I think we all carry in us our history, our upbringing and our history, and then we hope to enrich that or go away from it.18:40 - Have more faith in yourself, use your voice and use your intention. Don't deny yourself and don't prevent yourself from at least trying on something that you're interested in.Connect with JulietteLinkedInWebsite Juliette's BooksInspiration Zone Newsletter Sign-UpConnect with PamelaWebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Associated Industries of Massachusetts(AIM). AIM is the largest business association in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To learn more about AIM, visit www.aimnet.org.

In 2020, Virginia started on a path to incrementally increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026. But this year the governor vetoed the annual increase. In this episode, we talk with Levi Goren, Director of Research & Education Policy at the Commonwealth Institute, about what the minimum wage is, how it is related to inflation, and who is impacted by its stagnation.     Read Levi's article: https://thecommonwealthinstitute.org/research/12-is-not-enough-virginia-policymakers-must-act-on-the-minimum-wage/

DESIGN OF THE PRESENT INTO THE FUTURE. Tim Marlow OBE is the Chief Executive and Director of The Design Museum which since 2016 is housed in the former premises of the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, London. Marlow is a curator, writer and broadcaster who has worked with some of the most influential contemporary artists to deliver wide-ranging and popular programmes. He sits on the Board of Trustees for the Imperial War Museum, Sadler's Wells, Art on the Underground Advisory Board and Cultureshock Media.  

LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 1, 2024) – “Every single one of them said, ‘My God, I had no idea something like this happened.' I think they are learning something about their communities that they didn't know before,” says Anastasia Curwood, director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies, referring to the reaction of students to their work with the groundbreaking Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Kentucky Project, a pilot program stemming from the pioneering CRRJ Project at Northeastern University School of Law. Prompted by the national project and working with the University of Kentucky's Rosenberg School of Law, they recognized the urgent need to address unsolved murders in Kentucky tied to racism or racial hostility. The multidimensional approach encompasses legal seminars, historical research, and a restorative justice element, intertwining legal expertise and historical context to unravel mysteries dating back through the past 100 years. This unique project bridges the gap between academic disciplines, offering students the opportunity to delve into cold cases that state agencies, hindered by resource constraints, often overlook or are unable to continue work on. The significance of this initiative lies not only in its historical inquiry but also in its potential to redefine how Kentuckians perceive their past. By investigating historical wrongs, the project seeks to create a more honest narrative of the Commonwealth, acknowledging the lasting impact on families and communities. On this episode of ‘Behind the Blue,' Curwood is joined by Austin Zinkle, a post-doctoral scholar and co-leader of the CRRJ-Kentucky legal clinic. They discuss the intricate connections between the past and present, and their efforts to shed light on real traumas and historical injustices that continue to shape Kentucky today.  "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page. To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

Virginia Senator Lashrecse Aird (D-13th District) will host her first virtual town hall meeting Thursday, Jan. 18, at 6:30 p.m. During the meeting, Aird will give an update on the legislative agenda, and also provide an overview of what to expect during the current session. The event will also feature a budget briefing from Rodrigo Soto of The Commonwealth Institute, and a Q&A session. The virtual town hall meeting is open to all, and registration is available online by clicking here. A separate Henrico town hall meeting will be held in person Jan. 27, and Aird will release more details...Article LinkSupport the show

Dr. Fernandez's research focuses on a wide range of risky behavior and mental health topics with a special focus on suicide and substance abuse, including opioid-related healthcare utilization. Dr. Fernandez has over 20 articles appearing in well-respected journals such as the the International Economic Review, The Journal of Economic Education, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of Economic Perspectives, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, and Health Service Research Journal. He has appeared in over 100 local, regional, and national media interviews including NPR's Planet Money and the Indicator. Dr. Fernandez is a faculty scholar at the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky, a member of the Statutory Committee Consensus Forecasting Group for the State of Kentucky, the former President of the American Society of Hispanic Economists, Member of the Committee on Status of Minority Groups in the Economics Profession, and the chair of the Economics Department at the University of Louisville.

Check out Michael's presentation on the Byrd Machine in Virginia on C-SPAN 2 this Friday, September 1st at 8:45 PM ESTLaura Goren and Rodrigo Soto of the Commonwealth Institute join Michael to discuss the latest details on Virginia's budget crisis--while meetings have been happening in secret, we're getting a few details about the compromise. Those include: potentially no permanent tax cuts, potential additional funding for education, potentially removing the age limit on military retirement, potential one-time rebates for Virginians, and a potential return of the sales tax holiday. Again, all of this is what we expect to be in the version of the deal that goes to the Governor's desk, but only time will tell.Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

 LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 10, 2023) – The University of Kentucky Alumni Association started the Great Teacher Award program in 1961 to honor excellent teaching at the university. There have been more than 300 teachers honored since that first year. Nominations may only be submitted by current students. To receive the award, a candidate must: Hold the rank of full-time lecturer or above and have been a member of the faculty for the past three years at UK. Have superior knowledge of the subject matter. Have original and innovative classroom presentations. Demonstrate concern for students, both inside and outside the classroom setting. Not have been a recipient of the award for the past 10 years. A committee of the UK Alumni Association Board of Directors and a representative from the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa select the recipients based on objective rating and ranking of the eligible nominations submitted. This episode of Behind the Blue spotlights one of the six 2023 Great Teacher Award winners. Candice Hargons is an associate professor in the Counseling Psychology program where she studies sexual wellness and healing racial trauma – all with a love ethic. She is the interim department chair in the Department of Educational, School and Counseling Psychology in the UK College of Education. Hargons is a core faculty member of the Center for Health Equity and Transformation and a faculty affiliate of African American and Africana Studies and the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies. She serves on the American Psychological Association Board of Directors, is a Fellow in APA Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) and an APA Minority Fellow alumna. Hargons has degrees from Spelman College, Georgia State University, Howard University and she earned her Ph.D. at the University of Georgia. She is the PI (person in charge) of the Neighborhood Healers Project and she leads the Big Sex Study, a community-based research project investigating Black sexual wellness. "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page. To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

Ask anyone who works in the death care industry and they'll tell you some version of the same thing. "I was called to do this work." That's how Cody Lopasky ended up in the business.  Today, he serves as the President and School Director of The Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services. During this conversation, we talk about: 1.) His journey to becoming a funeral director 2.) Why working in the funeral business is a calling 3.) How the death care industry has changed in recent years Learn more about The Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Services by visiting their website. About Cody Lepasky: Cody Lopasky has an M.A. in Psychology and History from the University of Houston-Victoria, a B.A. in Psychology from Texas State University-San Marcos, and he is an A.A.S. graduate with honors and distinction from Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service. As a student at Commonwealth, Lopasky was a member of the National Funeral Service Honor Society. He is a Texas-licensed funeral director and embalmer, a certified crematory operator, and chairs the Curriculum Study Committee and the College and University Council for the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Notes Whether coming for school, work, or to escape bad situations at home, immigrants are a vital part of Virginia's culture and economy. So today we're digging into the opportunities and the obstacles facing immigrants and refugees in the state. First, we talk with Freddy Mejia, Deputy Director of Policy at the Commonwealth Institute. His work covers state-level policies that affect marginalized groups in Virginia. He walks us through who's immigrating to Virginia, and how they fit into the larger tapestry of the state. Then, we talk with Harriet Kuhr, Executive Director of the International Rescue Committee in Virginia, about what refugee resettlement looks like on the ground. Learn more about how immigration status can affect access to health coverage in Virginia Find out how you can volunteer with the International Rescue Committee, or learn more about their Charlottesville or Richmond offices. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

This week, Jen's guest on Booked Up is Anastasia Curwood. They discuss her insightful new biography Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics. As you likely know, in 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to Congress and in 1972, the first Black major party presidential candidate.  Anastasia Curwood is a beloved and brilliant professor at University of Kentucky and Interim Chair of the History Department. She also serves as director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies at UK.  Her scholarship focuses on the interface between private life and historical context for black Americans in the twentieth century. Her first book called Stormy Weather focused on marriages between middle-class African Americans between the two world wars.  Contact Booked Up: You can email Jen & the Booked Up team at: BOOKEDUP@POLITICON.COM or by writing to:  BOOKED UP  P.O. BOX 147 NORTHAMPTON, MA 01061 Get More from Anastasia Curwood Twitter | Website | Author of SHIRLEY CHISHOLM and STORMY WEATHER Get More from Jen Taub: Twitter | Follow the Money Substack | Author of BIG DIRTY MONEY 

Juliette is joined by Pam Reeve, Chair of the Board, American Tower. Pamela has built her career around the advancement of women and support for technology innovation. In roles starting and running businesses, serving at the helm of public company boards of directors, and leading non-profit organizations and boards, Reeve has left her mark on the region's business landscape while mentoring and in other ways supporting its people.A champion for women's leadership, Reeve serves as the Chair of The Commonwealth Institute, working with women CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to help them grow their businesses and their careers. In this position, her active involvement in Board-Ready Bootcamps, and through her work with the Boston Women's Leadership Network Last Mile Initiative and Women Corporate Directors, she has demonstrated a commitment to increasing the number of qualified women serving on boards of directorsPamela shares her story of creating her own path. Pamela talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and how she found the confidence to forge her own way. This episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories, so be sure to tune in!Highlights:03:54 - When I look back on the journey, I think it's more about how I wanted to be, what I valued, relationships that meant a lot to me and a lot of connecting dots that otherwise might seem not connected.07:25 - I think that you have to look around on what might be available to help you out and maybe do move if you can.13:18 - I think we all carry in us our history, our upbringing and our history, and then we hope to enrich that or go away from it.18:40 - Have more faith in yourself, use your voice and use your intention. Don't deny yourself and don't prevent yourself from at least trying on something that you're interested in.Connect with JulietteLinkedInWebsite Juliette's BooksInspiration Zone Newsletter Sign-UpConnect with PamelaWebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Associated Industries of Massachusetts(AIM). AIM is the largest business association in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To learn more about AIM, visit www.aimnet.org.

Renee Shaw speaks with Anastasia Curwood, the director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies at the University of Kentucky, about her latest book, "Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics," a biography about the former Congresswoman and Democratic candidate for United States president.

For our Full Bio selection this Women's History Month, we're learning about political trailblazer, New York congresswoman and presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm. We're speaking all week with Anastasia C. Curwood, director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies and Interim Chair and Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, who authored the new biography Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics. Today, we hear about how she made the leap from educator to elected official and how became the first Black woman in Congress.

For our Full Bio selection this Women's History Month, we're learning about political trailblazer, New York congresswoman and presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm. Today, we learn about her family connection to Barbados, moving to Brooklyn and how Chisholm's childhood heroes shaped her worldview and self-image. We're speaking all week with Anastasia C. Curwood, director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies and Interim Chair and Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, who authored the new biography Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics.

Due to calculation errors, Virginia's Department of Education made a $200 million mistake in estimating basic aid for local school divisions this year--which caused schools to budget for far more than they're likely to get. The General Assembly wasn't able to agree on a budget before the regular session ended--and their compromise "skinny budget" accounts for only $16 million of the $200 million deficit.How did the error happen, what can be done to fix it, and where does it leave Virginia's school systems? This week, Thomas and Michael are joined by Laura Goren, Director of Research and Education at the Commonwealth Institute, as well as Chad Stewart, the Policy Analyst at the Virginia Education Association, to explain.Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMediaSponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia

Episode Notes The 2023 General Assembly session drew to a close last Saturday. And with divided majorities in the General Assembly, it was a little underwhelming. Despite a year of big, hot topic issues, little was accomplished on abortion rights, gun control, or even setting up a market for cannabis. So after six weeks, we find ourselves more or less back where we started. To understand the perspective from inside the GA, we talk with Senator Barbara Favola, who represents parts of northern Virginia.  Things aren't entirely over yet… lawmakers are still considering amendments to the state's two-year budget. The House and Senate have very different ideas of what to do with Virginia's significant budget surplus. House Republicans want to give that surplus back to taxpayers through a billion dollars in tax cuts. On the other hand, Senate Democrats want to use the money to boost social programs that have been under-funded for many years. Particularly public schools. Here to walk us through this is Laura Goren, Director of Research and Education Policy at The Commonwealth Institute. Check out more information on Virginia's budget process and how the two proposals compare on The Commonwealth Institute's website

Throughout her life, Shirley Chisholm fought for coalitional change. She was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States in 1972, co-founder of both the Congressional Black Caucus and the National Women's Political Caucus, both in 1971, and co-founder of the National Congress of Black Women in 1984. Toward the end of her life, Chisholm told an interviewer: “I want history to remember me … as a Black woman who lived in the 20th century and who dared to be herself. I want to be remembered as a catalyst for change in America.”  Joining me in this episode is Dr. Anastasia Curwood, Professor of History and Director of the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies at the University of Kentucky, and author of Shirley Chisholm: Champion of Black Feminist Power Politics.  Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag, composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The episode image is Shirley Chisholm speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 12, 1972. The photographer was Warren K. Leffler, and the photograph is in the public domain and available via the Library of Congress.  The audio clip of Shirley Chisholm speaking is from her presidential campaign announcement on January 25, 1972, in Brooklyn; the audio is courtesy of the New York City Municipal Archive, via C-SPAN. The audio clip of Rep. Barbara Lee is from Two Broads Talking Politics, Episode 433: Barbara Lee, which originally aired on October 9, 2020; the episode was recorded, edited, and produced by Kelly Therese Pollock and is used with express permission. Additional Sources: “‘Unbought and Unbossed': When a Black Woman Ran for the White House,” by Jackson Landers, Smithsonian Magazine, April 25, 2016. “‘Unbought and Unbossed': How Shirley Chisholm Helped Paved the Path for Kamala Harris Nearly Five Decades Ago,” by Stuart Emmrich, Vogue, August 20, 2020. “Politicians reflect on Shirley Chisholm's legacy 50 years after her historic presidential run,” by Anna Lucente Sterling, NY1, February 17, 2022. “CHISHOLM, Shirley Anita,” House.gov. “What You May Not Know About TC Alum Shirley Chisholm,” Teacher's College, Columbia University, Published Wednesday, November 30, 2022. “Shirley Chisholm, 'Unbossed' Pioneer in Congress, Is Dead at 80,” by James Barron, The New York Times, January 3, 2005. “Congressional Black Caucus swears in its largest group in history,” by Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, January 3, 2023. “Democratic women lawmakers who broke through in 2018 now step into leadership roles,” by Grace Panetta and Mel Leonor Barclay, The 19th, January 3, 2023. “Rep. Lauren Underwood elected to House Democratic leadership position,” by Lynn Sweet, Chicago SunTimes, December 1, 2022. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Notes For decades, Virginia was one of only three states in the country that banned public sector collective bargaining. That meant teachers, healthcare workers, and first-responders couldn't have a say in how their contracts were written, leading to lower pay and poorer working conditions compared to unionized workers. But things have changed. In 2020, the General Assembly repealed that prohibition, a historic moment for workers' rights in Virginia.  But it's not without its quirks. Collective bargaining isn't required across the state — it's up to localities to pass collective bargaining ordinances. Plus the law itself is pretty vague, leaving it up to localities to hammer out the rules and framework. Which means depending on where you live, what you can and can't bargain over can look pretty different. So today on the show, we're looking at the state of public sector unions in Virginia. Helping us out is Mel Borja, Worker Power Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Institute. We're also joined by David Broder, president of SEIU Virginia 512, and Vernon Liechti, president of the Albemarle Education Association.  Explore The Commonwealth Institute's interactive map of labor history in Virginia. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Educators across Virginia are pushing for better wages and working conditions. Michael Pope reports that in some places that could mean collective bargaining. Click here for the findings from the Commonwealth Institute.

"The State of Working Virginia," a new report from the Commonwealth Institute and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, details a variety of new findings, including a shocking headline: Hispanic workers in Virginia are paid an average of 68 cents on the dollar, while Black workers are paid just 74 cents on the dollar.The study's recommendations to help working Virginians include raising the minimum wage, providing paid sick days, and offering further protection to farm workers, who are currently exempt from overtime protections.The Hanover County School Board has approved a new policy requiring transgender students to submit a written request formally asking to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identity. Opponents say the approach is "deeply concerning," forcing transgender students to share private medical information and out themselves to the school board unnecessarily.Virginia's passenger rail service logged over 110,000 passengers in July--a record-breaking month that represents a 20% increase over the previous year. A spokesperson from Amtrak says that could be a sign of things to come across the country.Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMediaSponsored by the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia

As students across Virginia head back to school, Michael Pope reports those schools are not receiving the same amount of financial support from the state. You can find the Commonwealth Institute analysis here.

Juliette is joined by Pam Reeve, Chair of the Board, American Tower. Pamela has built her career around the advancement of women and support for technology innovation. In roles starting and running businesses, serving at the helm of public company boards of directors, and leading non-profit organizations and boards, Reeve has left her mark on the region's business landscape while mentoring and in other ways supporting its people.A champion for women's leadership, Reeve serves as the Chair of The Commonwealth Institute, working with women CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to help them grow their businesses and their careers. In this position, her active involvement in Board-Ready Bootcamps, and through her work with the Boston Women's Leadership Network Last Mile Initiative and Women Corporate Directors, she has demonstrated a commitment to increasing the number of qualified women serving on boards of directorsPamela shares her story of creating her own path. Pamela talks about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and how she found the confidence to forge her own way. This episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories, so be sure to tune in!Highlights:03:54 - When I look back on the journey, I think it's more about how I wanted to be, what I valued, relationships that meant a lot to me and a lot of connecting dots that otherwise might seem not connected.07:25 - I think that you have to look around on what might be available to help you out and maybe do move if you can.13:18 - I think we all carry in us our history, our upbringing and our history, and then we hope to enrich that or go away from it.18:40 - Have more faith in yourself, use your voice and use your intention. Don't deny yourself and don't prevent yourself from at least trying on something that you're interested in.Connect with JulietteLinkedInWebsite Juliette's BooksInspiration Zone Newsletter Sign-UpConnect with PamelaWebsiteThis episode is sponsored by Associated Industries of Massachusetts(AIM). AIM is the largest business association in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To learn more about AIM, visit www.aimnet.org.

Mindy Lubber is the CEO and President of the sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres. She leads an all-women executive leadership team and more than 160 employees working to mobilize the most influential investors and companies to solve the world's greatest sustainability challenges. She has been at the helm since 2003, and under her leadership, the organization and its powerful networks and global collaborations have grown significantly in size and influence. Prior to Ceres, Lubber served as a Regional Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Bill Clinton. She also founded Green Century Capital Management and served as the director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG). She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her leadership. In 2020, Lubber was awarded the United Nations 'Champions of the Earth' Entrepreneurial Vision award. In the same year, Lubber made Barron's Magazine's list of the 100 most influential women in U.S. finance, and then again in 2021. She has also received the Climate Visionary Award from the Earth Day Network, William K. Reilly Award for Environmental Leadership from American University, and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship from the Skoll Foundation. She has been recognized by the United Nations and the Foundation for Social Change as one of the World's Top Leaders of Change. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, Ceres was named a top 100 women-led businesses in Massachusetts by the Globe Magazine and Commonwealth Institute.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 16, 2022) – On January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the ‘Emancipation Proclamation', but it wasn't until June 19th, 1865 that the last remaining enslaved African Americans – men and women in Galveston, Texas – learned they were free. Since that time, June 19th, or “Juneteenth”, has been celebrated annually in various parts of the United States to commemorate emancipation as well as celebrate African-American culture. Still, it took until June 17th of 2021 for the day to be recognized as a federal holiday, after becoming more widely celebrated among African-American communities and gaining more and more mainstream attention in the US. On this episode of Behind the Blue, Dr. Anastasia Curwood, director of The Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies and African American and Africana Studies (AAAS) at UK, discusses the Juneteenth holiday, from her personal feelings and reflections on the significance of the day, to the importance of observance of the holiday by the university, and more. "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page. For more information about CIBS, including ways you can support, visit https://cibs.as.uky.edu/. To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

This state budget comparison PDF from The Commonwealth Institute is incredible!

Season 2's dedication to #blackwomenstoriesmatter continues with Episode 19. This week we welcome scholar and educator Dr. Hilary Jones.Dr. Jones is Associate Professor of History at University of Kentucky where she serves the African American and Africana Studies Program and participates in the Commonwealth Institute of Black Studies.  She also authored The Métis of Senegal: Urban Life and Politics in French West Africa (Indiana University Press, 2013), and examines the making of multiracial communities in Senegal's colonial capital.  A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Jones is a graduate of Cass Technical High School and Spelman College.  She earned her doctoral degree in African History at Michigan State University. In Episode 19, she shares her ideas of community and the lessons she has learned from her work as a scholar.  As world traveler, Dr. Jones has had to rely on the kindness of strangers. Her secret, she tells me, is terenga , a Wolof term meaning hospitality but encompassing so much more, is at the root of building community no matter where she lands.For more information on Dr. Jones' work check out:https://aaas.as.uky.edu

April 20 is Chinese Language Day but perhaps more importantly, 4/20 is also Lima Bean Respect Day, National Banana Day, and National Cheddar Fries Day. Is there anything else that signifies this day? While you ponder that question, I’ll tell you that this is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a program back from a brief break and ready to get going with another year of information as it flows. On today’s program:Charlottesville City Council gets an update on what environmental staff are doing to plan for climate actionFatalities on Virginia roads reached a 14-year high in 2021Andy Parker concedes in the 5th District race to be the Democratic nomineePaul Goldman explains in writing to a federal judge why he thinks a House of Delegates race must be run this year And the Virginia House of Finance advances a bill to provide a three month period where fuel haulers would not have to pay a tax to the state of Virginia First shout-out goes to the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority for e-waste collection dayIn today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement, the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority wants you to know about Electronic Waste Collection Day coming up on April 23, 2022. Residents of both Albemarle County and Charlottesville have the opportunity to drop off old electronics from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Ivy Material Utilization Center. Permissible items include computers, printers, VCRs, stereos and televisions and people can dispose of up to ten items. Only two tube-style monitors or televisions per person! You must register in advance online where you will be give a time slot. Registration is limited to 110 people per hour. Visit rivanna.org for more information.Crashes reached 14-year high in Virginia in 2021Nine hundred and sixty-eight people died on Virginia roads last year. That’s the highest number in 14 years, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Fatalities were up in several categories including speed-related crashes, pedestrians, motorcyclists, young drivers, and bicyclists. The acting commissioner of the DMV is urging people to slow down, wear seat belts, and avoid distractions. “Vehicles and roadways are safer than they ever have been, yet we continue to lose lives to senseless crashes,” said Linda Ford, who is also Governor Glenn Youngkin’s highway safety representative. “Do your part to help.”Last year’s numbers in Virginia are part of a national trend toward higher fatalities in 2021 when over 31,000 people died across the United States in the first nine months. The full data for the whole country will be available later this year. 2022 might be worse than 2021. So far this year, 245 people have been killed on Virginia roadways, which is a 12 percent increase over last year. Parker concedes Democratic nomination to ThroneburgA candidate who failed to get a thousand signatures to be on the Democratic ballot in the June 21 primary has conceded to the only one who met that threshold. Andy Parker made his announcement via Twitter on Monday.“I was looking forward to a spirited primary and campaign against [incumbent Bob] Good but did not meet the technical requirements to be on the primary ballot,” Parker wrote in the tweet. Parker’s daughter was murdered on live television while doing a report from Smith Mountain Lake in 2015, along with her colleague. The default nominee, Josh Throneburg, noted this in his statement on Parker’s concession. "Andy is a person who rose from the ashes of his tragic personal loss and dedicated himself to a life of public service,” Throneburg wrote in a statement. “He was a tireless advocate who wanted to shield other families from the terrible grief he experienced, and I know his mission doesn’t end with this race.” First-term incumbent Bob Good faces Dan Moy in the Republican convention to be held on May 21 at Hampden Sydney College in Prince Edward County. That’s right in the middle of the new Fifth District as drawn by two Special Masters appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court last year to complete the redistricting process. Goldman files new motion arguing for oral arguments in suit to force 2022 Delegate electionWhen the statewide primary is held on June 21, will there be candidates for the House of Delegates on the ballot? Richmond attorney Paul Goldman hopes so and filed a new document on Monday arguing why Judge David Novak should not dismiss the case. To recap, Goldman filed suit against the Virginia Board of Elections last year asserting that their certification of the 2021 election was unlawful because the districts were based on the 2010 Census. Goldman argues that action violates the principle of “one person, one vote” because some legislative districts are much larger than others. “The old House District 87 ranked as the most populated with 130,192 inhabitants,” Goldman writes on page seven. “Old House District 75 ranked as the least populated with 67,404 inhabitants.” The response goes into detail in its claim that this deviation is unconstitutional and deserves a remedy in the form of an election this year based on the new districts. At heart, Goldman argues that none of the current members of the House of Delegates are in legally valid districts, citing the Cosner v. Dalton case that forced a House of Delegates race in 1982. (learn more on Wikipedia)Virginia’s Solicitor General has until April 25 to respond to Goldman’s response. Second shout-out goes to a Charlottesville Jazz Society event this weekendIn today’s second subscriber-supported shout-out, the Charlottesville Jazz Society is partnering with the Front Porch and the Tom Tom Festival to host musician Joel Harrison and Free Country this upcoming Saturday. The free show will feature the guitarist, composer, and vocalist with the touring band of Adam Larrabee on guitar, Stephan Crump on bass, and Jordan Perlson on drums. The timeless, haunting melodies of this music anchor the flights of improvisation that the band creates anew every night. The tour is funded in part by South Arts through the auspices of the Doris Duke Fund and the Jazz Road initiative. For more information, visit frontporchcville.org! Charlottesville City Council briefed on climate actionEarlier this year, the nonprofit group Community Climate Collaborative waged a campaign to get Charlottesville City Council to push staff toward meeting the city’s greenhouse gas emission goals. On July 1, 2019, Council adopted a goal of reducing community-wide gas emissions by 45 percent of 2011 levels by 2030, and to be carbon neutral by 2050. Council had an hour-long work session on the issue on Monday. Kristel Riddervold, the city’s environmental sustainability and facilities development manager, led off the discussion.“The city of Charlottesville has had an active climate program since 2007 when it committed to reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by joining the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement,” Riddervold said. (watch the update)Riddervold said the City reaffirmed that commitment by also joining the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which offers resources for both reduction of gasses and adaptation to changing weather patterns. “We use the terms climate action to be the umbrella for both of these areas of focus,” Riddervold said. The presentation covered what work has been underway since the July 2019 goal was endorsed by Council. Riddervold said there have been stumbling blocks to preparing a specific climate action plan, and that includes the adoption of a new Comprehensive Plan. She also said going through several city managers during that time has been an issue, as has been the loss of top management in city government.“I for example have been serving not only as the environmental sustainability manager, but also since mid-2018, the facilities development manager, and have been pulled into a variety of roles and responsibilities,” Riddervold said. The city is currently taking applications for a climate program specialist to assist with planning and action. The job closes April 29, if you know of anyone. “What we are looking at now is a reboot of focused effort to bring this process back on the rails and to get back on the same page,” Riddervold said. Riddervold acknowledged the frustration on the part of climate groups and she asked for their support going forward.Susan Elliott, the city’s climate protection manager, said a climate hazard assessment is complete, a climate vulnerability assessment is underway, and the adaptation plan will be ready for review next year.“In parallel with these planning activities on these two tracks, we are also still delivering a program aimed at supporting and achieving greenhouse gas emissions across our community,” Elliot said. “What we have seen when we look at our emissions community-wide is that approximately 95 percent of emissions are coming from the community outside of our local government control and about five percent are from our municipal operations.” About 30 percent comes from residential, 30 percent comes from transportation, and 30 percent comes from commercial uses. That will inform where government resources will go. “This includes supporting and funding energy efficiency improvements including hundreds of home energy assessments annually, helping to find gap fill measures so that our low-income houses are as eligible for as many utility-funded programs as possible, providing EnergySmart home rebates, [and] the Commercial and Clean Energy Loan Fund,” Elliott said.Other recent initiatives:This month, the city hired CMTA Energy Solutions to review public buildings to see how energy and water usage could be reduced (press release)Charlottesville Area Transit is conducting a study of how vehicles might transition to alternative fuels Charlottesville participated in an urban heat island study last summer (press release)Lower occupancy in city buildings due to the pandemic lead to less water and energy use (press release)This morning, the city also released two public surveys to help inform future planning efforts. One is a climate action survey and the other is a climate vulnerability survey. Both will close on May 20. Youngkin’s bill to temporarily eliminate gas tax advances The Virginia General Assembly is in special session but have not had much action. Yesterday, the House of Delegates Finance Committee heard testimony of a bill sent down from Governor Glenn Youngkin that would waive the state motor fuel tax from May 1 to July 31. “The purpose for this bill is to help cut the cost for Virginia families and fight the price of gasoline that has increased 48 percent in the last 12 months,” said Delegate Tara Durant (R-28). “This uses unanticipated transportation revenues to provide Virginians much needed tax relief.”Under the bill, the tax would be restored to half-strength in August and September before going back to normal in October. Speaking to the bill, Transportation Secretary Shep Miller talked about its fiscal impact. “The revenue impact for the FY22-24 budget that I am responsible for is about $470 million,” Miller said. “That’s about a 12 percent reduction in the motor fuels over the 26 month period in question. The total [Commonwealth Transportation Fund] collections during that same period is about $14 billion. So this represents about a three percent reduction in the CTF collections during that period.”Democrats are skeptical that any of the reduction in the tax will translate to lower prices at the pump because consumers don’t actually pay the tax. Here’s Delegate Vivian Watts (D-39).“I wanted to make sure that the patron was aware that the gas tax is collected when the tanker truck fills up,” Watts said. “There’s no guarantee at all that when I fill up my tank that if there’s no gas tax charged that I’m going to benefit from this.” Delegate Sally Hudson (D-57) said many in the state want to invest more in transportation. “When I hear from Virginians, I hear them tell me that they think our transportation infrastructure or even behind, that the roads are too crowded, their commutes are too long, the buses are infrequent and unreliable,” Hudson said. “We have nothing approaching modern commuter trains.” Durant said no existing projects would be cut, but this would just lower the amount of funds available in exchange for tax relief. Testimony against the bill came from Virginians for Better Transportation, the Amalgamated Transit Union, the Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginians for High Speed Rail, the Old Dominion Highway Contractors Association, the New Virginia Majority, the Southern Environmental Law Center, the Commonwealth Institute, and the Virginia Association for Commercial Real Estate“This coalition includes some pretty strange bedfellows,” said Trip Pollard of the Southern Environmental Law Center. Testimony in favor of the bill came from a series of individuals representing small businesses or speaking to their own pain.“I’d rather spend the money than have the government spend the money,” said Colonel Courtney Whitney, who served in the Youngkin campaign. Democrats on the committee sought to introduce a substitute that would issue a direct tax relief to Virginians for each registered motor vehicle, but the effort failed. On voice vote, the motion to advance the bill passed and it will now move to the House Appropriations Committee. No meetings are currently scheduled. Support Town Crier Productions through Ting!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we will receive an update on the Virginia budget from Chris Wodicka, Senior Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. Chris provided insight into The Commonwealth Institute's budget priorities, what's next for the budget in Virginia, and key early learning provisions in the budget.

In this episode, Todd shares his travel to Texas to run the Commonwealth Institute and then speaks fondly about his time on Decatur at Turners and his friendship with Ralph Turner.

Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global marketing and branding firm that helps organizations get more clients and scale-up through effective storytelling. Her clients include Microsoft, Virgin, The New York Times Company, and Colgate. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Business School and she serves on several Boards and is a popular speaker and columnist who has written for Entrepreneur and Forbes. Full bio: I love building great brands! I was first VP marketing/CMO Zipcar (now Avis), VP of marketing Inc.com (sold to Bertelsmann) and the first SVP of marketing at Launch Media (went public & later sold to Yahoo. I worked as a special assistant to the CMO of global marketing at The Coca-Cola Company (Sergio Zyman) and held the position of director of the 1996 Olympic Commemorative Coin Program at the Department of Treasury, U.S. Mint. Prior to running the Olympic joint venture, I worked in brand management at Procter & Gamble. I'm a popular keynote speaker and panelist at venues including the New England Direct Marketing Assn, MIT Enterprise Forum, Commonwealth Institute, HBS, the AMA, Simmons School of Management (where I was also Entrepreneur-in-Residence and on the Dean's Advisory Council), Women in Technology, various corporate workshops and conferences and on the faculty of CLE. I judged the Dalton Pen, Web Marketing Association and Stevie Awards, coached other entrepreneurs through Springboard Enterprises and hosted online webinars to share marketing expertise with business owners around the world. I was the first woman to be elected Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sports Museum at the TD Garden and the former Chair of the Alumni Board of Stanford University, was formerly VP of the HBS Global Alumni Board, and a founding Board member of Women Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology. I was the Appointed Director from HBS on the HAA Board and am currently an advisor to several early-stage private companies and nonprofit organizations. I am a record 3-time past president of the Stanford Club of New England representing 5 states and 6,500 alums in the region and hold an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Specialties: Branding, advertising, media relations, PR, promotions, new product launches, market research, crisis communications   Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigearnoffenn/ http://mavensandmoguls.com/about-us.html

LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 10, 2022) – In the fall of 2020, the University of Kentucky announced plans to establish a proposed Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies (CIBS) – a multidisciplinary program designed to highlight UK's growing research around issues of race and racism. The interdisciplinary institute establishes research clusters across the campus and promotes the university's growing research and scholarship on topics of importance in African history and African American history, such as slavery and the quest for freedom, racial discrimination and violence, and the long struggle for civil rights. This year, the university has announced continued annual funding of $200,000 through UK's Office for Institutional Diversity – an important step forward in helping the institute achieve its goals. On this episode of Behind the Blue, Dr. Anastasia Curwood, director of CIBS and African American and Africana Studies (AAAS) at UK, talks about the continued mission of the institute, the connections that present day issues have to Black studies, a student body hungry for this kind of information, and more. "Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university. For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue. Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show's blog page. For more information about CIBS, including ways you can support, visit https://cibs.as.uky.edu/. To discover what's wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

In this episode, John Tomlinson talks to Mary Brunton about her experience of bringing leadership training into the virtual world as the pandemic took hold and face-to-face training was stopped. In this conversation, Mary and John share their experiences and discuss how imposter syndrome has increased with the new ways of working. Mary L Brunton MA (Hons) CIPD has been working internationally for over 20 years and in more than 30 countries. Mary has extensive professional experience of designing and delivering senior leadership training and executive coaching for teams and individuals. Clients include the UK Civil Service, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), EU institutions, the British Council, the World Bank, OECD, the Commonwealth Institute and Deutsche Bank. For over a decade Mary has been selected as an Executive Coach for the most senior grades in the UK Civil Service and has specialist expertise in promotion, resilience, branding, personal impact and public speaking. Mary is an independent consultant and the Senior Director of the successful Pilot HR Consultancy (established 2006) which delivers training, coaching and facilitation services to organisations in the UK and internationally. To contact Mary, email: marybrunton@pilothr.co.uk  

A new analysis from The Commonwealth Institute shows underfunding leaves many students, who are English language learners, behind; Henrico County GreenCity project approved; and other local news stories.

In recent years disinformation has become the currency of political forces seeking power over truth. But as we know, facts matter. They reveal a true picture of the state of our nation, from which communities are prospering to those that are struggling, a legacy of discriminatory public policy making. They are foundational to breaking down barriers and creating access to healthcare, education, transportation and housing for low-income, people of color and immigrants, whose exclusion has been intentional and generational. At the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, 15 super-smart professionals dig into bills proposed by Virginia's State Assembly, analyzing their implications for diverse communities. As CEO Ashley Kenneth explains, TCI Fiscal then partners with a talented eco-system of advocacy and service organizations to generate solutions informed by affected community members. Their formula, combining facts and analysis with civic engagement and advocacy is remarkably effective. TCI Fiscal is ahead of the federal policymaking curve in many areas, from curbing down payment requirements for fees and fines in the Court system, to increasing the minimum wage. This is how transformational change is made. And Ashley and TCI Fiscal are just getting started.      

Parenting is expensive--but the federal government might be able to lend a hand. In this fifth episode of Season 3, Salaam and Jam dive into the Child Tax Credit passed as part of the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. They talk with Chris Wodicka, Senior Policy Analyst at the Commonwealth Institute to learn more about the policy--and then take to the streets of Richmond for some Street Justice, learning how the Child Tax Credit has impacted everyday Virginians. More info on the VPLC: vplc.org Got a story or question? Email us at radioshow@vplc.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thejusticereport/message

Technology has the power to exclude. Sure, it can (and often does) connect marginalized communities to resources, but many people lack the access necessary to sustain meaningful growth, both professionally and financially. In that way, what technology provides for some communities, it limits in others. This episode, our guests talk us through a topic that many of us take for granted: access to the internet and the impact of connectivity (or lack of) to our economy and society. We’ll hear about web access as a basic human right, the technology impact of the pandemic on communities of color, and finally how Boston is emerging from this crisis with a plan to improve access, connectivity, and quality of life for everyone. Highlights from this episode: Christina Luconi (Chief People Officer at Rapid7) introduces the idea of “Tech Privilege” alongside other issues of privilege highlighted by the pandemic Pam Reeve (Chair of The Commonwealth Institute, former CEO of Lightbridge, Inc.) digs into internet access as a basic human right Director of Digital Transformation at Microsoft’s Airband Initiative, Aimee Sprung, discusses how the pandemic put a spotlight on connectivity gaps Katherine Newman, the System Chancellor for Academic Programs and SVP for Economic Development at UMass, parses out the nuances of access and opportunity Joshua Ness (Sr Manager at Verizon 5G Labs) tells us how 5G will help bridge existing digital divides Cambridge Innovation Center’s founder and CEO, Tim Rowe, explains how spaces can shape inclusive and diverse communities while providing access to the internet and technology So, follow us on our journey this season as we investigate Boston’s challenges as a microcosm for bigger issues of equity and access. Through topics like access to technology, healthcare innovations, the future of education, and forward-thinking DE&I strategies, we take Boston’s Brand Problem out of the shadows — and onto the Tech Trail.

Professionals of color have a very different experience of building a career in Boston, relative to their white peers and colleagues. Throughout the season, we’ve heard stories of these experiences and the work leaders in our community are doing to repair, among other things, our broken talent pipeline. In our final episode of season 2, our guests investigate issues of equity and diversity as they impact career development opportunities here in Boston (and beyond). Are candidates of color discouraged from coming to a city like Boston to pursue professional opportunities? What work is being done to fix this problem? And how are professionals of color able to find meaningful connection with the city? These questions, and more. Highlights from this episode: Stephanie Browne (Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts) recounts the challenges she faced while establishing herself professionally here in Boston Chair of the Commonwealth Institute, Pam Reeve, explains how the pandemic exposed pervasive issues of inequity Art Papas, CEO and Co-founder of Bullhorn, highlights the impact of social media on conversations around corporate social responsibility Chris Comparato, CEO of Toast, discusses new ways for leaders to communicate about complex issues  Microsoft Airband Initiative’s Director of Digital Transformation, Aimee Sprung, talks about the impact and importance of keeping a diverse set of voices in the mix Pratt Wiley, CEO of The Partnership, illustrates why connecting people of color to cultural resources is integral to growing a vibrant and diverse professional community Thank you for following us on our journey this season as we investigated Boston’s challenges as a microcosm for bigger issues of equity and access. Through topics like access to technology, healthcare innovations, the future of education, and forward-thinking DE&I strategies, we worked to take Boston’s Brand Problem out of the shadows, and onto the Tech Trail. But the conversation doesn’t end here – keep it going on social and let us know what burning questions you have about equity, access, and the city of Boston. 

McFarlane’s art is in collections nationally and internationally. Born in Moore Town Portland, Jamaica, Bryan studied at The Edna Manly College of Art in Kingston, Jamaica and completed his MFA Degree at Massachusetts College of Arts and Design. Professor McFarlane has exhibited and lectured as visiting artist at numerous universities and museums throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean: The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Boston; The National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston and The Museum of The National Center of African American Artists. In The East: Hunan Normal University in Changsha, China; the University of Architecture and Technology in Xi’an China and Northeastern University in Shenyang, China. He has lectured and presented major works at The China Art Museum in Shanghai; Sunshine International Museum, Beijing with solo exhibitions entitled “Circular Journey”. Other Institutions include: World Art Monument Museum in Beijing; “Around Café” at the Guangdong Museum, M99 Art Center of Shanghai University, Promo- Arte Gallery in Tokyo, Japan and The Ferry Arts International Center in Beijing. In The West: Rose Art Museum, the Museum of the National Center of African American Artists, Du Sable Museum, Chicago; Harvard University, Cambridge, Lamont Library; The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Rhode Island School of Design; The Federal University of Bahia, Brazil; The Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art, France, and City Hall, Paris- France; The Edna Manly College, Jamaica; The Nebraska Art Museum; The Loma Linda Medical School, California; Museum of the Americas, Washington DC; The Commonwealth Institute, London; The Free University of Berlin, Germany; The University of Kumasi, Ghana; The Painting Center New York City, NY; The National Gallery of Jamaica; Canzares Gallery, Brazil; the Museum of The National Center of African American Artists, Boston; The Dusable’ Museum, Chicago; The George Adams gallery, New York City; The Commonwealth Institute, London and The College of The Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts. Professor McFarlane is currently a member of the African American Master Artists in Residency Program at North Eastern University, Boston and is represented by Gallery Naga in Boston. McFarlane has received numerous awards, including the prestigious: “Silver Musgrave Medal” in the Arts, with a Citation from The Institute of Jamaica. He has received two Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason Foundation Awards for 2011 and 2005 in New York City; a Gold medal from the Chinese Government for entry in the “Olympic Fine Arts Exhibition 2008” in Beijing; nominee for the Joan Mitchell Foundation Award in 2004 and 2005; The Louis Comfort and Tiffany Foundation in 1992. He received a 1997 Purchase Award from the National Gallery of Jamaica. In 1986 and 1987, McFarlane was commissioned by Miller Brewing Company/Phillip Morris in New York City to paint portraits of 12 leading African-American Journalists, which were reproduced in the Gallery of Greats calendar and is now in the permanent collection of the DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago, Illinois. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The British landscape architect of the Modern garden, Sylvia Crowe is known for the gardens of the Commonwealth Institute in London, the Rutland Water reservoir in East Anglia, and texts such as Garden Design and Tomorrow's Landscape. This episode of AR Reads features our Reputations on Crowe by Jonathan Glancey Also referenced in the text is Timothy Brittain-Catlin's Outrage on the betrayal of the Commonwealth Institute, the Crowe-designed landscape of which was destroyed to make way for OMA's additions next to what is now London's Design Museum AR Reads is a podcast by The Architectural Review, bringing you a piece from our vast archive, read out loud for you to enjoy.

This episode is a recording of a Covid-19 Vaccine education webinar hosted by Special Olympics Kentucky on February 3, 2021. They had friend of the podcast Dr. Priya Chandan and Dr. Corrie Harris from Norton Children’s hospital. In this session these Louisville doctors talk all things vaccine. Self advocates from SOKY and DSL and parents submitted questions beforehand and they were able to answer most all of the questions posed. This will most likely be a regular webinar with updates as the medical and public health experts learn more. To watch the Zoom webinar with the slideshow, click hereTopics Covered:Who is most at risk for getting sick from COVID? What is a vaccine? Why do people get vaccines? Myths vs. FactsHow does the COVID vaccine work (including possible side effects) Where can I find information and updates about when I can get a COVID  vaccine?Meet the Presenters:Dr. Priya Chandan, MD, PhD, MPH Assistant Professor, UofL SOM Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; UofL Health Physicians Restorative Neuroscience Global Clinical Adviser, Special Olympics MedFest Project Director, National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine Commonwealth Scholar, Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky Special Olympics Kentucky Board Member Dr. Corrie Harris, MD, MSc Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine; University of Louisville School of Medicine Associate Medical Director, The Home of the Innocents Pediatric Convalescent CenterSpecial Olympics Kentucky Board Member

This episode of Lessons from Leaders is brought to you by Smart Meetings, the go-to source of information for meeting and event professionals. For more information on Smart Meetings, please go to https://www.smartmeetings.comOur guest on this episode is Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, the biggest brand of global cruise industry leader Carnival Corp., the world’s largest leisure travel company. She captains a company that annually hosts more than five million guests and employs more than 40,000 people who hail from 110 nations around the globe.Since joining Carnival in 2015, Duffy has led the company's incredible growth and is overseeing the construction of two new ships that will be delivered in 2021 and 2022 that will lead the introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cruise vessels in North America, and feature the first roller coaster at sea. Duffy's “people first” philosophy makes her an accessible and approachable leader whose mission is to leverage Carnival's commitment to delivering safe, fun and memorable vacations to a growing customer base.Prior to Carnival, Duffy spent four years as president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the trade association representing the global cruise industry. Before her time at CLIA, she spent 10 years at Maritz Travel Company, the world’s largest corporate meeting, events and incentive travel company, where she served six years as president and CEO.An active participant and tireless supporter of the hospitality industry, Duffy serves on multiple boards including Herschend Family Entertainment and Aimbridge Hospitality. She is first vice-chair of the U.S. Travel Association and sits on the Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.Duffy has been a strong supporter of women’s leadership in the travel industry. A member of The Committee of 200, she has been honored by the Convention Industry Council, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Commonwealth Institute of South Florida, and the South Florida Business Journal, among others. Tune in to hear how Christine went from a $200 a week salary as a travel agent to running Carnival Cruise Line. Her fascinating story is an inspirational tale of persistence, hard work, risk-taking, and learning from mentors. Website: https://www.carnival.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cduffyccl/

In today’s episode of Help Choose Home, we welcome Andrea Cohen, a social entrepreneur dedicated to transforming the way care is delivered to seniors at home. As the Founder and CEO of HouseWorks, her vision crystalized over 25 years ago when she took care of both her parents and made an unwavering commitment to redefine what it means to age. As an innovator and thought leader in the home care industry, Andrea and the team at HouseWorks takes an entrepreneurial approach to service delivery that returns a sense of control to adult children and their parents. Andrea was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) and she also sits on the Board of The Commonwealth Institute, the Schwartz Center Leadership Council, and the Caregiver Action Network and serves as an appointee to the Massachusetts Women Forum. In this episode we discuss: How home care is prepared to meet a wide variety of needs and promote senior independent living Specialized dementia care that benefits both clients and caregivers Suggestions for consumers who are seeking care for a loved one How home care remains a safe option for seniors during the pandemic Be sure to check out Help Choose Home Season 3, Episode 12 show notes and our full library of podcasts dedicated to helping families learn more about professional home care options. 

In her position as senior vice president of Comcast Business for the Northeast Division of Comcast, Tracy Pitcher is a leader who celebrates the diversity of background, perspective, culture and experience that uplifts every aspect of her company. Knowing that a diverse, equitable and inclusive company is a more innovative and successful one, Tracy is actively engaged within Comcast and beyond, and champions core values rooted in improving the communities where employees and customers live and work.  Overseeing an organization spanning 14 states and the District of Columbia, Tracy relies on a hands-on, good-natured style and promotes a culture of employee engagement as she guides a team that supports businesses of all sizes from the very small to the Fortune 500, helping them to stay agile and achieve their potential and business goals. Tracy has forged a wide-ranging career, including her previous role as senior vice president of Comcast’s Greater Boston Region. Alongside her professional focus, she is a member of the Commonwealth Institute, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing women in leadership roles and is also a board member of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, a public policy organization focused on strengthening the state’s economic vitality. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Manchester (NH) and is a mentor to numerous professionals. Beyond a kinetic lifestyle that includes hiking, running and competitive fitness challenges, Tracy is an enthusiastic reader, a devoted fan of John Wooden and she is quick to reference her favorite quote by the legendary UCLA basketball coach: “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.”   In this episode of Fairygodboss Radio, Tracy Pitcher talks about continuous learning and why you should follow your curiosities. [Recorded on September 3, 2020]

Welcome to Episode 208 of the Yeukai Business Show. In this episode, Paige Arnof Fenn and I discuss how to use stories in compelling ways to get more business . So if you want to know how to get known, get your story out, and acquire high-quality clients so you can How to tell a compelling story, tune in now! In this episode, you'll discover: The importance of understanding what is happening in the market todayWhy you need to make a shift in your brandingHow to create a message that people will respond to About Arnof Paige Arnof Fenn is an expert in brand storytelling whose accomplishments include: Founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global marketing strategy consulting firm whose clients range from early stage start-up to Fortune 500 companies including Colgate, Virgin, Microsoft and The New York Times Company.A founding board member of Women Entrepreneurs in Science & TechnologyAppointed Director for Harvard Business School on the Harvard Alumni Association BoardFeatured speaker and panelist at the New England Direct Marketing Association, the MIT Enterprise Forum, The Commonwealth Institute, Harvard Business School, the American Marketing Association More Information Learn more about how you can improve your results with brand storytelling with www.mavensandmoguls.com We Appreciate Your Feedback! Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below! If you enjoyed this episode on how to use stories in compelling ways to get more business , please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates for our "Yeukai Business Show!" And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get. Click the link below to leave a review right now https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/yeukai-business-show/id1231475990 Thanks for listening!

Braving change can be your greatest challenge and help you discover your strongest allies! Megan and Hollie spoke with Sherry Duffy about self worth, the journey to change situations, passion projects, being an empowered consumer of information, taking back personal power during a crisis and gathering around the proverbial campfire to listen, learn and grow. Sherry Duffy is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the School of Public Health and Information Sciences (SPHIS). Sherry has primary responsibility for the operations of the SPHIS research office and the Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky (CIK), overseeing development and maintenance of the infrastructure related to administration, financial management, communication, community engagement, and content expertise. This entails cultivating relationships with stakeholders, government agencies, funding organizations, faculty, and community partners, as well as organizational strategy and marketing of CIK and SPHIS. Building upon the relationships she creates opportunities for growth, connecting faculty and staff to appropriate community partners and government agencies. Teaching Part-Time in the UofL Organizational Leadership and Learning program allows her to fulfill a passion of helping adult learners achieve their academic goals. She teaches: HR Fundamentals, Diversity in the Workplace, Needs Assessment, Project Management, Workplace & Information Ethics and Coaching and Talent Management.

Good morning, RVA! It’s 41 °F, and the rain has moved on outta here. Today expect sunshine at some point and temperatures right around 60 °F. This might be our coolest day for a while.Water coolerAs of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health reports 391 positive cases of the coronavirus in the Commonwealth, and nine people in Virginia have died as a result of the virus. VDH reports 35 cases in and around Richmond (Chesterfield: 11, Henrico: 20, and Richmond: 13). This is the biggest single-day increase in reported positive cases so far, and it’s important to remember just that: These are folks that have been tested and have had those test results reported by VDH. “391” should not be taken as a direct measure of the amount of COVID-19 cases in Virginia! There are, most likely, many, many people who are not in high-risk groups and weren’t tested or simply never developed major symptoms (an especially sneaky part of this particular virus that aids in transmission). When looking at these numbers each day, please keep in mind that both reported positive cases and deaths are only indirect measure of the extend of the virus in Virginia. For comparison: Georgia has 1,387 reported cases and 47 deaths, while Maryland has 423 reported cases and four deaths.The Richmond Police Department has released their guidelines for dealing with folks violating the Governor’s new rules on social distancing. If you need a refresher on those rules, you can find it here, but, basically, no gatherings over 10 people and a bunch of non-essential businesses need to close as of last night. First: Even if you think you’re being helpful, do not call 911 if you see a business out of compliance or a gaggle of springbreakers at Texas Beach with their PBRs. Please use RPD’s non-emergency number instead (804.646.5100). To handle noncompliant businesses, springbreakers, or corona truthers, the RPD will first give a warning to the responsible parties, then issue a Class 1 misdemeanor, and then “contact supervision for assistance and proceed with criminal charges, if appropriate.” Maybe this is naive, but I’ll be surprised if anyone is actually charged with a misdemeanor for violating the Governor’s executive order.I tried to find more info on this, but failed. RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras says the school district will use “a combination of reallocated money from our budget and RVA philanthropy” to buy 10,000 computers for students who need them? He says we’ll have more details soon, so I guess I’ll just have to wait!Michael Martz at the Richmond Times-Dispatch has an update on a rehabilitation center in Henrico that accounts for three of Henrico’s 20 reported COVID-19 deaths. I think this piece is worth reading. While this is the most serious outbreak in our region that I’m aware of, the folks involved from the County, the Richmond/Henrico Health District, and the regional hospitals do sound like they’re taking the situation very seriously. The precautions and logistics and preparations described by Martz make me feel a bit of optimism—a strange and unfamiliar feeling!Ali Rockett, also at the RTD, writes through the Governor’s press briefing yesterday(2:00 PM daily!), and says that state parks are closed at night and that Chesterfield will “begin removing the rims from basketball courts; nets from tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts; and soccer and lacrosse goals throughout the county’s park system.” I rode my bike through Bryan Park the other day and all of the soccer fields were closed. This is serious business, people! Playing team sports is the opposite of social distancing!Yo, this is messed up. From Roberto Roldan at VPM: “Three employees told VPM they were fired from Richmond bowling alley River City Roll because they declined to work a crowded event two weekends ago…The company asked employees to sign a liability waiver, which VPM obtained, to work the St. Patrick’s Day event. It said ‘I have been made aware of any and all health concerns in regards to Coronavirus (COVID-19). I understand my employer, River City Roll, is not to be held liable if I contract COVID-19.’ Some Employees who did not sign the waiver and didn’t show up to work were fired.”The federal stimulus bill passed the Senate last night, and will head to the House for a vote on Friday at 9:00 AM. Here’s one of the better explainers I’ve found of what’s in the bill, from @yfreemark (with a transportation slant).The Commonwealth Institute has put together a good post about some of the newly-created resources for folks impacted by the coronavirus. Unlike the federal stimulus check which should just show up in the mail (for most documented folks who are In The System, at least), a lot of these new or expanded programs require folks to sign up, apply, or take some sort of action. If you know anyone who could take advantage, please make sure they do! And maybe help them with the forms—via the telephone, of course.BREAKING NEWS FROM THE RVA OSPREY CAM: Somehow the birds got ahold of a Kroger employee’s apron and have incorporated it into their nest. Marqi, if you’re looking for your apron and name tag, I have some bad news for you.This morning’s longreadGrieving the Losses of CoronavirusThis piece in the NYT resonated with me, especially the idea that we’re all grieving, and some of us are grieving not over the loss of life or loved ones but over the loss of normalcy.There’s a term to describe the kind of loss many of us are experiencing: ambiguous grief. In ambiguous grief, there’s a murkiness to the loss. A typical example could be a person whose spouse has dementia: you’re still married but your spouse no longer recognizes you. (Your partner is alive but “not there.”) Another might be the inability to get pregnant. (You’re grieving the loss of a child you haven’t yet had.) With Covid-19, on top of the tangible losses, there’s the uncertainty about how long this will last and what will happen next that leaves us mourning our current losses as well as ones we haven’t experienced yet. (No Easter, no prom, and what if this means we can’t go on summer vacation?)If you’d like your longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol’ Patreon.

Good morning, RVA! It’s 46 °F, and today looks a lot like yesterday. Expect highs in the mid 60s and a sneaky chance of rain throughout the day.Water coolerAccording to the Virginia Department of Health, there are nine presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth.Today’s coronavirus update is vastly different than yesterday’s, which just goes to show how quickly things can change. VCU and UR have both suspended class next week, through March 20th. When instruction resumes on the 23rd, VCU says “classes will be taught remotely for the foreseeable future” while UR says “faculty will prepare for the transition to remote instruction beginning March 23. Our community should be prepared for an extended period of distance learning.” Staff for both universities are expected to just come in and work like normal though, and that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.At the local public school level, Superintendent Kamras cancelled “all school-sponsored and division-sponsored travel outside of the Richmond area for both students and staff.” He’ll also ask the School Board to reallocate $500,000 towards “supplies and services dedicated to preparing for and responding to COVID-19.” While school will carry on as normal, for now, he does say that “out of an abundance of caution we are already developing virtual learning guidance and examining different ways of supporting families who rely on the school meals program due to food insecurity.“ Henrico County Public Schools has a similar update. Meanwhile, beginning today, Seattle Public Schools have closed for a minimum of 14 calendar days.The Atlantic 10 men’s basketball tournament, in which VCU plays at 12:00 PM today and UR tomorrow at 6:00 PM, will continue but without fans. In fact, the entirety of March Madness will “be played with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” and the NBA just suspended the rest of their season.Sean Gorman and John Reid Blackwell at the Richmond Times-Dispatch talked to some of the region’s major employers about their Work From Home plans. And I imagine we’ll hear from the City—which has been pretty quite on the coronavirus front—today or tomorrow. I’ll tell you what, I’ve got immediate questions about Shamrock the Block and whatever other St. Patrick’s Day celebrations folks have planned.Trump flubbed the announcement of a travel ban from Europe, and freaking Tom Hanks tested positive for the virus.A lot has changed in the last 24 hours! As for me, I am still not a doctor, epidemiologist, or public health expert, but I am going to continue to socially distance the heck out of myself from as many meetings as possible. In my opinion, this is civic duty stuff! I will do my part to avoid being a disease vector and avoid putting high-risk folks in danger.Read this Correspondent of the Day piece in the RTD! The editor of Hanover’s Lee-Davis High School paper—from 40 years ago!—writes in to say “Unfortunately I wasn’t courageous enough to outright call for a new school name in 1980…Now I do have the courage to speak out for what is right. We understand the importance of inclusion. The time has come to change the names of these schools and remove the vestiges of racism in our communities.” Love this!Rich Griset at the Chesterfield Observer has an absolutely wonderful piece about the County’s history and future of public transportation. Check this out: Not only will the new #111 bus down Route 1 open on Monday, but the County has “approved a grant funding request to study public transit options along Midlothian Turnpike from west of Chesterfield Towne Center to Chippenham Parkway near the Richmond city line.” What the heck! Who even is this County?? This piece also features a quote from yours truly, which reveals 1) where I grew up, and 2) that, yes, this is really how I talk.A while back, I wrote about the General Assembly’s dalliance with regional minimum wage and how that seemed both dumb and inequitable. Luckily, the GA decided to send a clean minimum wage bill to the Governor that gets most folks in Virginia a $12/hour wage by 2023 and then, possibly, a $15/hr wage by 2026. Phil Hernandez at The Commonwealth Institute has some good analysis on what this means for working folks from across the state.This morning’s longreadWhen a danger is growing exponentially, everything looks fine until it doesn’tThis piece is from two days ago, so, basically, it’s one thousand years out of date at this point. That said, this illustration about exponential growth is super helpful in grokking something that our brains are just bad at handling. The reason closing schools, canceling basketball tournaments, and practicing social distance are so important is that things look fine….until suddenly—very suddenly—they don’t.There’s an old brain teaser that goes like this: You have a pond of a certain size, and upon that pond, a single lilypad. This particular species of lily pad reproduces once a day, so that on day two, you have two lily pads. On day three, you have four, and so on. Now the teaser. “If it takes the lily pads 48 days to cover the pond completely, how long will it take for the pond to be covered halfway?” The answer is 47 days. Moreover, at day 40, you’ll barely know the lily pads are there.If you’d like your longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol’ Patreon.

Good morning, RVA! It’s 47 °F, cloudy, and that’s about today for you. However, tomorrow there is a small chance of…snow! Andrew Freiden at NBC12 says, as per always, Richmond is right on the line but could see actual snow—that accumulates—tomorrow evening! S(n)o(w) exciting.Water coolerRichmond police are reporting two murders. First, at 5:40 PM on Monday, officers on patrol near the 200 block of W. Charity Street heard gunshots, responded, and found Katrez T. Bryant, 18, shot to death. Second, later that same evening, police received a call of a person shot, arrived at the corner of Redd and Coalter Streets, and found Kieshell L. Walker, 25, shot to death.OK. Yesterday I wrote a few words about how I didn’t understand the bill that would create a state-level health insurance exchange in Virginia (SB 732, introduced by my very own rep, Sen. Jennifer McClellan). I heard from back from a bunch of folks (including the patron!) and now have a handful of links for those of us wishing to learn more about state-level health insurance exchanges—which is not a sentence super high on the list of sentences I thought I would ever write. First, a correction: A new, state-run exchange would replace the federally-run exchange in Virginia. You wouldn’t have to poke around in both systems. Whew. Second, locally, the Commonwealth Institute has a piece from back in October looking at several ways, including a state-run exchange, that the Commonwealth could reduce costs and increase access to health care coverage. Third, here’s an interesting stat from last March: Enrollment in Healthcare.gov decreased by 2.6% that year, while enrollment “in the 12 states running their own exchanges ticked up by almost 1%.” Actually, you can check out a graph of Healthcare.gov signups compared to the state-run exchanges since 2014 over on the very specific acasignups.net. One of my concerns is the cost of governments creating new custom software from scratch. I honestly cannot stop thinking about this fascinating thread (with a positive outcome) from Waldo Jaquithabout the proposed cost of new software to support a paid family and medical leave program in Virginia. We all remember the initial rollout of Healthcare.gov, and it’s not too hard to picture a local version of that whole situation. Luckily, this article from Pew Trusts says that a handful of states have made this same switch, and Virginia can learn from their mistakes and successes. Alright! Do you now feel better informed than yesterday??She’s running. Well, technically Mark Robinson at the Richmond Times-Dispatch says sources say that Councilmember Gray will run for mayor in 2020. We’ll see if a public announcement is forthcoming, and we’ll for real for real see later next month because the filing deadline for local offices is March 26th. Also fascinating is that Paul Goldman, who you may remember from the waste-of-time schools referendum from a couple years back, paid for polling to test the waters for Gray and provided the results to the RTD.As we inch closer and closer to spring, my most favorite time of the year fast approaches: Budget Season! Multiple people sent me this year’s budget calendar, which fills me with joy. As you well know, I spend a lot of hours of my life listening to Council’s budget sessions. I continue to think it’s one of the best ways to get a handle on the status of the City’s priorities. This year, though, it sounds like we will have fewer hours of audio to enjoy (I assume there are others out there listening to all of these meetings??). The current calendar shows just five sessions, compared to last year’s six, with each sessions lasting only two hours instead of five. I have no idea how they’ll get everything done in such a short amount of time, but I’m excited to find out.Last night Richmond’s School Board successfully voted to rename three schools, and Justin Mattingly at the RTD has the details. Say hello to Cardinal Elementary, River City Middle School, and Henry L. Marsh III Elementary! Personally, I love the move away from people’s names. Make sure you look through the presentation that includes all of the suggested names for all of the schools and the reasoning behind each of the finalists(PDF).Mike Platania at Richmond BizSense says that the Planning Commission approved the 12-story tower proposed for the corner of Lombardy and Broad Streets. As that New York Times article says: Build build build build build build build build build!Did you see that big fire off of Brook Road near I-95 last night? Carrie Rose Pace on Twitter has an incredible picture of the smoke stretching across the city’s skyline. The Richmond Fire Department says “A primary search was conducted with negative results, no injuries or fatalities to report at this time.” /r/rva, which is down at this moment, has a bunch of absolutely bananas photos folks took of the fire from various points around the city.This morning’s longreadThe Nuclear Family Was a MistakeThis long longread by, check notes, David Brooks(??) has some real interesting facts and figures about the decline of the nuclear family and the benefits of a larger, more interesting, more inter-generational family—even (or maybe especially) if that’s not a family you were born into. Honestly, I think this piece pairs wells with yesterday’s article about building more and denser housing (an article that President Obama just recommended you read). It’s hard to live with and around folks when present-day zoning makes that actually illegal.During this period, a certain family ideal became engraved in our minds: a married couple with 2.5 kids. When we think of the American family, many of us still revert to this ideal. When we have debates about how to strengthen the family, we are thinking of the two-parent nuclear family, with one or two kids, probably living in some detached family home on some suburban street. We take it as the norm, even though this wasn’t the way most humans lived during the tens of thousands of years before 1950, and it isn’t the way most humans have lived during the 55 years since 1965.If you’d like your longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol’ Patreon.

Good morning, RVA! It’s 55 °F with a bit of clouds and that is exactly what you should expect for the rest of the day. Enjoy!Water coolerThis is pretty incredible: Yesterday, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA. Ned Oliver and Graham Moomaw at the Virginia Mercury have all of the fantastic details. Tap the link for some cheers, tears, good quotes, and grumbly Republicans.Here’s a column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch by HOME’s Heather Mullins Crislip and Better Housing Coalition’s Greta Harrisabout the importance of affordable housing, specifically through housing choice vouchers. Now, I’m going to talk about some housing policy, and that is not my field of expertise. Please, if you are an expert and I get something wrong, yell at me! So, HCVs allow folks to live in market-rate apartments by using vouchers to supplement what they can afford to pay on their own. Unfortunately, the amount of folks who rely on HCVs vastly outnumbers the amount of landlords willing to accept HCVs. It’s pretty bad: The recently released Regional Housing Framework (PDF) says fewer than one in five apartment communities in the region accept vouchers. To address this need, Del. Jeff Bourne has introduced HB 6 which would add “source of income” as a protected class under Virginia’s Fair Housing Act. Should it pass, this bill would “prevent a landlord from denying an applicant simply because they will pay with a rental voucher…it also would not require a landlord to accept less than market rate for their apartment.” Which, is why the Housing Framework’s Solution 6-B is so important: Implement Small Area Fair Market Rents (p. 20). Currently, HCVs cover the difference between rent and 30% of the tenant’s income, and a SAFMR policy would allow those rents to be calculated by ZIP code rather than by the entire region. Which means more folks able to afford living in more places across the region. Now I gotta read some more about who’s responsible for getting a policy like that created. Housing, y’all! It’s a whole thing—rather, it’s a whole, huge set of things!While we’re talking about housing and vouchers and moving folks out of public housing neighborhoods, read this piece about RRHA’s recent vote to demolish Creighton Court by Mark Robinson at the RTD. First, the way the Housing Authority handles opportunities and process for public engagement needs improvement. I think that’s pretty clear. Second, I don’t feel like I have a good understanding of the history, vision, and timeline for Creighton specifically—and, generally, public housing in Richmond. I thought rebuilding Creighton Court has been the plan for a long time now? For example, here’s a 2013 article in the RTD about tearing down and rebuilding the public housing neighborhood using a Choice Neighborhoods grant (that the City did not get). But process is so important, and if this is all new news to folks living in the neighborhood, that’s unacceptable and something’s got to change. Here’s a good video of a public comment from that RRHA meeting dealing specifically with process. I’d love to read and learn more on this.Yesterday, I wrote about trees and had a couple of folks respond in a tree-positive way, wanting to know what to do and how to get involved. Three things! 1) You can contact Beautiful RVA for some great volunteer opportunities. 2) You can email your City Council rep and ask them to reconstitute (resuscitate?) the Urban Forestry Commission so the City can have more folks working the details and strategies behind restoring our urban tree canopy. 3) You can chip in $50 and participate in the City’s Adopt A Tree program which results in an actual tree getting planted. We need to do better, and I’m still struggling to find a way to talk about how trees and shade are a big deal—not just a neighborhood nice-to-have. I mean, heck, the latest episode of the 99% Invisible podcast is all about the seriousness of shade.Well, we did it! Tonight at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers, City Council will host their final NoBro public hearing. Of course it’s not truly the final hearing—as time progresses we only asymptotically approach that final hearing. Council will need to hold at least on more when the ordinances setting up the property transfers and right-of-way changes hit the agenda of their regularly scheduled meeting. Until then, we’re just waiting on the 3rd-party study that Council commissioned, and, then, it’s off to the races. And by races, I mean an hourslong Council meeting stretching into the night followed by a contentious vote.This morning’s longreadState Tax Proposals Would Make Virginia’s Tax System More FairRather than write a bunch of boring words about how some of the new tax plans down at the General Assembly will work, I figured I’d just link to these way smarter words from Chris Wodicka at the Commonwealth Institute.Public investments help to support communities across our state. State resources provide funding for public schools, health care, transportation, and more. However, Virginia’s current state and local tax system has two major challenges. First, the current revenue system is inadequate, which means it’s not generating the revenues necessary for public investments. For example, the state’s K-12 public schools, colleges, and universities continue to face funding challenges despite ongoing growth in the economy. Second, Virginia’s state and local tax system is upside-down. On average, the highest-income people in the state pay the lowest in state and local taxes as a share of their income. To address both issues, lawmakers should design tax policies that reduce taxes on families with low and moderate incomes, while asking the wealthiest households and large corporations to pay their fair share – including by closing some loopholes in the current tax system.If you’d like your longread to show up here, go chip in a couple bucks on the ol’ Patreon.

Paige Arnof-Fenn Paige Arnof-Fenn is the founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global branding and marketing strategy consulting firm whose clients range from early stage start-up to Fortune 500 companies including Colgate, Virgin, Microsoft and The New York Times Company.  She was the first ever VP Marketing at Zipcar heading all marketing and sales activity before it went public and was sold to Avis.  She was responsible for all branding, corporate communications and corporate partnerships for the business and was instrumental in the fundraising efforts.  Previously, she was VP Marketing at Inc.com and responsible for promoting the company to the business and media worlds, and also for driving E-commerce sales before the company was sold to Bertelsmann. Prior to that she held the title of SVP Marketing and was a key member of the IPO team at Launch Media, an Internet start-up that went public in early 1999 and was later sold to Yahoo. She built the marketing organization from the ground up, overseeing all marketing, advertising, corporate communications, market research and promotion as well as their in-house ad agency/art department. To learn more about Paige and her business, read her articles or listen to the podcast go to:  www.MavensAndMoguls.com    Paige has also worked as a special assistant to the chief marketing officer of global marketing at The Coca-Cola Company and held the position of director of the 1996 Olympic Commemorative Coin Program at the Department of Treasury, U.S. Mint. Prior to running the Olympic joint venture, Arnof-Fenn worked in brand management at Procter & Gamble.  She has been a featured speaker and panelist at the New England Direct Marketing Association, the MIT Enterprise Forum, The Commonwealth Institute, Harvard Business School, the American Marketing Association, Simmons School of Management (where she was also Entrepreneur-in-Residence and on the Dean’s Advisory Council), University of Texas, Emerson College, the Massachusetts Interactive Media Council, New York University, Women in Technology, Bentley College, Tufts University, Babson, The Boston Club, Youth Technology Entrepreneurs, Young Inventors International, various corporate workshops and conferences and she has been on the faculty of Continuing Legal Education.  She has judged the Dalton Pen, Web Marketing Association, Stevie Awards and was Jury Chair for ReBrand.  She has coached other entrepreneurs through Springboard Enterprises and hosted online webinars to share her marketing expertise with business owners around the world.    Paige is a founding Board member of Women Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology and she is the past Board Chair of the Alumni Board of Stanford University.  She has been the Appointed Director for Harvard Business School on the Harvard Alumni Association Board, which governs all the schools across the university.  She is also the former Vice President of the Harvard Business School Global Alumni Board and the only woman Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sports Museum at the Boston Garden, is an advisor to several early stage private companies and non profit organizations and is also a 3 time past president of the Stanford Club of New England which serves alumni in a 5 state region.  She holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.  She is quoted regularly in the media, was a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur and Forbes for several years, has been on the IDC Technology Advisory Council, selected as a Woman of Note by The Wall Street Journal and a Time Magazine Opinion Leader.  

An analysis of the tax-cut deal the Northam administration struck with Republican legislators suggests it rewards big business and high earners at the expense of low-income Virginians – many of them in GOP areas of the state. Michael Cassidy of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis discusses the proposal with politics columnist Jeff Schapiro. Support the show: http://www.richmond.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I wanted to make sure kids knew that they could make it.” — Tina Brown Tina Brown is the Executive Director of the Overtown Youth Center, a Mourning Family Foundation charity. Tina is also a Co-Chairperson of the Overtown Children & Youth Coalition, Co-Chairperson of the Equity Advocacy Coalition, and a Board Member of both the Commonwealth Institute and Urban Philanthropies. Tina sits down with the Innovation City team to talk about her journey and how she uses her own experience to help disadvantaged youth discover the options that are available to them and improve their lives.

Angela Birdsong, a 57 year-old Health and Life Agent, a graduate of Ithaca College, is also a graduate of The Commonwealth Institute with an Associates degree in Funeral Directing. A former commercial real estate agent, she serves as Chairman of the board for the West Coast AIDS Foundation, a board member for the Hands of Hope Sickle Cell Foundation. Angela is a member of the Hillsborough Democratic Black Caucus, and the Hillsborough Democratic Veterans Caucus. Angela is a child of immigrants from South America. She is a divorced mother of one and a resident of District 2 for 28 years. Her campaign "WE THE PEOPLE" actively seeks to hear the issues. She believes diversity is our strength, Angela wants to be the voice of the people.  Angela believes people should have a viable means of public transportation.  She feels that people deserve a safe, affordable place to live. She pridefully believes that we should take care of our teachers, veterans, seniors, firefighters and officers. Angela believes in affordable healthcare for all.   Angela says, "In order for our schools, roads, and public transportation (HART) to be funded, we have to be fighters and at the table.

My guest this week is Kirk Arnold, a veteran tech industry CEO, public board member, and lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Kirk was most recently the CEO of Data Intensity, a 650-person global managed services provider of cloud-based data, application and analytics acquired by EQT Partners in 2017. Before that she held roles as the COO of Avid, CEO and President of the then publicly traded billion-dollar service provider, Keane, Inc., and Founder and CEO of NerveWire. Kirk’s also become a kind of tech “CEO Whisperer” over the years, and serves on a range of boards from Ingersoll Rand to Cramer Marketing. She’s a huge supporter of the local innovation ecosystem here in Boston, rounding out her time at MIT with service on the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of MassTLC, as a Board Member at The Commonwealth Institute, and on the Advisory Committee for the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Kirk is the embodiment of the servant leader mentality, having started (and succeeded) as the kind sales person genuinely focused on earning her customer’s respect and not just their signature. Our conversation covers that, and a remarkable confluence of philosophies on matters significant and trivial, from what makes for an effective President to why showing up on time and prepared is a habit worth establishing and maintaining throughout your career.

Angela Birdsong, a 57 year-old Health and Life Agent, a graduate of Ithaca College, is also a graduate of The Commonwealth Institute with an Associates degree in Funeral Directing. A former commercial real estate agent, she serves as Chairman of the board for the West Coast AIDS Foundation, a board member for the Hands of Hope Sickle Cell Foundation. Angela is a member of the Hillsborough Democratic Black Caucus, and the Hillsborough Democratic Veterans Caucus. Angela is a child of immigrants from South America. She is a divorced mother of one and a resident of District 2 for 28 years. Her campaign "WE THE PEOPLE" actively seeks to hear the issues. She believes diversity is our strength, Angela wants to be the voice of the people.  Angela believes people should have a viable means of public transportation.  She feels that people deserve a safe, affordable place to live. She pridefully believes that we should take care of our teachers, veterans, seniors, firefighters and officers. Angela believes in affordable healthcare for all.   Angela says, "In order for our schools, roads, and public transportation (HART) to be funded, we have to be fighters and at the table."            

The RSC's production latest Tempest features Simon Russell Beale as Prospero and has a holographic Ariel. Does cutting edge technology sit comfortably inside Shakespeare's play which is so full of magic? Philip Roth's novel Indignation, set in 1950's America is now a film. Dealing with social mores, the desire to rebel and how it affects the rebel Zadie Smith's latest novel Swing Time is a story of the long and complicated friendship between two girls whose lives diverge. Divines is a Cannes Award winning French film set in the banlieue where crime seems the only way out of the social structure The Design Museum has reopened at a new site in Kensington in London - formerly The Commonwealth Institute, it has cost £38m to adapt - does it impress? Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Tom Holland, Sarah Crompton and Louise Jury. The producer is Oliver Jones.

Shakespeare's Globe artistic director Emma Rice is to leave the theatre in 2018 after its board decided her methods are not authentic enough. Rice took charge of the London theatre in January but has come in for fierce criticism, including for her use of sound and lighting technology. Theatre critics Sarah Hemming, of the Financial Times, and Ann Treneman of the Times, discuss the reasons for Rice's departure and The Globe's future.In a month's time the new Design Museum in London will be unveiled, having moved from its Thames-side home to its new, larger location, the building that was the Grade II* listed Commonwealth Institute in Kensington High St. John Pawson, the architect who has designed the interiors, and Dejan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, give John Wilson the first access to the £83m project.As Boyz N The Hood goes back into cinemas to mark its 25th Anniversary - and as a centrepiece of the British Film Institute's Black Star season - John Singleton talks to John Wilson about writing and directing what would become a ground-breaking film by the age of 23, and why the industry is more difficult than ever for black filmmakers.Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Jack Soper(Photo: Emma Rice. Credit: Imeh Akpanudosen / Getty Images for Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts).

Mandy Barnett, director of MB Associates, is a change management expert and accredited SROI practitioner with over 25 years' experience in the non-profit sector, including 16 years as a project manager in the museums and arts sectors. She combines strong analytical skills and an understanding of statistical and accounting principles with the ability to engage, negotiate and build strong working relationships. A former director of Bankside Arts Training Trust, head of exhibitions at the Commonwealth Institute and partnership development director for older people's services in Surrey. Mandy is now at the forefront of evaluation of social impact and wellbeing. She works with clients across the cultural, learning and social care sectors, sits on the SROI UK Council and provides practical guidance to Government. She has an MBA from the world-renowned London Business School and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.

is the S.Florida executive director for the South Florida Commonwealth Institute, she has over 25 years of business management experience. She talks about how the Institute helps women prepare for the next generation of C-suite positions. She also speaks about the challenges women are faced with and tips for women in C-suite positions. She talks about the mentors in her life.