Podcasts about general services

On today’s episode of Spotlight Now, we’re joined by Gov. Josh Green to go over the bills he plans to veto from this past legislative session. Then we interview Keith Regan, state comptroller and head of Hawaii’s Department of Accounting and General Services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are, you have no idea what DAGS is. It's a department in the state government. DAGS stands for the Department of Accounting and General Services. DAGS is responsible for a wide range of areas from accounting to archives, construction to technology, elections to 9-1-1. Many more divisions and agencies come under the DAGS umbrella. We'll learn about a few of the things going on as we chat with the Director of DAGS, Keith Regan. Michael T is your host.

Notes and Links to Donna Minkowitz's Work         Donna Minkowitz is a writer of fiction and memoir who author Mary Gaitskill has celebrated as “original, energetic, witty, and meaty.” Andrew Solomon dubbed her “utterly entrancing… a writer with breathtakingly fluent language.” She is also the author of the fantasy-influenced memoir Growing Up Golem and the memoir Ferocious Romance, about being an openly lesbian reporter covering the Christian right undercover. Growing Up Golem was a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and for the Publishing Triangle's Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, and Ferocious Romance won a Lambda Literary Award. Donna, a former columnist for the Village Voice and The Advocate, has also written for the New York Times Book Review, The Nation, Salon, Slate, and New York magazine.    DONNAVILLE, her first novel and third book, was recently published by Indolent Books. Buy Donnaville   Donna's Website   Book Review for Donnaville from Kirkus Reviews   At about 2:05, Donna provides background on her formative reading and writing years  At about 3:40, Pete and Donna talk about the benefits of reading works a bit too old for them At about 5:05, Donna responds to Pete's questions about the Torah and how its stories affected her writing At about 6:30, Donna talks about formative and transformative writers, including poets and Greek mythology At about 8:05, Donna responds to Pete's questions about representation in discussing the significance of Sappho's work At about 10:25, Donna discusses the nuances of the word “queer” and generational usages  At about 14:00, Pete and Donna stan Honor Thy Father by Gay Talese, which receives a shout out in Donnaville At about 17:20, Donna expands on writers who inspired her as a high school and college student; she talks about the complicated legacy and work of Tolkien  At about 21:30, Pete asks Donna and how the detail shown in Donnaville connects to her work as an esteemed journalist  At about 23:40, Donna talks about her undercover journalism work, including a memorable white nationalism conference and purported former Olympic hopeful At about 26:40, Donna talks about the book's opening scene and connections to her real life, with regard to therapy and therapists and ways of finding growth At about 31:55, Pete describes the book's exposition and compliments Donna's  At about 34:05, Donna cites Denise Levertov's and Delmore Schwartz's (“Narcissus”) work as inspiration for her book featuring a city inside her mind; Pete cites another wonderful Schwartz text, “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” At about 36:40, Donna talks about Foucault and resistance in connection to an evocative line from her book At about 37:20, Donna expands upon how there are two characters in the book who are not pieces of her, and she explains the significance of Harlequin in the book At about 41:45, Donna responds to Pete's question about the lying nature of Harlequin  At about 44:15, Donna and Pete explore ideas of connection and confusion between abusers and their young victims At about 47:50, Donna talks about early “action” that Donna in the book is urged to take At about 49:40, Pete highlights a beautiful quote regarding the “sacred divine” and Donna talks about expectations of hurt At about 50:30, The two discuss the contradictions of the book's jailer, and Donna further discusses ideas of shame At about 53:25, Donna expands on how she sees parts of her life and family in certain characters in the book At about 54:40, Pete shouts out a story, William Carlos Willams' “The Use of Force,” that explores ideas of sadism in similar ways as Donnaville  At about 55:50, Donna muses over ideas of self-care, emotional regulation, and structure in our lives featured in the book At about 57:35, Pete gives details about the book's main focus, and Donna responds to his observations about Donnaville as “a happily queer book” as she also expands upon pleasures found in the book At about 1:02:05, Pete cites traumas alluded to in the book and a deep quote about traumas emerging in people's lives At about 1:04:10, Donna ponders Pete's question about a nurturing group of older people and connects the book to Joseph Campbell's “Hero's Journey” At about 1:07:30, Pete and Donna discuss a possible animated movie based on the book and possible voice actors At about 1:09:25, Donna shouts out as bookstores to buy her book, such as The Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, Stanza Books and Binnacle Books        You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. This week, his conversation with Episode 255 guest Chris Knapp is up on the website. A big thanks to Rachel León and Michael Welch at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, his DIY podcast and his extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    This month's Patreon bonus episode will feature an exploration of the wonderful poetry of Khalil Gibran.    I have added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project of Pete's, a DIY operation, and he'd love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.     The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 277 with Jahmal Mayfield, who writes gritty crime novels that touch on large social issues. His stellar SMOKE KINGS was inspired by Kimberly Jones' passionate viral video, “How can we win?”    The episode airs on March 25.  

Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96 shares her insights on leadership, resilience, resurgence, perseverance, advocacy, and how she continues to serve her country, even after her military career. ----more---- A SHOW NOTE:  There are two ways to learn from Col. Malachowski's leadership journey. If you're short on time, the audio version delivers the highlights of her stories in 40 minutes. Her leadership bites, takeaways, keys to leadership and transcript are below. The video version is 1:46:00 and is well worth the investment of your time. This version includes stories and details about the Colonel's journey she hasn't shared before. Click the "Play" button in the video above and settle in for a most enlightening conversation.    SUMMARY Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96 is a trailblazer who has broken barriers in both military aviation and advocacy. She was one of the first women to fly combat fighter aircraft, accruing more than 2,300 flight hours in six different aircraft and serving in multiple high-stakes missions, including Operations Deliberate Forge and Iraqi Freedom. But her story doesn't end there. As the first woman to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a White House Fellow, and a key advisor on military and veterans' issues, Nicole's career has been defined by leadership at the highest levels. After being medically retired due to a Tick-Borne Illness, she turned her focus to advocacy, leading efforts to improve care for the wounded, ill, and injured service members through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program. Now a passionate advocate for Tick-Borne Disease research, Nicole serves on several national committees and advisory boards, including the Department of Defense's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program.   NICOLE'S LEADERHIP BITES "Leadership is a journey." "The runway behind you is always unusable." "Don't think you have to be perfect to be a leader." "Believe those who believe in you." "Nobody wants to lead a scripted life." "Courage, compassion, and curiosity drive me today." "It's okay to admit when you make mistakes."   SHARE THIS EPISODE LINKEDIN  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK   TAKEAWAYS Leadership is personal - It's about understanding what motivates and drives each individual on your team, and tailoring your approach accordingly. Believe in those who believe in you - Mentors like Mick Jaggers who supported and encouraged Nicole were pivotal in her development as a leader. Don't write yourself or others out of the script - As General Matthews told Nicole, "Nobody wants to lead a scripted life." Embrace opportunities to dream big and take risks. Radical acceptance is key - When Nicole's military career ended unexpectedly, learning to accept the situation allowed her to move forward and find new purpose. Personal values guide your path - Nicole's core values of courage, compassion and curiosity have been instrumental in navigating life's challenges and reinventing herself.   CHAPTERS 00:00  The Journey of Leadership 02:01  Colonel Malachowski's Early Life and Aspirations 06:01  Navigating the Air Force Academy 09:46  Leadership Lessons from Soaring 14:07  Overcoming Challenges in Pilot Training 17:50  Key Leadership Experiences in the Air Force 21:59  Becoming a Thunderbird Pilot 25:47  Transitioning to Civilian Life 30:02  Advocacy and New Beginnings 34:09  Personal Values and Resilience 37:54  Final Thoughts on Leadership   NICOLE'S KEYS TO LEADERSHIP SUCCESS Leadership is a journey that requires growth and learning. It's okay to admit mistakes and seek help. Resilience is key to overcoming challenges. Personal values guide decision-making and actions. Mentorship plays a crucial role in personal and professional development. Failure is often the price of entry for success. Authentic leadership is about understanding and connecting with people. The importance of representation in leadership roles. Transitioning to civilian life can be a new beginning. Embrace opportunities and seize the moment.   ABOUT NICOLE BIO Colonel Nicole Malachowski (USAF, Ret.) is a pioneering leader whose distinguished career spans combat aviation, military advocacy, and public service. As one of the first women to fly fighter jets, Nicole's journey included over 188 combat hours and multiple leadership roles, including F-15E Flight Commander, Instructor Pilot, and Flight Lead. She also made history as the first woman to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds. Throughout her career, Nicole demonstrated exceptional leadership, serving in high-level roles such as a White House Fellow and Executive Director of the ‘Joining Forces' program, where she advised the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden on veterans' issues. After being medically retired due to a neurological Tick-Borne Illness, Nicole transitioned to a new mission: advocating for service members, veterans, and others impacted by chronic illnesses. She's a leader in the national Tick-Borne Disease community, serving on key advisory boards and government committees, and actively mentoring wounded veterans through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program. Nicole is also a sought-after speaker, author, and consultant, sharing her experiences of overcoming adversity and breaking barriers to inspire the next generation of leaders. Her accomplishments include two master's degrees, induction into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame, and founding her own speaking and consulting firm. Today, Nicole continues to serve and lead, using her story to drive change and impact communities across the country.  - Adapted from Col. Malachowski's bio at nicholemalachowski.com   READ NICOLE'S FULL STORY HERE     CONNECT WITH NICOLE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM  |  NICOLE'S LINKTREE     ABOUT LONG BLUE LEADERSHIP Long Blue Leadership drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Spotify and all your favorite podcast platforms. Search @AirForceGrads on your favorite social channels for Long Blue Leadership news and updates!          ABRIDGED AUDIO TRANSCRIPT DOWNLOAD THE UNABRIDGED VIDEO TRANSCRIPT HERE  SPEAKERS GUEST:  Col. (Ret.) Nicole Malachowski '96  |  HOST:  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   SPEAKERS Naviere Walkewicz, Nicole Malachowski   Nicole Malachowski  00:11 You know, leadership is a journey. We're always put into positions that we're supposed to grow into. Don't think you have to be perfect to be a leader. It's okay to admit when you make mistakes, it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to have failures, as long as you overcome them. And I like to remind folks at all levels of leadership, you know that the runway behind you is always unusable. All you ever have is the runway that's in front of you.   Naviere Walkewicz  00:34 My guest today is Colonel Retired Nicole Malachowski, USAFA class of '96. Her career has been nothing short of extraordinary. Colonel Malachowski is perhaps best known as the first woman to fly as a pilot with the Thunderbirds, a singular distinction that set her path to reaching even greater heights. However, what you might not know is that her journey took an unexpected turn when she faced a sudden life altering loss of her place in the Air Force. The challenges that followed were extreme and personal, but through them, Colonel malikowski demonstrated a resilience and strength that not only transformed her own life, but also empowered her to help others with their own struggles. In today's conversation, we'll dive deep into the personal and professional journey that led her to transition to civilian life, the lessons she learned from the hardships she faced along the way, and how she now advocates for others, sharing the wisdom she's gained from the tough battles she's fought and won. We'll also take a look back at her time at the academy, her experiences as a pilot and the leadership principles that have guided Colonel malikowski, she has become a powerful voice for resilience, perseverance and leadership, and I'm excited to hear her insights on all of these topics. Colonel Malachowski, may I call you Nicole?   Nicole Malachowski  02:34 Yes, please.   Naviere Walkewicz  02:34 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, and thank you for being here.   Nicole Malachowski  02:37 Thank you for having me.   Naviere Walkewicz  02:38 It's a pleasure. It truly is. I think one of the things that's so exciting for our listeners is really getting to know you. And you know, I think there's no question about who you are in the media, I mean, all the things you've accomplished, but some things that are most special is when we just sit down and kind of get to know you behind the scenes.   Nicole Malachowski  02:53 Indeed, let's do it.   Naviere Walkewicz  02:54 So let's go back to even before the Academy. Where did you grow up? Where are you from? And what were you like as a little girl?   Nicole Malachowski  03:00 Sure, yeah. So I was actually born in central California, in a town called Santa Maria, and I was born, I consider very lucky, because I was born a woman in America, so there was a lot of opportunities, you know, afforded to me. Also very lucky to be born into a solid, you know, middle class family, you know, I was a kid who always had a roof over my head and food on the table, which makes it a lot easier, right, for you to seize opportunities and to be your best. And think it's important that we acknowledge that not everybody is born into that position. And so I was very, very lucky, I will tell you, I was definitely the loner, definitely an introvert. Always have been. A lot of people would be surprised by that, but I am a solid INFJ on the Myers Briggs, but as a young kid, just very quiet, kept to myself. I was very much a dreamer, very curious about things, so I loved to dive into books. I loved school. I was the kid that would take my lunch box, you know, out into the middle of the football field by myself and just stare up at the sky and the clouds moving by, and dream about things. I remember being in the Girl Scouts during junior high we moved down towards Southern California, where I learned about Civil Air Patrol, and then from there, in high school, we actually made a big move to Las Vegas, Nevada. I continued my time in Civil Air Patrol as a cadet, but also joined the Air Force Junior ROTC at my high school.   Naviere Walkewicz  04:16 I'm just drawn to this visual of you with your lunch box in the middle of the football field looking up at this guy. So were you dreaming about flying?   Nicole Malachowski  04:24 I was, you know, I went to an air show when I was five years old, and I remember seeing an f4 phantom fly by, and it flew by so low, and it was so loud, I had to cover my ears. And I remember, like, my chest rumbling, you know, the smell of jet fuel. And I remember thinking, man, like there's a person in there, like, I want to be, you know, that person. And I had come from a family that, you know, honored and respected military service. So both of my grandfathers were career military my father had been drafted into the army during Vietnam. So I knew that, like, you know, military service was honorable and noble and good. And when I discovered that that was a military plane. I remember as a kid putting one plus one is two. I'm like, wait, you can fly jets and serve in the military. That's what I'm going to be. And wow, that was around 1979 and that's right, there are no boundaries on things. So looking up at the sky, watching planes, and of course, in high school in particular, moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, because Nellis Air Force bases there. So, I mean, I would watch the red flag launches and watch how those jets fly. And of course, I would see the six ship of Thunderbirds flying by as a kid, thinking that was pretty cool. So to be honest, I set my sights on the Air Force Academy in elementary school.   Naviere Walkewicz  05:34 Oh, my goodness.   Nicole Malachowski  05:35 Yeah. So when I was five and decided to be a fighter pilot, you had decided, I mean, I was maniacally, maniacally focused. I did not have a backup plan. I am so lucky that things worked out because I have no idea what else I would have done, you know, with my career, but I remember in sixth grade, I wrote a letter to the Air Force Academy. They responded. The admissions office responded with a personalized letter letting me know I'm kind of young to apply now, but here's the application process. They sent me a whole bunch of Air Force Academy swag, and that was it sixth grade. I was going to the Air Force Academy, goodness, when you were actually old enough to apply. Now to the academy.   Naviere Walkewicz  06:13 Let's talk about that process. What was it like for you? Well, I mean, I think it was more exciting than anything else. I told you. I had stayed maniacally focused. I was very particular and organized about prioritizing how my application would look. So of course, I strove to have the good grades, and obviously stayed involved with the activities like Civil Air Patrol or participating in sports like running cross country and track, as well as doing, you know, community service type activities. So I was indeed focused on making sure that application looked good. I remember the thing I was probably the most nervous about were those interviews with your, you know, senators and your representatives, and wondering if I was going to be able to interview well. So I was, you know, putting my best foot forward. And I remember my senior year, it was approximately October, maybe coming up on November about this time, right? And I went to the mailbox to get the mail, and I had the application had already been in, right? Because everything was done before the fall, and I saw this giant envelope from the Air Force Academy. And I thought, No way, because it's only like October or November. And I started shaking, and I opened it right there at the mailbox. I had to go up the street. I opened it, and I feel bad because I think I littered like the envelope all over the street, but I remember opening it up, and the first line was, congratulations. You know, you've been accepted to the class of 1996 and I instantaneously just started crying and running as fast as I could back to my house.   Naviere Walkewicz  07:38 Had you been to the Academy prior to the acceptance?   Nicole Malachowski  07:41 No, never stood a foot on at all. And I remember when my parents came to drop me off for for Jacks Valley and everything basic training, when we came up over that hill, over Monument Hill, and you can see the chapel and the kind of imposing, you know, white buildings on a hill, I was like, Oh, wow, that's extraordinary. And I was really just excited. People ask, were you nervous that day? I was not, because I was just so happy that this, to me, was like the first step of the rest of my life. It was that first real step towards this goal of serving my country, you know, like people my family had, and getting to fly jets while I do it, how cool is that? I don't remember any highs or lows. I do remember I got my enjoyment becoming a cadet, you know, soaring instructor pilot.   Naviere Walkewicz  08:28 So let's talk about that. That is a, kind of a key leadership role as well.   Nicole Malachowski  08:32 Yes, that was my leadership role. So my senior year, I was the cadet soaring squadron commander. Oh, let's talk about Yes, yes. So obviously, between freshman, sophomore year, I signed up as soon as I could, you know, to take soaring, and when I discovered that you could actually apply to be a soaring instructor, and I remember that was a really like growth experience, because it's one thing to be able to fly a glider, it's another thing to be able to try to teach somebody how to do that. And I really, I I give a lot of credit to this, you know, sorry, instructor upgrade program teaching me the skills of, how do you communicate something technical? How do you communicate something hard, this idea that you need to be able to communicate it not just in one way, but two or three different ways, because each of your students is going to come at it with a different skill set or a different perspective or a different personality that responds to different type of teaching. So learning how to tailor your instruction and your care and your leadership to each individual was something I learned here, you know, as a sophomore, this idea that I would carry that on into my career as a leader and, you know, ultimately into being, you know, a fighter squadron commander. This tailored leadership actually started here, but soaring is what was my respite. Soaring is where I refilled that tank. It's one thing to be successful yourself. It's a whole different level to teach somebody else to be successful.   Naviere Walkewicz  09:55 So you knew you enjoyed Well, obviously you enjoyed the flying? And soaring, the leadership aspect, I think, was something that was new to you then. Or had you done that in Civil Air Patrol? Did you also have leadership there?   Nicole Malachowski  10:06 Yeah, I had leadership experience in Civil Air Patrol, but I think this was a different level. You know, my senior year becoming the cadet soaring squadron commander, it was really cool, because not only were you trying to take inputs from your peers and your colleagues on things we could improve or do differently, you know, valuing the other cadets opinions. But how do I translate that to leadership? How do I go now and talk to the real officers, the active duty officers in charge, and go, these are maybe resources we need, or things culturally, you know, that we need to change, and that was hard for me, you know, because I had never done that before. How do you advocate for your peers in a way that's understood, you know, by the active duty leadership. So that was really something that, again, would become important in my military career, because when you're put in a leadership role, you know, it's about, I think, advocating for the people who you are, you know, accountable for and responsible to, yes, and so how can you do that and do it in a way that it's received? Well, yes, you know, by the leadership above you,   Naviere Walkewicz  11:07 After you graduated from the Academy, you went on to pilot training.   Nicole Malachowski  11:11 I was slated to go early right after graduation, and I was a casual status Lieutenant flying gliders. Of course, went out for a jog and broke my ankle. So this would be my first kind of little, little detour. And I ended up, they offered me to go, to go to shepherd a lot later, or as soon as my ankle was healed, I could go to Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi right away. And I said, I gotta go, like, I cannot sit around and wait. I want to go to Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi. And everyone's like, what you're going to turn down, like, the chance of going to fighters to like, have to fight for it at Columbus. I like, I can't be stagnant. I need to go. So showed up at Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi, and again, really grateful for all of the flying experience that I had. I think that just those foundational procedures, you know, foundational knowledge, was vital to being a little more comfortable than other people that didn't have that experience. It was easy to be slightly ahead of the curve early on, but as I like to tell people, I fell flat on my face across the starting line my second check ride in pilot training, I failed. Now, pilot training at that time was about a year long. There were about 10 check rides, and at that time, failing one check ride, statistically, traditionally, would take you out of the running for graduating high enough to be a fighter pilot. This was devastating to me, and I remember even having fleeting moments that night of like, maybe I should just quit. Now this is, of course, the youth in me, right? I'm a 21 year old kid, and I'm just getting a little bit emotional about it, but if I can't be a fighter pilot and I just knock myself out of the running, I should quit. And I didn't call my parents because I didn't want to tell them I was too, like, embarrassed maybe, to say, like, hey, my dream that you all have supported is about to come to an end, because I messed up, and I made a really junior varsity mistake. And so I called my mentor, Sue Ross, and then she just let me talk, and she's like, are you done? And I'm done. And she goes, Well, are you going to do that again tomorrow? And I said, Sue, how am I supposed to get back in the jet tomorrow? How do I face my peers? I've been telling them I'm going to fly strike Eagles this whole time. Like this is so embarrassing. What if I fail again? What if I fail again tomorrow? And I remember, she talked me off the ledge, man, you know, and I came away. I came away with that conversation, realizing that indeed, I think I rarely believe failure is the price of entry for achieving something great, because if you have the right mindset, you come away with failures, I think a lot more committed, a lot more dedicated, a lot more focused, and I think a lot more humble, and all of those characteristics and traits are good things. You know, it worked out for me, and I did finish fourth in my class, and I had an extraordinary class. It was a time of great cultural change in the Air Force, because we were the first group of women to come through pilot training with the option of flying fighter aircraft.   Naviere Walkewicz  14:04 So talk about your time while you're in uniform. You had some key leadership positions. You were squadron commander. Can you share some of your stories with that and maybe even some high points and some lessons learned, where you as a leader felt that maybe, maybe it was a low point or a failure, but you grew from it?   Nicole Malachowski 14:20 Sure, sure. Yes. I mean, I had so many, you know, different fun assignments. You know, obviously when you're in your first fighter squadron, I got out at RAF Lake and Heath out there in England. I mean, what a rage right to be a lieutenant flying strike Eagles at 500 feet, 500 miles an hour, up Loch Ness, to live in the dream, you know, becoming in my second squadron, which was at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, becoming a, you know, flight lead and upgrading to instructor pilot. Very nervous to go into the instructor pilot upgrade. I went in very young. In fact, when I got to that squadron, the weapons officer said, hey, I want to put you in the instructor upgrade. And I was like, no. Away like I am not ready for that. I am not good enough for that. And I was new to the squadron. There were people technically older and more experienced than me. They were in the queue, and he wanted me to jump the queue, a guy by the name of Michael Jaggers, call sign, Mick, I'm still friends with him to this day, and I remember I avoided him. I avoided him like the plague because I did not want to upgrade to instructor. And I remember saying, Mick, I just am not sure I can do this. And he looked at me, and he said, it's not your job to get through it. It's not your job to get through it alone. It's my job. It's my job to ensure you have what it takes and what you need. It's my job to teach you to be a good instructor. So your success is going to be my success. I will not let you fail. What a glorious man, what a wonderful instructor. And the lesson learned here to people is this, believe those who believe in you. Believe those who believe in you.   Naviere Walkewicz  15:52 It's true, though it really is. And those people, I think sometimes your trajectory can change or just like, accelerate, because someone gave you a little bit of courage that you just needed that little piece.   Nicole Malachowski 16:03 And to learn as I gained experience and credibility how to replicate that and how to be that person for other people, right? Because it's about turning around. It really is about lifting up other people. Your success isn't your own. It's how can you help other people achieve the best of themselves? And that's what you know Mikey and Mick did for me. And of course, the rest, you know, being history, because then I had the credentials I needed to apply to be a Thunderbird. And then from the Thunderbirds, I could become a commander, yada yada, you know, but being an instructor pilot, again, in the F 15 e how extraordinary to teach a brand new pilot or WSO, not only to fly the aircraft, to how to employ it as a weapon system and then to turn around and go to war with them. There's no bigger honor. There's nothing, I think, more humbling than that.   Naviere Walkewicz  16:49 Can you share something that maybe you learned from the perspective of how to lead better?   Nicole Malachowski 16:55 So let's be honest, when you go into a fighter squadron, things are a little bit one note, right? I mean, we all are cut from a similar cloth. We all kind of have similar personality traits. You know, you don't want your fighter pilots any other way, putting the effort into understanding what drives and motivates individuals. So learning at that age how to put your arms around everybody that you're responsible for, not just the ones that maybe are easiest to lead, or maybe the ones you're the most comfortable, you know, interacting with as a leader is, how do I figure it out? You know, there were some guys that, if I were to call them on up to the front of the room, in front of the whole squadron, to compliment them on something they did, maybe a check right they had. Or this goes for my fighter squadron command as well. You know, they would love it, right? Because it it was how they were extrinsically motivated, and that's okay. There's nothing wrong with that. If that's what they need, and that's what you need to do to get the best of their strengths and best of their commitment go for it. And then were others that low? If I were to bring them in front of their peers to compliment them, they would shut down and never talk to me for the rest of the you know, their assignment. And so that's where I would take the time to write a handwritten note, maybe put it on the seat of their Humvee, or put it in their helmet, you know, in the fighter squadron. And then when they'd see me walking down the hallway, we give the knowing nod that they were acknowledged for their awesome, whatever it was, and we would move on.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:13 Yes. And so what I'm hearing, in a really, kind of summarizing way, is leadership is personal.   Nicole Malachowski 18:19 Very. it's all about people and it's about authenticity and connections.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:25 So speaking about personal and authenticity, I'd be remiss if we didn't talk about your journey to the Thunderbirds.   Nicole Malachowski  18:31 I knew this was gonna come.   Naviere Walkewicz  18:32 It's here, and so you know it is. It's a different time. There was no woman Thunderbird pilot before you.   Nicole Malachowski 18:40 I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, so the Thunderbirds were part of the backdrop. I knew that the Thunderbirds, you know, as a kid, were special and were considered, you know, elite. And kind of going back to my personality, I love being told that, you know, you can't do things. And the truth is, people laugh at this, but the truth is, when I applied to be a Thunderbird, I did it because the way my career was going, I wasn't ready to, I wasn't on timeline to go to ide yet or to go to ACSC, but I had, like, a weird year kind of gap, and I didn't they didn't really know what to do with me. I didn't know what to do with them, and my husband was going to be PCs in the Nellis. This is, like, a true story. Wow. I know people want me to say, well, I had this big, long dream when I was Thunderbird. Also thought about it was always in the background. Is something that, you know, wasn't, was an option. And I, you know, because of a lot of people who put a lot of effort into me, I was indeed qualified, you know, to get in there and to give it a try. But it wasn't something that was like an ultimate goal. I did not know they had not had a woman Thunderbird pilot when I applied, did not even occur to me. Remember, I had never known an Air Force without women fighter pilots in it. That's right, that's and we had all achieved the age where we had acquired the hours needed, and it just lined up with the timing. And I'm like, Well, that would be kind of fun and different to do. And. So I always tell people, you know, when you get those butterflies in your stomach that says, This could be something cool, something different, that is your cue to go do it. Don't worry about what anybody else is saying. And so, you know, I was able to put that application in. And in fact, I was I put that application in, and when I went and told everyone I was going to apply, generally speaking, people were really tickled and happy and happy and supportive. But as the days went by, people started to think about it. I heard, you know, it's too hard to be a Thunderbird, you probably won't get picked. I mean, statistically, no one gets picked to do that. They've never had a woman before. Are you sure you want to do that and this and that? And I remember the day I turned my application in. This was back when you still had hard copies, and you still had to mail them, okay, 2005 took it over to the group commander's Chief of Staff, slid it across the desk. I was super nervous, because the voice in my head was like, Nicole, other people become Thunderbird pilots, not you. That was the other people become Thunderbird pilots, not you. What are you doing? Why are you risking this? But I kept thinking, what's the worst that's going to happen? I don't get picked, like most people don't get picked, and I go back to flying strike Eagles with my community, which I love, like life is good, right? Either way, it's a win, win. So as I slid that application across the desk, said, I'm applying to be a Thunderbird. Here's my application. I remember the staff looked up to me and said, you know Nicole, It's hard to be a Thunderbird. You know Nicole, you probably won't get picked. And the exact words were, you know Nicole, they've never had a woman before, and the colonel can only stratify one person in that moment. Let's, I think there's leadership lessons here, because this person was not trying to be mean, right? What was coming out was, I think the unconscious bias all of us have to check ourselves on every day at all ages. I think what was coming out were the cultural paradigms of the Air Force at that time. And I think what was coming out, you know, were other people's expectations about what I should or shouldn't be doing. And in that moment, the truth is, I grabbed my application and I took it back, I went across to the officers club and grabbed a beer like any good fighter pilot would, and I remember thinking, thank God I didn't put myself out there. Thank God Nicole, you know, now I'm a 30 year old captain, so I'm still a young person, you know. Thank God you didn't risk failure. Who are you to think you could be a Thunderbird, silly girl, right? And in that moment, the weirdest thing happened. And I tell this story on stage, sometimes the door opened to the officers club, and in walk the Wing Commander, Brigadier General Mark Matthews, for whatever reason, comes over and starts talking to me. Now, this is weird, right? I'm a captain. He's a brigadier general. I don't know why he was talking to me, you know, like walking amongst the people that day, or, you know, just making small talk. And so I'm trying to hold my own talking to him a little bit nervous. It's a little you're probably still feeling a little bit down from totally down. And in that moment, over walks my squadron commander, a wonderful man by the name of Dan Debree. His call sign was, trash. Get it? Trash, debris. Trash. Walks over, super excited, very supportive of my application. And he's like, Hey, General, did you know Nicole's applying to be a Thunderbird now? Man, I mean, you could have slowed down time. I was like, ixnay on the underbird Fae like, this is terrible. Neither of these guys knew that I had removed my application. And Dan's standing there all proud. He's my squadron commander supporting me. A great man again. And Mark Matthews looks down at me, general Matthews, and he goes, that's great. How's your application going? And I'm like, I looked at him, and here's what happened. I said, you know, sir, it's hard to be thunder, but I probably won't get picked. They haven't had a woman, so I don't want to waste anybody's time.   Naviere Walkewicz  23:11 Oh, you said, I said it.   Nicole Malachowski  23:13 I said all of it. And this is kind of an embarrassing story to tell, but I'm just this is the truth, right? This is the vulnerable truth of how this happened. And and he looked down at me, and I will never forget this. And I hope folks listening who have big dreams and gnarly goals remember this. He looked down at me and he said, Nicole, actually. He said, Fifi. My call sign, Fifi. Nobody wants to lead a scripted life. And he walked away and left me in extraordinarily uncomfortable silence. And those words nobody wants to lead a scripted life have become my life's mantra. Every time I get the knot in my stomach that says that dreams too big or that idea is too innovative, don't rock the boat, I remember what he said, because those words, like they lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders, told me it was okay to dream big. It was okay to buck the status quo. It was okay to be different. He was telling me, it's okay to risk failure in pursuit of personal professional growth, and it's not so much. I think he's telling you and me to write ourselves into the script. What he was saying was, don't ever write yourself out of the script. And as leaders and teammates, don't you ever write anybody else or their wild ideas out of the script, either. And so nobody wants to lead a scripted life. And I, I hope what you're hearing in these stories, and maybe what I'm realizing just chatting with you, is these little turning points, these pivot moments where these really important people, the mark Matthews, you know, the Mikey whiteheads, the Mick Jaggers, the Sue Rosses, the Kim Jamesons, they all come at that right moment. You got to be open to that you know, and and how important your actions and your words are to making or breaking somebody else's journals.   Naviere Walkewicz  24:48 Yes, yeah, so you took that application back.   Nicole Malachowski 24:52 Sure did. Sure did. I did not get the number one stratification from the colonel, but I did from the general. And. So that worked out for me. When I really started thinking about, I think I was putting myself back in the kid in high school with her brown bag lunch out on the football field watching the Thunderbirds fly over that can tend to see that those six jets smoked behind in red, white and blue, screaming over your high school. You know, you wanted to be a fighter pilot. Since you're a kid, I'm staring up at them, thinking, there's people up there. You know, I want to be one of those people. This idea that there would be a little kid watching me as a Thunderbird pilot, and maybe someday go, maybe I could fulfill whatever my dream is. Maybe I could join the Air Force too, a little girl going, maybe I could be a fighter pilot someday. And I think the gravity and the weight of the mission of the Thunderbirds started to really impact me, because it had indeed impacted me as a kid, and the idea that I could be a part of that. And I think the other thing was, and maybe this sounds cheesy or trite, but it's not, you know, sitting at Al UD, drinking my one beer at three in the morning after I land from my night combat mission, sitting with all these great Americans from all over the country, from every different background, and thinking, I could go tell their story, and that's what Thunderbirds get to do. You get to represent the world's greatest Air Force and tell the stories of these airmen who are out there getting the job done, those tech piece those crew chiefs, you know, the folks that are working at the tower, the folks in the food hall, our medical professionals, the cyber the whole thing, right? And all of a sudden it got really exciting to me, like I could go out there with this team, with this mission, and we could represent our friends with the honor and the dignity and the respect that they deserve. And I think those two things kind of collided together, and I started getting really excited about excited about this Thunderbird thing. Ended up back at Lake and Heath painfully excruciating waiting for the vinyls. And when we got back from Iraq, they give you the kind of three weeks of downtime. My husband was a gracious man and took me on a Cruise of the Baltic Sea. We're sitting in our cabin in Oslo Norway, and the phone in the cabin rings. The phone in your cabin, phone in my cabin rings. It's about 10 o'clock at night, but full sun outside, because it's summertime in Norway. And immediately we looked at each other, and both of our heart we've talked about this, both our hearts sank, because why does a phone call come to military people on vacation? It's not never it's never good. Yeah, and I was a flight commander at the time. So was he we immediately thought something disastrous had happened, an aircraft accident, a death, you know, a car accident. And we let it ring another time, and he's like, You need to pick it up. And I picked it up. And I said, Hello. And they go, is this Captain malikowski? I said, Yes. And they go standby for the commander of Air Combat Command. Oh my gosh. And I looked at my husband, and I was like, What is going on? Well, I knew this was the consolation call. There was, I think, I think there was five or six of us who had made it to finals. Three people were getting good position. The other were not. And it is tradition that the commander of Air Combat Command calls all six, coach is very gracious and professionally courteous. And so I thought this was my consolation call. So I'm waiting, and it feels like an eternity, and all of a sudden I hear Stevie there, and I said, Yes. He goes, Ron keys which was General. Ron Keyes, Commander, Air Combat Command. I'm a young captain. I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. And I go, sir, how are you? He goes. We have a pretty amazing Air Force that we can find you in the middle of the Oslo Norway fjord, don't we? I said, Yes, sir, we do. He goes. Well, I know you're on vacation, so I want to keep it simple. I want to offer you a job. And I said, Yes, sir. He goes. How would you like to be Thunderbird number three? And I said, I stayed as professional as I could in my voice, but I was looking at my husband gesticulating, jumping up and down like you're not gonna believe I said, Sir, I would absolutely love that. He goes, Okay, great. You're the next Thunderbird number three. Look forward to watching you fly and get back to your vacation. And he hung up the phone. You know, the Thunderbirds are, at that time, 125 people from 25 different career fields who came together to make that mission happen. Wow, never been in a squadron with that many high performing, highly motivated people in my life. I am still dear friends with my crew chief, still friends with people on the team. It is such a crucible experience. It's a one off, you know. Well, fast forward. Finish up the Thunderbirds. I get a phone call. He goes, it's Viking blurling. I'm like, How the heck did this guy that I met once get my phone he goes, Hey, when I was an Air Force officer, a young fighter pilot, I did acse as a White House fellow, and I think you should be a White House fellow. I said, Well, what's the White House Fellowship? So he explains it to me, and I'm like, there is no way I will get picked as one of 12 to 15 people across the United States, across all career fields, including civilians, to be a White House fellow. Colin Powell was a White House fellow. I am not a White House fellow. This is ridiculous. So I entertained his conversation. He says, I want you to think about I'm gonna call you back tomorrow, same time. Boom. Phone rings. Viking borling, you're applying to be a White House fellow, no, sir. I'm not. Third day ping. Phone calls. You're applying to be a White House fellow. Anyways, I applied to be a White House fellow. Went through that whole process, semi finals, regional panel interviews, and then the finals, and was selected to be a White House fellow. I got assigned outside of the White House to the US, General Services, Administration, yes, like, it was exciting. And I was like, this is where the nuts and bolts happen? Well, the GSA also runs what's called the office of the president elect. Between election and inauguration, the incoming president and their team needs to have a place to get ready, like our current incoming administration is doing. It's a physical office building where they make decisions about cabinet secretaries, or they get their intelligence briefings and all of that. Guess who got put on the presidential transition support team to be up close and personal for the peaceful transition of power between George Bush and Barack Obama? Wow. The extraordinary part about the White House Fellowship was most of the fellows were civilian, and I had been nothing but military since I was 17 years old and showed up at the Air Force Academy. So to be able to look at leadership and teamwork and professionalism from a completely different lens, to see how people from the education field or from healthcare would solve a problem was fascinating. You know, we in the military can look to solve problems a very specific way, and a lot of us are a little bit very specific in how we do it. And so to learn how to look at problems and solve things in different ways was extraordinary.   Naviere Walkewicz  31:23 So your career trajectory is just really incredible. Because you've kind of talked about how you've been put in these places based off of circumstance, but then when you get there, it's all about, how do you make the most of it, seize the opportunity and see what's available.   Nicole Malachowski  31:38 A lot of times, you know, as human beings, we go, Well, I don't have this, or I can't do this right now, or not resource this way, man, find a way. Yeah, ask yourself the right question. What is it I can do right now with what I have?   Naviere Walkewicz  31:49 Well, that makes me feel like that's a really good lead into kind of what circumstantially happened to you, unexpectedly. Yes, so you're medically retired from the Air Force. Do you want to talk about how that happened?   Nicole Malachowski  32:00 And sure, sure, you know, the the greatest honor of my career was serving as the commander of the 3/33 fighter squadron. I enjoyed that, and I remember also during that time being physically fit, mentally fit, spiritually fit. And I remember feeling ill in the summer of 2012 like I had the flu, but within three months, I started having severe neurological problems, so things like word finding, slurring my words, inability to read write, inability to type, dropping things with my right hand, dragging my right leg, getting lost, driving home, and I remember going into a grocery store and having a complete panic attack because I didn't know what a grocery store was or why I was in there so very Alzheimer's dementia like symptoms. So in fact, what was happening was my brain was becoming inflamed with an infection. So over the next four years, my symptoms would wax and wane. They would come and go, they would change in severity. Obviously, I could no longer fly. I was grounded, but they said, Hey, you can stay in the Air Force. You just can't fly. And I said, that's great, because honestly, I just want to lead airmen. Lead airmen and be a part of a team. So, you know, there's a lot of details, you know, to this story, but my symptom list was like 63 symptoms long, covering every system in my body. And so they cast the net wide, and that's where tick borne illness came into it. And at that time, I was in a wheelchair. I couldn't talk. My husband was wheeling me around, and I remember when the doctor said, we come on in. We have the diagnosis. We know what's wrong with her. The doctor says she'll never fly again. And my husband said, Well, how long until she's better? And she goes, Well, treatment is going to take at least two years. And it was in that moment, it wasn't that I wasn't going to fly again, that hurt. But when they said two years, I knew that the military was going to medically retire me, I knew it was over, and I couldn't speak or say anything, and I was just devastated. I remember my goal was to be the commandant of the Air Force Academy. That was my dream. And all that just came crashing, you know, crashing down. And in that moment, so for nine months I couldn't walk, talk, read or write. I spent another year and a half in rehab, and during that time, obviously went through my medical evaluation board, but I was medically retired, I fought to stay in and then I realized my body wasn't gonna let me and once I accepted that it was over, you know, I was able to move forward so radical acceptance was a hard thing to come by. But the day of my retirement, December 29 2017 came, I was home alone because I was bedridden and house bound for two years. Um, was very hurtful. Remains hurtful. How my Air Force career ended. I love the Air Force based on all the stories that I told, but this moment is very painful for me. It still is. And, you know, I thought, well, what are you going to do about it? You know, you can't. Change that you were bit by tick, can't change that you have a brain injury. What are you going to do? Girl, you know, the fighter pilot in you is not going to quit. And that's when I decided, well, I'm going to, you know, I got to do something. And the phone rang, and the phone rang, and it was during this time, a gal by the name of Buff Bucha, retired colonel, had been in a helicopter accident broke her neck in Afghanistan. She said, Hey, how you doing? I said, I'm not good. She goes talk to me, and I remember for two hours just vomiting everything out to this person I didn't really know very well. Well, she was calling from the Air Force Wounded Warrior program, wow, and the Wounded Warrior program swooped in to save me, and I ended up becoming a trained ambassador and a trained mentor, which I still am to this day. I'm able to help other airmen who are being discharged, but I just want to give a shout out to the Air Force wind Warrior Program, psychologically and mental health wise, I don't know that I would have recovered, and that I would have recovered to the place that I am today without them. And so I want for the active duty, listening for people in the reserve and the guard. It is for you, yeah, it is for everyone, and it is literally a life saving program.   Naviere Walkewicz  32:45 Maybe talk about what you've been doing then since.   Nicole Malachowski  36:16 Yeah, I do leadership consulting and professional speaking, but predominantly, that helps pay the bills, and I enjoy it. Predominantly, I do patient advocacy work at the national level, so I'm on several government boards. I'm on several nonprofit panels. We've tripled them, and IH funding through the state and like TicK Act and things like that. I'm currently on a National Academies of Science Committee. Can't talk about that because our report will come out in the spring. I hope everyone will read it. But Lyme disease, I went from being a fighter pilot to being an expert on ticks and Lyme disease. Who knew the path to success is always going to be non linear.   Naviere Walkewicz  36:49 Yes, you also mentioned you have children. You have twins. Do so how is it talk about, like family life in this new kind of in the way that you're working now, right? You're not in uniform anymore. You're still pushing amazing things forward. You're consulting what's it like being a mom?   Naviere Walkewicz  37:06 Man, it's harder, it is harder to raise 14 year old twins than it is to get shot at  in combat, I will tell you that. So you know, the person that's been missing in this whole time we've been talking is the most important person in my life, which is my husband, Paul. So we will be married. We just, yeah, just had our anniversary. 23 years. I met him in my first fighter squadron in the late 90s. He's an F-15E WSO. So we met flying together. And my biggest cheerleader, my biggest supporter, the greatest human being on Earth, is my husband, Paul.   Naviere Walkewicz  37:38 I want to talk about this resurgence, because I feel like that is really important for some of our listeners. When they're, you know, they're thinking about you said you got to know who you are and what's important to you. And how did you get to that clarity?   Nicole Malachowski 37:52 You really need to be able to answer the question, what is it I value and why? And I'm talking about your personal values, the ones that you're going to wake up with every day and go, these are my values. And so I'll tell you what mine are. Mine are courage and compassion and curiosity, and I developed those as I went through this deep thinking and deep reinvention, when I lost my career and compassion, courage and curiosity are what drive me today.   Naviere Walkewicz  38:18 We'll ask for Nicole's thoughts on reinvention, resilience and leadership. But before we do that, I'd like to take a moment and thank all of you for listening to long blue leadership. The podcast publishes on Tuesdays in both video and audio, and is available on all your favorite podcast platforms. Watch or listen to all episodes of Long blue leadership and subscribe at longblue leadership.org so we have had an incredible journey together, and really where we'd like to go. One final thought on leadership, if you might, leave your listeners with something about leadership, and I can say just from being in this short amount of time with you, your your 3 Cs are coming out in spades, your compassion, your curiosity and your courage. So thank you.   Nicole Malachowski  39:01 Thank you. You know leadership is a journey. We're always put into positions that we're supposed to grow into. Don't think you have to be perfect to be a leader. It's okay to admit when you make mistakes, it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to have failures, as long as you overcome them. And I like to remind folks at all levels of leadership, you know that the runway behind you is always unusable. All you ever have is the runway that's in front of you.   Naviere Walkewicz  39:25 Well said, well said, Thank you so much for being on long blue leadership.   Nicole Malachowski  39:29 Thank you for having me. And here's a shout out to the current cadets that are working hard up on the hill, yeah, wishing them best and hoping they take it one day at a time.   Naviere Walkewicz  39:36 Absolutely. And for our listeners, I mean, I think that it's, it's it's certainly one thing to say, you know, you get to meet these incredible leaders, but my ask of you is to share this with your networks, because it's great if you felt something and you've had an impact in your life, but imagine the magnitude you can have by sharing some of the stories of our leaders like Nicole today with your networks and the change we can make together. So until next time, thanks for being on. Long blue leadership, thank you for joining us for this edition of long blue leadership. The podcast drops every two weeks on Tuesdays and is available on all your favorite podcast apps. Send your comments and guest ideas to us at social media@usafa.org, and listen to past episodes at longblueleadership.org.   KEYWORDS leadership, resilience, resurgence, Air Force Academy, mentorship, aviation, women in military, pilot training, overcoming adversity, personal growth, fighter pilot, mentorship, leadership, Thunderbirds, women in military, self-doubt, White House Fellowship, WASP, Air Force, personal growth, diversity, WASP, Air Force, medical retirement, resilience, leadership, Lyme Disease, tick-borne illness, self-discovery, personal values, reinvention, advocacy         The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association and Foundation    

After SEVEN years of podcasting, we finally get to say, "Welcome to our brand-new studio" — complete with a library of haunted artifacts, paranormal goodies, and, of course, some curious friends from the other side. Today's episode has it all: shadowy whispers, supernatural book collections, and a chilling doll encounter that sparked one of the scariest dreams Corinne has had in ages.

Henrico County officials will host a community meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17 to discuss plans to rebuild Eastover Gardens Firehouse 6 at Gay Avenue and Millers Lane. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria of Montrose Elementary School, 2820 Williamsburg Road, and will include Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson and members of the Henrico Divisions of Fire and departments of Planning and General Services. Those unable to attend the meeting in person can attend virtually through WebEx or email questions about the plans to rebuild the firehouse to firedept@henrico.gov.Article LinkSupport the show

We wrap up our Behind the Scenes with General Services miniseries this week with our guest, the Director of General Services, Grace Boone.

Robbie Torrey, Assistant Superintendent, and Mark Rogers, Lead Groundskeeper, are our guests on the podcast this week. Tune in and learn about all of the hard work that goes into keeping the County running.

Andrea Case, Sustainability Coordinator, and Regina Jackson, Administrator Coordinator of Sustainability, are our guests on the podcast this week. Tune in and learn about all of the hard work that goes into keeping the County running.

Matthew Prince, Solid Waste Superintendent, and Jacob Frederick, Solid Waste Foreman, are our guests on the podcast this week. Tune in and learn about all of the hard work that goes into keeping the County running.

Curbside recycling rates are changing and to help us understand why, we are joined by Jennifer Wheeler and Tracy Hofmeyer with VPPSA, Kathy Russell with TFC and Jo Anna Ripley with General Services on This Week in James City County.

Jeff Porter, Facilities Superintendent, and John Butcher, HVAC & Plumbing Supervisor, are our guests on the podcast this week. Tune in and learn about all of the hard work that goes into keeping the County running.

Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and Jamestown District Representative Jim Icenhour joins us on the podcast this week to discuss the future of Williamsburg-James City County Schools, the proposed government center and growth. Check it out and let us know what you think. We will be back with our miniseries on Behind the Scenes with General Services next week! 00:47 – Schools 6:44 – Proposed Government Center 11:48 – Growth 17:00 – Budget 18:32 – Regional Sports Facility

Shawn Gordon, Chief Civil Engineer, and Jeff Louke, Operations Project Coordinator, are our guests on the podcast this week. Tune in and learn about Capital Projects. As a reminder, for the next several episodes we are going behind the scenes in the General Services department where we will meet many of the employees who work hard to keep things running in James City County.

Jo Anna Ripley, General Services Assistant Director, and Tyler Buel, Utility Account Representative, are our guests on the podcast this week. Tune in and learn about all the work Support Services does with customer service, budgeting, tracking energy use and more! As a reminder, for the next several episodes we are going behind the scenes in the General Services department where we will meet many of the employees who work hard to keep things running in James City County.

Kavin Carr, Security & Custodial Superintendent, is our guest on the podcast as we continue our miniseries this week. Tune in and learn about all of the work that goes into keeping County buildings safe and clean. As a reminder, for the next couple of months, we are going behind the scenes in the General Services department where we will meet many of the employees who work hard to keep things running in James City County.

Toni Small, Director of Stormwater, and Brock Carawan, Stormwater Inspector II, are our guests on the podcast as we continue our miniseries this week. Tune in and learn about how the ponds throughout the community help protect the Chesapeake Bay. As a reminder, for the next couple of months, we are going behind the scenes in the General Services department where we will meet many of the employees who work hard to keep things running in James City County.

Buddy Stewart, Director of Fleet & Equipment and Bobby Bradley, Fire Rescue Tech III, help kick off our new miniseries this week on the podcast. For the next month or two, we are going behind the scenes in the General Services department where we will meet many of the employees who work hard to keep things running in James City County.

This episode profiles the double murders of Baltimore City Police Officers 26-year-old Adam Vazquez and 34-year-old Leslie Ann Holliday, who were killed by Leslie's disgruntled ex-boyfriend, 33-year-old Eugene Victor Perry, Jr., on December 21, 2005. Eugene was a General Service Officer with the Maryland State Department of General Services and the murders occurred after Eugene went to Adam's home in the 300 block of M'Ladies Court in Pikesville and confronted the couple in Adam's bed. This episode also profiles the unsolved homicide of 37-year-old Gladys Faye Dobbins Beauchamp who was found brutally murdered near a wooded area near Crain Highway and Oak Manor Drive in Glen Burnie, on October 11, 1989.

Melanie Jacobs ist Vorstandsassistentin Human Resources & General Services bei der ERGO – dabei wollte sie nach der Schule nicht mal studieren.

Project Inspire is an interview podcast created and produced by students in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and sponsored by Haslam's Office of Student Engagement. In this episode, we are joined by Christi Branscom – Ms. Branscom is Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services and President of the National Association of State Administrators. Ms. Branscom is also an entrepreneur, licensed attorney, and Principal Broker. In both the public and private sectors, Ms. Branscom has leveraged her legal expertise and extensive real estate knowledge to passionately serve others.  Executive Producer and Host: Emily Whelan Producers: Tyler Porter and Jackson Farr Contributors: Kate Malooley, Tatiana Phelps, Veda Seay Music: Nature by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by http://chosic.com Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/project-inspire/message

In this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Jennifer Saha and Russell Lowery discuss the SB DBVE option, a State-contracted vehicle designed to streamline the execution of small contracts under $250,000 with small businesses and disabled veteran businesses. It is deemed a 'secret weapon' for entities seeking to do business with the state, due to its flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and its ability to be executed quickly. Furthermore, this contract option helps the state in reaching business diversity goals. The hosts encourage small businesses and DVBEs to seize this opportunity and suggest that an inflation-adjusted increase in the cap will allow more small business participation. The certification process is managed by the Department of General Services, and the hosts recommend potential contractors investigate and establish a good fit with a state department before pursuing any opportunities. 00:06 Introduction to the Episode00:14 Recap of Previous Episode and Introduction to New Topic01:00 Exploring the SB DBBE Option for Small Businesses01:38 Comparing SB DBBE Option with Traditional Bidding02:40 Advantages of SB DBBE Option for Small Businesses02:52 Rationale Behind the Development of SB DBBE Option05:27 How to Suggest SB DBBE as a Contracting Vehicle06:44 Types of Contracts Suitable for SB DBBE Option07:43 Steps to Engage with the Opportunity as a Small Business08:40 How to Approach Agencies and Do Your Homework09:37 Conclusion and Call to Action for Policymakers

Guest: ANA M. LASSO Director, California Department of General Services Ana M. Lasso was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as the Director of the California Department of General Services on March 19, 2021. Previously, Director Lasso served as the General Manager of Los Angeles' Exposition Park, a position to which she was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in April 2014. Director Lasso leads the Department of General Services (DGS), which serves as the business manager for the state of California with over 3,500 employees and a budget of more than $1 billion. DGS serves the public by providing a variety of services to state agencies through procurement, acquisition solutions, creative real estate management, design, innovation, environmentally friendly transportation, and funding for the construction of state schools. DGS also serves as a control and oversight department to help protect the interests of the state of California. In her previous role, Director Lasso represented the state during real estate negotiations to secure the Los Angeles Football Club−Banc of California Stadium and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art at Exposition Park. She also led the park through one of its most triumphant economic development periods, with over $1 billion in construction dollars invested throughout Exposition Park's 160 acres.  Prior to her gubernatorial appointments, Director Lasso managed the Joint Use Development Program for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Joint Use Development Program created community partnerships and capital improvement projects to provide features and enhancements for public schools that provide benefits to students and the surrounding community.   In addition to her expertise in real estate development and strong commitment to public service, Director Lasso has worked at the international level on issues such as economic development, education, city design and housing.  Director Lasso holds a master's in City Planning and Urban Design Certificate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and dual bachelor's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her commitment to underserved communities is undeniable and has been recognized through awards such as the 2021 Mujer Cambiando el Mundo Award from the Regional Hispanic Institute, 2020 Bridge to the Future Award from A Place Called Home, City Council District 9 SHero Award in 2017, the Los Angeles County Medical Association's Innovation Award of 2012, Building and Construction's 2011 “40 Under 40,” the MIT Departmental Service Award, the UCLA Charles E. Young Humanitarian Award and her appointment as a Hispanas Organized for Political Equality “HOPE” Leadership Fellow.  Ana M. Lasso resides in Whittier with her husband Jose Hernandez Vicente, their two children Alba Marina and Diego Jose and two dogs.  Haydee Urita-Lopez Editor: Grecia White --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plandulcepodcast/message

Sheriff Marian Brown sits down with Michael Molthan - M2 The Rock. Sheriff Brown was appointed Interim Sheriff of Dallas County on December 19, 2017 and sworn in on January 1, 2018. Sheriff Brown is the first African-American Sheriff in Dallas County and one of only five African-American female sheriffs in the United States. Sheriff Brown began her career in law enforcement in 1988 with the Duncanville Police Department. She was a pioneer, in that she was the first African-American female hired by the Duncanville Police Department. She quickly ascended in rank, promoting to the rank of sergeant in 1993. While in that rank, she served as a first-line supervisor in the Patrol Division. In 1995, she was assigned to the Community Relations/Crime Prevention Division, where was tasked with creating a Community Oriented Policing Task Force. Through this unit, she formulated such programs as Citizens on Patrol and Duncanville Police Beat, a weekly information program hosted by Brown and broadcast on local cable. Other programs managed by Brown included Citizens Police Academy; Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT); Hand-in-Hand and Success Through Accepting Responsibility or STAR Program, (a school-district-wide character education program implemented in ten elementary schools, three intermediate schools, and two junior highs. Each school had an assigned officer to interact with students and emphasize the character trait each week.) Sheriff Brown is known throughout the law enforcement community for her role as a law enforcement trainer/anchor on the Law Enforcement Television Network (LETN), an international law enforcement satellite network based in Carrollton, Texas. Sheriff Brown worked with LETN for ten years, while continuing her service with the Duncanville Police Department. In 1997, Brown was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. She continued to work in the arena of community relations, but eventually returned to the Patrol Division to serve as commander. In 2005, she was assigned to command the Criminal Investigations Division. There, she served until 2007 when she was named to the position of Assistant Chief of Police. She served as Assistant Chief until 2014, when she retired and joined the Dallas County Sheriff's Department to serve as Chief Deputy in charge of General Services. Bachelors of Arts Degree — University of Texas at Arlington Master Peace Officer Certification Graduate of the International Law Enforcement Institute's Management College Graduate of the FBI National Academy Associates Command College #hope #addictionrecovery #recovery #podcast #mentalhealth #backtheblue #m2therock

Delano Hunter is the Acting Director of the DC Department of General Services. Director Hunter is a long-serving member of the Bowser Administration, serving in senior leadership roles in four different agencies. During his tenure at the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Director Hunter managed a comprehensive recreation system with a combined operating and capital budget of $218 million, more than 1,000 employees, and a diverse portfolio of 104 recreation facilities, 930 acres of green space, and 212 fields and playgrounds. DPR served more than 2 million visitors annually through expanded programming and facility access and was ranked the best park system by Trust for Public Land in 2021 and 2022. Before serving at DPR, he served as Chief Service Officer of the Mayor's Office of Volunteerism and Partnerships (Serve DC). During Director Hunter's time at Serve DC, the agency's federal grant funding increased by nearly 40%, and over 12,000 residents and stakeholders were engaged each year, participating in innovative emergency preparedness trainings, including Active Shooter Response, First Aid/CPR/AED, and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Throughout Director Hunter's tenure, Serve DC's oversight of AmeriCorps DC was an essential agency responsibility. The nationwide service program addresses critical community needs, including increasing academic achievement, combating poverty, providing mentorships, and sustaining national parks. Before his public service career in the District government, Mr. Hunter worked within the Retail Development Program for Nike Inc. in Beaverton, Oregon. While at Nike, Mr. Hunter co-founded the Nike Product Creation Experience (NPCE). The mentoring program enabled high school students to gain exposure to product development and marketing from industry professionals. In 2008, Mr. Hunter was recognized as the Nike Black Employee Network Person of the Year. Mr. Hunter is a native Washingtonian and Spingarn Senior High School graduate. He attended Delaware State University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Business Management. Mr. Hunter went on to earn his MBA from the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dreamsbyanymeans/message

At its recent Net Zero Forum, Smart Energy Decisions recorded onsite interviews with energy customers at various stages of their decarbonization strategies. This episode features conversations with energy customers in higher education. This series of interviews aims to provide listeners with insights and inspiration to help them on their clean energy journeys. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Michigan State's energy transition plan [03:01] Energy challenges at Michigan State [08:36] Bard College at Simon's Rock''s energy projects and goals [14:56] Proving a business case at private colleges [16:39] Sustainability at California State [25:19] Funding challenges at a large public university [30:19] Inclusivity and sustainability goals [37:46] Click here for show notes   Resources & People Mentioned Michigan State University Bard College at Simon's Rock California State University Connect with Dr. Wolfgang Bauer On LinkedIn Dr. Wolfgang Bauer is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, where he has been on the faculty since 1988, holding a dual appointment at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. He was chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 2001 to 2013 and Founding Director of the Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research from 2009 to 2013. From 2013 to 2020 Dr. Bauer served as Senior Consultant and Associate Vice President, driving the implementation of the Energy Transition Plan at Michigan State University. In 2019 he was also President of the MSU Foundation. Dr. Bauer is co-owner of several businesses in the renewable energy sector and has consulted on renewable energy issues for the fossil fuel industry and hedge funds. He has published over 200 research articles, conference proceedings, and books, and has given over 400 invited presentations in 25 countries. Connect with Jason Maronde On LinkedIn Jason Maronde is a Facilities Management Professional from Bard College at Simon's Rock. He loves to explore new energy technology and find the potential for energy improvements in every situation. Jason is an active volunteer firefighter and lives on top of a mountain.  Connect with Lindsey Rowell On LinkedIn Lindsey Rowell is the Chief of Energy, Sustainability & Transportation for the California State University system in the Office of the Chancellor. Her department is responsible for issuing policy directives, program development and serves in an advisory capacity to support the 23 CSU campuses in achieving their carbon neutrality, energy efficiency and alternative transportation goals. The department also works closely with campuses to address issues of climate equity and strategies to address the worsening climate crises. Prior to this role Lindsey served as the Deputy Director for Sustainability for the CA Department of General Services and has worked developing sustainability and energy management programs for public agencies for the last 15 years.   Lindsey has a Bachelor's of Science in Neurobiology with a minor in Environmental Science from Sacramento State University, and Master's of Public Administration and Master's of Business Administration from CSU Dominguez Hills and CSU Monterey Bay, respectively. Connect With Smart Energy Decisions https://smartenergydecisions.com   Follow them on LinkedIn Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices If you're interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decision Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Community Development team at attend@smartenergydecisions.com Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Joining Nick on today's special “Nick Notes” episode of Together at the Top is the truly amazing Kathy Prizmich Kernan, Partner at Mosaic Solutions and Advocacy. With over 20 years of experience working in and with government agencies, Kathy has held numerous positions within the California state government including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), California State University Northridge, and the California Department of General Services. In her most recent position before joining Mosaic, she served as the Vice President of Partnership Development for an international company focusing on national corrections and community reentry solutions for the justice involved population. Together, Kathy and Nick delve into practical business issues and pursue the elusive secret sauce for success as they explore details of Kathy's extensive career, the transformative power of self-awareness, the art of asking probing questions, and the profound significance of timely actions. Emphasizing the practical application of knowledge and the indomitable force of curiosity and motivation, they highlight the enormous impact of coaching for executives and emerging leaders, having trust in personal growth, and the boundless benefits of seeking fresh perspectives. As the conversation unfolds, they effortlessly intertwine personal anecdotes and practical guidance, underscoring the importance of embracing change as well as the journey of continuous improvement. Prepare to take notes here today as Nick and Kathy embark on a profound exploration of mentorship and its practical application in achieving unprecedented success in both business and life. The Finer Details of This Episode: The secret sauce for success Timeliness and preparation Pitfalls to avoid Navigating transitions The significance of mentors Learning from anecdotes and narrative Categorizing mentors Trust and managing up Quotes: "I think the secret sauce is a little different for everyone, but there's a few things that kind of stand out. Right. You need to have self-awareness. Self-awareness is a big thing." "Follow through. Do what you say you're going to do.” "Timeliness, collaboration, bringing people together... I mean, there's no excuse for tardiness. None." "Do not be crippled by 'I can't see the whole playing field. I don't know what to do.' It's a problem. It'll stop you in the mud." "Managing up is building relationships, building trust and loyalty, understanding what the problems are that we're all trying to solve." "You're not helping them if you're not giving them the truth. And sometimes being the messenger, you get your head chopped off. That's part of it." "Trust is deliberate. If it's something that is a decision and it's a bad decision and it's a negative effect and they own it and they talk it through with you and you can have an honest conversation about it, that actually builds trust." "You can provide someone all the training in the world and if they're not open to it, it falls on deaf ears. They have to be open to it." "If you make a mistake, own it. Apologize and recognize. And don't make that same mistake twice, because we do make mistakes.” Links: Nick Warner Consulting Together at the Top on YouTube Kathy Prizmich Kernan's LinkedIn Page

John Neal, Director of General Services for Chesterfield County, joins Richmond's Morning News and talks to Gary Hess about changes coming in curbside recycling

As you get older it's a fact that your memory declines. Hormones and proteins that protect and repair brain cells and stimulate neural growth slow down their production as you age, and decreased blood flow to the brain leads to changes in cognitive function. Sometimes I find myself entering a room and wondering what I'm doing there, other times I'll start a sentence on one subject before changing my trousers for a new pair next Saturday. An inevitable consequence of all this mental incapacity is that we lose things, from hire car keys to our minds, so this week's show has us discussing the Top 5 Lost Things.  THE LOST CITY OF Z is writer and director James Gray's biography of British explorer Percy Fawcett, sent to the Amazon to find the source of the Verde River in order to resolve a border dispute between Brazil and Bolivia and potentially uncovering evidence of an ancient lost city and civilisation along the way. As his obsession with discovering the city grows, Fawcett's motivations change from a desire to restore his family honour to a need to bloody the nose of the white supremacists at home in an attempt to prove his fellow Europeans wrong about the supposed backwardness of Amazonian natives. Charlie Hunnam is restrained as a man pursuing an irresistible urge at great cost to his family, Robert Pattinson amusingly mumbly as laconic aide-de-camp Henry Costin but it's the relationship with and performance of Sienna Miller as Fawcett's wife Nina which is left to linger in the viewers mind. Patient pacing, painterly compositions and sometimes baffling continuity make this a strong recommend from us. When you've seen ADVENTURE TIME and THE REGULAR SHOW and TWELVE FOREVER and ODDBALLS and any of the other shows in which a brightly rendered  cast of humans and anthropomorphised food, objects, animals and mythical creatures follow absurd plots for no apparent reason why not give CUPCAKE & DINO: GENERAL SERVICES a go. We did and it was uninspiring and derivative, despite a couple of solid jokes. Feels like the formula needs changing. We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Commonwealth Commercial Partners, LLC recently announced the following lease transactions in Henrico County: Signature Commercial Solutions, LLC – leased 1,765 SF at 4198 Cox Road (Eric Hammond, Eliza Izard and Russell Wyatt represented the landlord); Commonwealth of Virginia—Department of General Services – leased 2,736 SF at 9830 Mayland Drive (Ben Bruni and Russell Wyatt represented the landlord); Shannon Wilson Howell – leased 1,837 SF at 11551 Nuckols Road (Eric Hammond, Jamie Galanti and Russell Wyatt represented the landlord); Raymond Engineering—Georgia, Inc. – leased 3,006 SF at 7130 Glen Forest Drive (Eric Hammond, Eliza Izard and Russell Wyatt represented the landlord...Article LinkSupport the show

Frank Morano brings you the issues that matter the most with style and wit in the Other Side of Midnight Local Spotlight. Frank discusses NJ Governor Murphy unveiling his plan to let New Jersey's 11.5% corporate tax rate sunset, NY AG Letitia James hosting a 'Drag Story Hour', Albany Mayor Sheehan bringing pizza to the workers of the city of Albany Department of General Services from Sovrana's, and State Assemblyman Juan Ardila likely not facing any disciplinary action after admitting to sexual harassment allegations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:58).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImageExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-3-23.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of February 6 and February 13, 2023.  This is the last of a series of three planned episodes this winter on the Virginia General Assembly. MUSIC – ~12 sec – instrumental. That's part of “Midwinter Etude,” by Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg, Va.  The astronomical midwinter date of February 3 was also just about the midpoint of the Virginia General Assembly's planned 46-day session for 2023.  This year, the Assembly has been considering nearly 2400 bills, including budget bills with proposed amendments to the current biennial budget.  About 130 of those bills involve water, either focusing specifically on water resources or on land uses that have impacts on water. This is Virginia Water Radio's annual episode giving youa chance to imagine being an Assembly member, and to consider how you'd vote on some water-related measures.  I'll briefly describe nine measures.  After each description, you'll have a few seconds of a ticking clock sound to decide if you would vote for or against the idea, and then I'll give the measure's status, as of February 3. Nos. 1 and 2.  House Bill 2004 would require Virginia natural and historic resource agencies to establish policies and procedures for consulting with federally recognized Tribal Nations in Virginia when the agencies evaluate certain permits that potentially could impact those Tribal Nations.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  The bill was in a House committee, while its companion bill, Senate Bill 1332, had passed the Senate. No. 3.  House Bill 1917would require the Board of Health to adopt regulations to adopt regulations governing public swimming pools and other public water recreational facilities.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  The bill was in a House committee. No. 4.  Senate Bill 897 would allow the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund to be used for aquaculture, and it would specifically designate money from that fund for a Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  The bill had passed the Senate. Nos. 5 and 6.  House Bill 1485and Senate Bill 1129 would (among other provisions) delay for four years or two years, respectively, the effective date for regulatory actions on certain agricultural practices under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan, which was required by the 2010 federal Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load process.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  The House bill had passed the House and was in a Senate committee; the Senate bill was on the Senate floor. Nos. 7 and 8: House Bill 2189 would require certain industries to test their wastewater for several of the substances known collectively as PFAS chemicals and to transmit the results to the relevant wastewater treatment facility.  And Senate Bill 1013 would require waterworks owners to notify customer when certain PFAS chemicals are present in the water supply above certain levels.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  The House bill was on the House floor, and the Senate bill had passed the Senate.  And No. 9.  Senate Bill 1012 would prohibit state agencies from using single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws, water bottles, or food containers, except during a declared state of emergency.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  The bill failed in committee. These measures, like most bills or resolutions, involve much more detail than you've heard here, and bills often get amended significantly.  The Assembly's Web site, virginiageneralassembly.gov, has tools to help you get more information and to express your opinions to Assembly members.  The 2023 Virginia General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn on February 25, so time is quickly ticking away. Thanks to Timothy Seaman for permission to use this week's opening music.  We close with another musical selection, whose title reflects the rapid pace of important business that characterizes General Assembly sessions.  Here's about 25 seconds of “The Race,” by the Harrisonburg- and Rockingham County, Va.-based band, The Steel Wheels. MUSIC – ~25 sec – “Tempest turns and the winds are wailing.  Oh we got a race that must be run, oh we got a race that must be run; oh we got a race that must be run, oh we got a race that must be run.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of “Cripple Creek” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Midwinter Etude,” from the 1996 album “Incarnation,” is copyright by Timothy Seaman and Pine Wind Music, used with permission.  More information about Mr. Seaman is available online at http://timothyseaman.com/en/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 605, 11-29-21. “The Race,” from the 2013 album “No More Rain,” is copyright by The Steel Wheels, is used with permission.  More information about The Steel Wheels is available online at http://www.thesteelwheels.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 519, 4-6-20. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES Photos are by Virginia Water Radio. Voting board during the floor session of the Virginia House of Delegates on January 31, 2018.Voting board during a meeting of a subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates' Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources, January 31, 2018.EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATION MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Following are Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS) summaries of the nine bills in the 2023 Virginia General Assembly mentioned in this episode, accessed at http://lis.virginia.gov/on February 6, 2023.  Please note that a bill's provisions often change during the legislative process, so the LIS summaries quoted here may or may not reflect the current provisions of a given bill.  The bill numbers are hyperlinked to the respective LIS pages for each measure. 1. HB 2004 – “SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth; permits and reviews with potential impacts on environmental, cultural, and historic resources.  Requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Historic Resources, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to establish policies and procedures for consulting with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth when evaluating certain permits and reviews relating to environmental, cultural, or historic resources that potentially impact those federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth.  The bill directs the Secretary of the Commonwealth to designate an Ombudsman for Tribal Consultation to facilitate communication and consultation with federally recognized Tribal Nations in the Commonwealth.  The bill codifies Executive Order 82 (2021).” 2.  SB 1332 – Companion bill to HB 2004, with same LIS summary as introduced. 3.  HB 1917 – “SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Public pools; regulations.  Directs the Board of Health to adopt regulations governing swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated for public use, including swimming pools and other water recreational facilities operated in conjunction with a tourist facility or health spa.” 4.  SB 897 – “SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE: Governor's Blue Catfish Industries Development Fund established.  Creates the Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program (Program) and adds aquaculture to the list of eligible activities to receive funds from the Governor's Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund.  Funds awarded by the Governor for blue catfish processing, flash freezing, and infrastructure projects will be awarded as reimbursable grants of no more than $250,000 per grant to political subdivisions to support such projects.  The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry to develop guidelines for the Program that (i) require that grants be awarded on a competitive basis, (ii) state the criteria the Governor will use in evaluating any grant application, and (iii) favor projects that create processing, flash freezing, and infrastructure capacity in proximity to small-scale blue catfish watermen.  Such guidelines may allow contributions to a project by certain specified entities such as a nonprofit organization or charitable foundation.” 5.  HB 1485 – “SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan; effective date.  Changes the contingency for the effective date of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan provisions to (i) allow consideration of a combination of point or nonpoint source pollution reduction efforts other than agricultural best management conservation practices when determining whether the Commonwealth's commitments in the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan have been satisfied and (ii) bar such provisions from becoming effective unless the Commonwealth funds the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund each year of the current or existing biennial period.” 6.  SB 1129 – “SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan; effective date.  Changes the contingency for the effective date of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan to (i) allow consideration of a combination of point or nonpoint source pollution reduction efforts other than agricultural best management conservation practices when determining whether the Commonwealth's commitments in the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan have been satisfied and (ii) bar such provisions from becoming effective unless the Commonwealth has fully funded the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund until June 30, 2030.  The bill also advances from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2030, the contingency effective date of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan.  The bill requires the Department of Conservation and Recreation to submit an annual report analyzing the use of funds from the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program to demonstrate whether farmers or landowners are participating in the Program at levels to maximize nutrient load reductions.  The bill directs each soil and water conservation district to report to the Department any recommendations for improving the disbursement of funds from the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund and program efficiencies that would expedite the disbursal of such funds.  Finally, the bill prohibits any regulatory action to be imposed on agricultural practices before the effective date of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan.” 7.  HB 2189 – “SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Requirements to test for PFAS; publicly owned treatment works; discharges into state waters.  Requires industrial users of publicly owned treatment works that receive and clean, repair, refurbish, or process items that contain PFAS, as defined in the bill, to test wastestreams for PFAS prior to and after cleaning, repairing, refurbishing, or processing such items.  The bill also requires prompt testing for PFAS following the discharge of certain toxic agents or materials listed in the federal Clean Water Act into state waters and requires the results of such tests to be submitted to the coordinator of emergency services for the affected political subdivision.” 8.  SB 1013 – “SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE: “Waterworks; contaminants; notification to customers.  Requires a waterworks owner that receives a finished water test result from an EPA-approved method for drinking water for any PFAS chemical subject to a PFAS advisory and such result exceeds the notification concentration, as defined in the bill, to (i) report such result to the Department of Health, (ii) provide public notice in the required consumer confidence report provided to the waterworks owner's customers and by posting on the waterworks owner's website, and (iii) provide such additional public notice as the Department may require on a case-by-case basis under applicable regulations.” 9.  SB 1012 – “SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: State and local prohibition on single-use plastic and expanded polystyrene products.  Prohibits state agencies beginning July 1, 2024, from contracting for the purchase, sale, and distribution of (i) single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws, or water bottles and (ii) single-use plastic food service containers and expanded polystyrene food service containers, except during a declared state of emergency.  The bill directs the Department of General Services to post public notice of all prohibited goods on its public procurement website.  The bill also authorizes any locality to prohibit by ordinance the purchase, sale, or provision, whether free or for a cost, of (a) single-use plastic bags, cutlery, straws, or water bottles and (b) single-use plastic food service containers and expanded polystyrene food service containers, with certain exceptions enumerated in the bill.” SOURCES Used for Audio Farmers' Almanac, “The Midpoint of Winter: When and What is It”?  Online at https://www.farmersalmanac.com/midwinter-midpoint-winter. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, “Chesapeake Bay TMDLs [Total Maximum Daily Load], online at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/chesapeake-bay/chesapeake-bay-tmdls; and “Phase III WIP [Watershed Implementation Plan],” online at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/chesapeake-bay/phase-iii-wip. Virginia General Assembly main Web site, online at https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/index.php.  See particularly the following specific pages: About the General Assembly;Citizen Involvement;Legislative Terms;Senate of Virginia;Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings. Virginia Legislative Information System, online at https://lis.virginia.gov/.  For budget information, see https://budget.lis.virginia.gov/.  For session statistics, see https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+oth+STA.  For More Information about the Virginia General Assembly Ballotpedia, “Virginia General Assembly,” online at https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_General_Assembly. Video streams of sessions and meetings for both the House of Delegates and the Senate, including committees, are available online at https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/membersAndSession.php?secid=1&activesec=0#!hb=1&mainContentTabs=0.Committees are key parts of the General Assembly process.  Legislation about water or about activities that can affect water may be assigned to any of several standing committees, most of which meet weekly during the General Assembly session.  Two committees that receive many (but not all) of the water-related bills are the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, which meets weekly on Wednesdays at 1 p.m., and the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee, which meets weekly on Tuesdays, one-half hour after adjournment of the day's floor session.  Information about all standing committees as of the 2023 session—including membership, meeting times, and legislation being considered—is available online at https://lis.virginia.gov/231/com/COM.HTM. To express an opinion on legislation, citizens are advised to contact their respective delegate of senator.  If you do not know your representatives or their contact information, you can use the online “Who's My Legislator” service, available at http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.  You can also find members' contact information at these links:House of Delegates, at http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php;State Senate, at https://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/. The Lobbyist-In-A-Box subscriber service also offers free tracking for up to five bills, and it offers tracking of more than five bills for a fee; visit http://lis.virginia.gov/h015.htm.  For more information or assistance, phone Legislative Automated Systems at (804) 786-9631 or Virginia Interactive at (804) 318-4133. The organization Open Virginia's Richmond Sunlight Web site, at https://www.richmondsunlight.com/, also offers tools for following the General Assembly and for learning about Virginia law. Virginia Water Resources Research Center, “Virginia Water Legislation,” online at https://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/virginia-water-legislation/.  This site provides access to inventories of water-related bills in the Virginia General Assembly from 1998 through 2023. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Community/Organizations” subject category. Following are links to other episodes on the Virginia General Assembly. Episode 143, 1-7-13 – “Music for the Past and Present of the Virginia General Assembly” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 147, 2-4-13 – “Committees Guide the Flow of Bills in the Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 196, 1-13-14 – “The Virginia General Assembly on its 396 Opening Day, January 8, 2014” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 247, 1-5-15 – “January Means State Budget Time in the Virginia General Assembly” (annual General Assembly introduction, with special focus on the state budget). Episode 252, 2-9-15 – “Voting on Water in the 2015 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 297, 1-4-16 – “Water's on the Agenda—along with a Whole Lot Else—When the Virginia General Assembly Convenes” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 302, 2-8-16 – “Voting on Water in the 2016 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 350, 1-9-17 – “Old English Music Helps Preview the Old Dominion's 2017 General Assembly” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 353, 1-30-17 – “Voting on Water in the 2017 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 359, 3-13-17 – “Subcommittees are Where Many Proposed Virginia Laws Start to Float or Sink.” Episode 402, 1-8-18 – “The Virginia Legislature Begins Its 400th Year in 2018” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 405, 1-29-18 – “Voting on Water in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 410, 3-5-18 – “Virginia Electricity Regulation and Water” (on legislation in the 2018 session on electricity regulation). Episode 454, 1-7-19 – “The Virginia General Assembly, from Jamestown in 1619 to Richmond in 2019” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 460, 2-18-19 – “Voting on Water in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 506, 1-6-20 – “Action on Budget, Bills, and Other Business Commences January 8 for the 2020 Virginia General Assembly” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 510, 2-3-20 – “Voting on Water in the 2020 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 522, 4-27-20 – “Virginia Enacts a New Energy Era” (on legislation in the 2020 session on electricity generation, carbon emissions, and recurrent flooding). Episode 558, 1-4-21 – “January 13 is Opening Day for the 2021 Virginia General Assembly” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 562, 2-1-21 – “Voting on Water in the 2021 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 611, 1-10-22 – “The Second Wednesday in January Means the Virginia General Assembly Convenes” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 614, 1-31-22 – “Voting on Water in the 2022 Virginia General Assembly.” Episode 646, 1-9-23 – “Near Richmond's James River Falls, Each Second Wednesday in January Calls the Virginia General Assembly to Order” (annual General Assembly introduction). Episode 647, 1-23-23 – “Virginia's State Budget and Money for Water.” FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-5 – Earth Resources3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8. – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 66.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life Science Course LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth Science Course ES.6 – Resource use is complex.ES.8 – Freshwater resources influence and are influenced by geologic processes and human activity.ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations, including effects of human actions.ES.11 – The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic system subject to long-and short-term variations, including effects of human actions. Biology CourseBIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems, and natural events and human activities influence local and global ecosystems and may affect the flora and fauna of Virginia. 2015 Social Studies SOLs Virginia Studies Course VS.10 – Knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia. Civics and Economics Course CE.1 – Social studies skills that responsible citizenship requires. CE.7 – Government at the state level. CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography Course WG.18 - Cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve problems and settle disputes. Government Course GOVT.1 – Social studies skills that responsible citizenship requires. GOVT.8 – State and local government organization and powers. GOVT.9 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. GOVT.15 – Role of government in Va. and U.S. economies, including examining environmental issues and property rights.

For Part II of our "Florida Trilogy," we come to you from the 2022 CoasterRadio.com Listener Meetup at Busch Gardens Tampa! Mike and EB do the show in front of a live audience inside the Gwazi Pavilion. They'll talk to the crowd about the park, the attractions, its hidden gems and the incredible new coaster for 2022, Iron Gwazi. They'll also interview Erick Elliott, the Vice President of Engineering and General Services at Busch Gardens Tampa. He'll talk about what it takes to operate such a huge park and what we can look forward to in the future!

On the latest episode of Chesterfield Behind the Mic, we talk to John Neal, Director of General Services for Chesterfield, about upcoming changes to the way the county does recycling, how they came about, what was behind choosing the way forward, and what it all means for residents.   Credits: Director: Martin Stith Executive Producer: Teresa Bonifas Producer/Writer/Host: Brad Franklin Director of Photography/Editor: Matt Boyce Producer/Camera Operator: Martin Stith and Matt Neese Graphics: Debbie Wrenn Promotions and Media: J. Elias O'Neal   Music: Hip Hop This by Seven Pounds Inspiring Electronic Rock by Alex Grohl   Guests: John Neal, Director of General Services chesterfield.gov/recycling   Recorded in-house by the Department of Communications and Media   Chesterfield.gov/podcast     Follow us on social media! On Facebook, like our page: Chesterfield Behind the Mic. On Twitter, you can find us at @ChesterfieldVa and on Instagram it's @ChesterfieldVirginia. And you can also watch the podcast on WCCT TV Thursday through Sunday at 7 p.m. as well as on weekends at noon on Comcast Channel 98 and Verizon Channel 28.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 18th, 2022. I’m back at it ladies and gentleman… I got a tad sick last week which threw off our Daily News Brief schedule last week, but we’re good to go this week. Before I dive into the news: Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://www.theepochtimes.com/kanye-west-to-buy-parler-to-cement-its-uncancelable-status-protect-conservative-views_4800734.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport Kanye West to Buy Parler to Cement Its ‘Uncancelable’ Status, Protect Conservative Views Billionaire musician Kanye West is buying Parler, the free speech-championing social media app that rose to prominence amid allegations that rival Twitter was suppressing conservative voices. Parler, which bills itself as “the world’s pioneering uncancelable free speech platform,” announced the purchase agreement in principle in a press release on Oct. 17, the same day that West joined the service. “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, said in a statement. Parler has not disclosed how much West will pay for the platform nor whether the purchase will yield any policy changes, with the deal expected to close by year’s end. “The proposed acquisition will assure Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome,” Parler said in a statement. George Farmer, the CEO of Parlement Technologies, the parent company of Parler, welcomed West’s involvement in the platform. “This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech,” Farmer said in a statement. The development comes after West was recently locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts after making posts alleged to be anti-Semitic. https://thepostmillennial.com/defund-the-police-councilwoman-begs-seattle-police-for-protection-after-poop-thrown-at-her-house?utm_campaign=64487 'Defund the police' councilwoman begs Seattle Police for protection after 'poop' thrown at her house Kshama Sawant, the Seattle City Council member who led the charge to defund the police department is now requesting police to protect her home in response to repeated scatological vandalism. Sources told The Post Millennial that over the past month someone has been throwing human feces at the Marxist councilmember’s home. According to the source, the Seattle Police Department responded and took a report, and the councilmember is now requesting a “permanent patrol presence monitoring her place from 5 pm -10 pm every day.” This is not the first time the radical councilmember has asked for police protection. In December 2020 following the riots that rocked the city in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Sawant demanded police protection in response to threats. However, it was later revealed that Sawant had used the threats for publicity before contacting the Seattle police. Sawant was one of the most vocal members of the defund the police movement in Seattle which led to hundreds of officers leaving the force. Following the defunding movement, crime skyrocketed, and the city is on track to beat last year’s record-high number of homicides. Rapes and assaults have also spiked. 911 response times have steadily climbed and many residents reported being placed on hold. During the 2020 riots, Sawant used her key to let protestors into Seattle City Hall after hours so that the mob could occupy the building which was also closed to the public due to the pandemic. Sawant also led a group of rioters during the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in the councilmember's district to the home of then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, the location of which was protected under confidentiality laws from her time as a US attorney. The rioters vandalized the house during the stunt. In addition to Sawant supporting the deadly occupation of six blocks of Seattle, her staff set up tents inside the zone to collect signatures for a ballot initiative. Sawant's office was not available for comment. https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-navy-veteran-showed-up-for-jury-duty-the-judge-sent-him-to-jail-for-not-wearing-a-mask A Navy Veteran Showed Up For Jury Duty. The Judge Sent Him To Jail For Not Wearing A Mask. A North Carolina Superior Court judge ordered a prospective juror to spend 24 hours in jail after he refused to wear a mask in the courtroom. Judge Charles Gilchrist is the only judge in the courthouse who enforces a mask mandate after North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper lifted a statewide mask mandate for most indoor settings over a year ago. Gilchrist found 47-year-old Gregory Hahn of Harnett County in contempt of court for his refusal to follow the judge’s mask order, WRAL News reported. “The irony of all this is the judge was talking to me without a mask,” said Hahn, a Navy veteran who reportedly served on the President’s Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. “If safety was such a concern, I go to jail [with] no mask requirements with inmates.” Clerk of Superior Court Renee Whittenton said in a statement that each of the prospective jurors were told of Gilchrist’s mask rule when they checked in, and the court provided them with masks if they did not have one, but Hahn said he was not made aware of the mandate, and it was not listed on Hahn’s court summons. The courthouse does not have any signs that state masks are required. A joint order by Harnett and Lee counties from March stated that masks are optional in hallways, foyers, restrooms, meeting rooms, and similar areas, but the order allowed presiding judges to decide whether they wanted a mask mandate in the courtroom. The Navy veteran and single father said Gilchrist asked him twice if he was refusing to wear a mask, and Hahn said he was. The judge then reportedly ordered Hahn to spend 24 hours in jail, and he was handcuffed and taken away minutes later. Hahn said he asked Gilchrist if he could call his son who was at home, but the judge refused his request. https://www.theepochtimes.com/9-million-californians-to-partake-in-earthquake-drill_4799812.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport 9 Million Californians to Partake in Earthquake Drill LOS ANGELES—Millions of people in government offices, businesses, and schools throughout Los Angeles County this week will stop everything for a minute to “drop, cover, and hold on” during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 14th year. The Great California ShakeOut of 2022 is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Oct. 20. “What we do to prepare now, before this big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover,” according to a statement posted on ShakeOut.org. “Great ShakeOut Earthquake drills are annual opportunities to learn and practice earthquake safety with millions of people.” The ShakeOut website indicated that 9.2 million Californians are slated to participate in the drill. During last year’s event, about 7.6 million statewide registered to take part. The first drill was held in 2008. In Los Angeles County, more than 3.2 million people have registered for this week’s drill. Municipalities whose local government employees will be involved include Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Burbank, and Santa Clarita. Multiple Los Angeles city and county agencies are also signed up, including Metrolink and Metro, the Los Angeles police and fire departments, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Public Libraries, and the city departments of Recreation and Parks, Housing, Aging, and General Services. Most Los Angeles area community colleges and universities will be participating including the Los Angeles Community College District, Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, UCLA, and USC. A majority of the county’s kindergarten through 12th-grade school districts, along with private and charter schools, will have students and staff participating. According to ShakeOut.org, the objective is to emphasize precautions during a 7.8-magnitude or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault. The drill in 2019 came just over three months after the early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude shakers caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food, and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per day, according to local and state officials. Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their residences in case of leaks. Redballoon Not so long ago, the American dream was alive and well. Employees who worked hard were rewarded, and employers looked for people who could do the job, not for people who had the right political views. RedBalloon.work is a job site designed to get us back to what made American businesses successful: free speech, hard work, and having fun. If you are a free speech employer who wants to hire employees who focus on their work and not identity politics, then post a job on RedBalloon. If you are an employee who is being censored at work or is being forced to comply with the current zeitgeist, post your resume on RedBalloon and look for a new job. redballoon.work, the job site where free speech is still alive! www.redballoon.work Now it’s time for my favorite topic… sports! So this happened over the weekend: #3 Alabama vs #6 Tennessee Highlights (GAME OF THE YEAR) | Week 7 | 2022 College Football Highlights Play 16:44-17:31 That was one of the best college football games in recent memory for me, as #6 Tennessee took down #3 Alabama 52-49 as the clock hit zero. Also, from the west coast, how about this game? #7 USC vs #20 Utah Football Game Highlights 10 15 2022 Play 30:45-31:00 Play 33:22-33:36 How can you not be romantic about college football? Utah took down the #7 and undefeated USC Trojans 43-42. Apologies to friend of the show David Bahnsen… Those were the two best games of the season thus far in my book, and both on the same weekend no less! But how about some other scores? #5 Clemson def. FSU 34-28 #4 Michigan def. #10 Penn State 41-17 #8 TCU def. OK ST 43-40 Tons of undefeated teams came tumbling down this weekend! Lastly in Baseball, The Padres sent the Dodgers home packing after their Saturday win… they won the series 3-1. The Astros advanced after sweeping the Mariners. The Phillies defeated the Braves 8-3 to win the series 3-1. The Yankees and the Indians… not guardians… Indians, are tied at two games a piece after the Yankees won 4-2 on Sunday.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 18th, 2022. I’m back at it ladies and gentleman… I got a tad sick last week which threw off our Daily News Brief schedule last week, but we’re good to go this week. Before I dive into the news: Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://www.theepochtimes.com/kanye-west-to-buy-parler-to-cement-its-uncancelable-status-protect-conservative-views_4800734.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport Kanye West to Buy Parler to Cement Its ‘Uncancelable’ Status, Protect Conservative Views Billionaire musician Kanye West is buying Parler, the free speech-championing social media app that rose to prominence amid allegations that rival Twitter was suppressing conservative voices. Parler, which bills itself as “the world’s pioneering uncancelable free speech platform,” announced the purchase agreement in principle in a press release on Oct. 17, the same day that West joined the service. “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, said in a statement. Parler has not disclosed how much West will pay for the platform nor whether the purchase will yield any policy changes, with the deal expected to close by year’s end. “The proposed acquisition will assure Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome,” Parler said in a statement. George Farmer, the CEO of Parlement Technologies, the parent company of Parler, welcomed West’s involvement in the platform. “This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech,” Farmer said in a statement. The development comes after West was recently locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts after making posts alleged to be anti-Semitic. https://thepostmillennial.com/defund-the-police-councilwoman-begs-seattle-police-for-protection-after-poop-thrown-at-her-house?utm_campaign=64487 'Defund the police' councilwoman begs Seattle Police for protection after 'poop' thrown at her house Kshama Sawant, the Seattle City Council member who led the charge to defund the police department is now requesting police to protect her home in response to repeated scatological vandalism. Sources told The Post Millennial that over the past month someone has been throwing human feces at the Marxist councilmember’s home. According to the source, the Seattle Police Department responded and took a report, and the councilmember is now requesting a “permanent patrol presence monitoring her place from 5 pm -10 pm every day.” This is not the first time the radical councilmember has asked for police protection. In December 2020 following the riots that rocked the city in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Sawant demanded police protection in response to threats. However, it was later revealed that Sawant had used the threats for publicity before contacting the Seattle police. Sawant was one of the most vocal members of the defund the police movement in Seattle which led to hundreds of officers leaving the force. Following the defunding movement, crime skyrocketed, and the city is on track to beat last year’s record-high number of homicides. Rapes and assaults have also spiked. 911 response times have steadily climbed and many residents reported being placed on hold. During the 2020 riots, Sawant used her key to let protestors into Seattle City Hall after hours so that the mob could occupy the building which was also closed to the public due to the pandemic. Sawant also led a group of rioters during the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in the councilmember's district to the home of then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, the location of which was protected under confidentiality laws from her time as a US attorney. The rioters vandalized the house during the stunt. In addition to Sawant supporting the deadly occupation of six blocks of Seattle, her staff set up tents inside the zone to collect signatures for a ballot initiative. Sawant's office was not available for comment. https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-navy-veteran-showed-up-for-jury-duty-the-judge-sent-him-to-jail-for-not-wearing-a-mask A Navy Veteran Showed Up For Jury Duty. The Judge Sent Him To Jail For Not Wearing A Mask. A North Carolina Superior Court judge ordered a prospective juror to spend 24 hours in jail after he refused to wear a mask in the courtroom. Judge Charles Gilchrist is the only judge in the courthouse who enforces a mask mandate after North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper lifted a statewide mask mandate for most indoor settings over a year ago. Gilchrist found 47-year-old Gregory Hahn of Harnett County in contempt of court for his refusal to follow the judge’s mask order, WRAL News reported. “The irony of all this is the judge was talking to me without a mask,” said Hahn, a Navy veteran who reportedly served on the President’s Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. “If safety was such a concern, I go to jail [with] no mask requirements with inmates.” Clerk of Superior Court Renee Whittenton said in a statement that each of the prospective jurors were told of Gilchrist’s mask rule when they checked in, and the court provided them with masks if they did not have one, but Hahn said he was not made aware of the mandate, and it was not listed on Hahn’s court summons. The courthouse does not have any signs that state masks are required. A joint order by Harnett and Lee counties from March stated that masks are optional in hallways, foyers, restrooms, meeting rooms, and similar areas, but the order allowed presiding judges to decide whether they wanted a mask mandate in the courtroom. The Navy veteran and single father said Gilchrist asked him twice if he was refusing to wear a mask, and Hahn said he was. The judge then reportedly ordered Hahn to spend 24 hours in jail, and he was handcuffed and taken away minutes later. Hahn said he asked Gilchrist if he could call his son who was at home, but the judge refused his request. https://www.theepochtimes.com/9-million-californians-to-partake-in-earthquake-drill_4799812.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport 9 Million Californians to Partake in Earthquake Drill LOS ANGELES—Millions of people in government offices, businesses, and schools throughout Los Angeles County this week will stop everything for a minute to “drop, cover, and hold on” during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 14th year. The Great California ShakeOut of 2022 is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Oct. 20. “What we do to prepare now, before this big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover,” according to a statement posted on ShakeOut.org. “Great ShakeOut Earthquake drills are annual opportunities to learn and practice earthquake safety with millions of people.” The ShakeOut website indicated that 9.2 million Californians are slated to participate in the drill. During last year’s event, about 7.6 million statewide registered to take part. The first drill was held in 2008. In Los Angeles County, more than 3.2 million people have registered for this week’s drill. Municipalities whose local government employees will be involved include Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Burbank, and Santa Clarita. Multiple Los Angeles city and county agencies are also signed up, including Metrolink and Metro, the Los Angeles police and fire departments, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Public Libraries, and the city departments of Recreation and Parks, Housing, Aging, and General Services. Most Los Angeles area community colleges and universities will be participating including the Los Angeles Community College District, Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, UCLA, and USC. A majority of the county’s kindergarten through 12th-grade school districts, along with private and charter schools, will have students and staff participating. According to ShakeOut.org, the objective is to emphasize precautions during a 7.8-magnitude or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault. The drill in 2019 came just over three months after the early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude shakers caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food, and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per day, according to local and state officials. Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their residences in case of leaks. Redballoon Not so long ago, the American dream was alive and well. Employees who worked hard were rewarded, and employers looked for people who could do the job, not for people who had the right political views. RedBalloon.work is a job site designed to get us back to what made American businesses successful: free speech, hard work, and having fun. If you are a free speech employer who wants to hire employees who focus on their work and not identity politics, then post a job on RedBalloon. If you are an employee who is being censored at work or is being forced to comply with the current zeitgeist, post your resume on RedBalloon and look for a new job. redballoon.work, the job site where free speech is still alive! www.redballoon.work Now it’s time for my favorite topic… sports! So this happened over the weekend: #3 Alabama vs #6 Tennessee Highlights (GAME OF THE YEAR) | Week 7 | 2022 College Football Highlights Play 16:44-17:31 That was one of the best college football games in recent memory for me, as #6 Tennessee took down #3 Alabama 52-49 as the clock hit zero. Also, from the west coast, how about this game? #7 USC vs #20 Utah Football Game Highlights 10 15 2022 Play 30:45-31:00 Play 33:22-33:36 How can you not be romantic about college football? Utah took down the #7 and undefeated USC Trojans 43-42. Apologies to friend of the show David Bahnsen… Those were the two best games of the season thus far in my book, and both on the same weekend no less! But how about some other scores? #5 Clemson def. FSU 34-28 #4 Michigan def. #10 Penn State 41-17 #8 TCU def. OK ST 43-40 Tons of undefeated teams came tumbling down this weekend! Lastly in Baseball, The Padres sent the Dodgers home packing after their Saturday win… they won the series 3-1. The Astros advanced after sweeping the Mariners. The Phillies defeated the Braves 8-3 to win the series 3-1. The Yankees and the Indians… not guardians… Indians, are tied at two games a piece after the Yankees won 4-2 on Sunday.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Tuesday, October 18th, 2022. I’m back at it ladies and gentleman… I got a tad sick last week which threw off our Daily News Brief schedule last week, but we’re good to go this week. Before I dive into the news: Classical Conversations Classical Conversations supports homeschooling parents by cultivating the love of learning through a Christian worldview in fellowship with other families. They provide a classical Christ-centered curriculum, local like-minded communities across the United States and in several countries, and they train parents who are striving to be great classical educators in the home. For more information and to get connected, please visit their website at ClassicalConversations.com. Again that’s ClassicalConversations.com. https://www.theepochtimes.com/kanye-west-to-buy-parler-to-cement-its-uncancelable-status-protect-conservative-views_4800734.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport Kanye West to Buy Parler to Cement Its ‘Uncancelable’ Status, Protect Conservative Views Billionaire musician Kanye West is buying Parler, the free speech-championing social media app that rose to prominence amid allegations that rival Twitter was suppressing conservative voices. Parler, which bills itself as “the world’s pioneering uncancelable free speech platform,” announced the purchase agreement in principle in a press release on Oct. 17, the same day that West joined the service. “In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” West, who has legally changed his name to Ye, said in a statement. Parler has not disclosed how much West will pay for the platform nor whether the purchase will yield any policy changes, with the deal expected to close by year’s end. “The proposed acquisition will assure Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome,” Parler said in a statement. George Farmer, the CEO of Parlement Technologies, the parent company of Parler, welcomed West’s involvement in the platform. “This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech,” Farmer said in a statement. The development comes after West was recently locked out of his Instagram and Twitter accounts after making posts alleged to be anti-Semitic. https://thepostmillennial.com/defund-the-police-councilwoman-begs-seattle-police-for-protection-after-poop-thrown-at-her-house?utm_campaign=64487 'Defund the police' councilwoman begs Seattle Police for protection after 'poop' thrown at her house Kshama Sawant, the Seattle City Council member who led the charge to defund the police department is now requesting police to protect her home in response to repeated scatological vandalism. Sources told The Post Millennial that over the past month someone has been throwing human feces at the Marxist councilmember’s home. According to the source, the Seattle Police Department responded and took a report, and the councilmember is now requesting a “permanent patrol presence monitoring her place from 5 pm -10 pm every day.” This is not the first time the radical councilmember has asked for police protection. In December 2020 following the riots that rocked the city in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Sawant demanded police protection in response to threats. However, it was later revealed that Sawant had used the threats for publicity before contacting the Seattle police. Sawant was one of the most vocal members of the defund the police movement in Seattle which led to hundreds of officers leaving the force. Following the defunding movement, crime skyrocketed, and the city is on track to beat last year’s record-high number of homicides. Rapes and assaults have also spiked. 911 response times have steadily climbed and many residents reported being placed on hold. During the 2020 riots, Sawant used her key to let protestors into Seattle City Hall after hours so that the mob could occupy the building which was also closed to the public due to the pandemic. Sawant also led a group of rioters during the deadly Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in the councilmember's district to the home of then-Mayor Jenny Durkan, the location of which was protected under confidentiality laws from her time as a US attorney. The rioters vandalized the house during the stunt. In addition to Sawant supporting the deadly occupation of six blocks of Seattle, her staff set up tents inside the zone to collect signatures for a ballot initiative. Sawant's office was not available for comment. https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-navy-veteran-showed-up-for-jury-duty-the-judge-sent-him-to-jail-for-not-wearing-a-mask A Navy Veteran Showed Up For Jury Duty. The Judge Sent Him To Jail For Not Wearing A Mask. A North Carolina Superior Court judge ordered a prospective juror to spend 24 hours in jail after he refused to wear a mask in the courtroom. Judge Charles Gilchrist is the only judge in the courthouse who enforces a mask mandate after North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper lifted a statewide mask mandate for most indoor settings over a year ago. Gilchrist found 47-year-old Gregory Hahn of Harnett County in contempt of court for his refusal to follow the judge’s mask order, WRAL News reported. “The irony of all this is the judge was talking to me without a mask,” said Hahn, a Navy veteran who reportedly served on the President’s Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. “If safety was such a concern, I go to jail [with] no mask requirements with inmates.” Clerk of Superior Court Renee Whittenton said in a statement that each of the prospective jurors were told of Gilchrist’s mask rule when they checked in, and the court provided them with masks if they did not have one, but Hahn said he was not made aware of the mandate, and it was not listed on Hahn’s court summons. The courthouse does not have any signs that state masks are required. A joint order by Harnett and Lee counties from March stated that masks are optional in hallways, foyers, restrooms, meeting rooms, and similar areas, but the order allowed presiding judges to decide whether they wanted a mask mandate in the courtroom. The Navy veteran and single father said Gilchrist asked him twice if he was refusing to wear a mask, and Hahn said he was. The judge then reportedly ordered Hahn to spend 24 hours in jail, and he was handcuffed and taken away minutes later. Hahn said he asked Gilchrist if he could call his son who was at home, but the judge refused his request. https://www.theepochtimes.com/9-million-californians-to-partake-in-earthquake-drill_4799812.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport 9 Million Californians to Partake in Earthquake Drill LOS ANGELES—Millions of people in government offices, businesses, and schools throughout Los Angeles County this week will stop everything for a minute to “drop, cover, and hold on” during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 14th year. The Great California ShakeOut of 2022 is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Oct. 20. “What we do to prepare now, before this big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover,” according to a statement posted on ShakeOut.org. “Great ShakeOut Earthquake drills are annual opportunities to learn and practice earthquake safety with millions of people.” The ShakeOut website indicated that 9.2 million Californians are slated to participate in the drill. During last year’s event, about 7.6 million statewide registered to take part. The first drill was held in 2008. In Los Angeles County, more than 3.2 million people have registered for this week’s drill. Municipalities whose local government employees will be involved include Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena, Burbank, and Santa Clarita. Multiple Los Angeles city and county agencies are also signed up, including Metrolink and Metro, the Los Angeles police and fire departments, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Public Libraries, and the city departments of Recreation and Parks, Housing, Aging, and General Services. Most Los Angeles area community colleges and universities will be participating including the Los Angeles Community College District, Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, UCLA, and USC. A majority of the county’s kindergarten through 12th-grade school districts, along with private and charter schools, will have students and staff participating. According to ShakeOut.org, the objective is to emphasize precautions during a 7.8-magnitude or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault. The drill in 2019 came just over three months after the early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude shakers caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station. Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food, and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per day, according to local and state officials. Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their residences in case of leaks. Redballoon Not so long ago, the American dream was alive and well. Employees who worked hard were rewarded, and employers looked for people who could do the job, not for people who had the right political views. RedBalloon.work is a job site designed to get us back to what made American businesses successful: free speech, hard work, and having fun. If you are a free speech employer who wants to hire employees who focus on their work and not identity politics, then post a job on RedBalloon. If you are an employee who is being censored at work or is being forced to comply with the current zeitgeist, post your resume on RedBalloon and look for a new job. redballoon.work, the job site where free speech is still alive! www.redballoon.work Now it’s time for my favorite topic… sports! So this happened over the weekend: #3 Alabama vs #6 Tennessee Highlights (GAME OF THE YEAR) | Week 7 | 2022 College Football Highlights Play 16:44-17:31 That was one of the best college football games in recent memory for me, as #6 Tennessee took down #3 Alabama 52-49 as the clock hit zero. Also, from the west coast, how about this game? #7 USC vs #20 Utah Football Game Highlights 10 15 2022 Play 30:45-31:00 Play 33:22-33:36 How can you not be romantic about college football? Utah took down the #7 and undefeated USC Trojans 43-42. Apologies to friend of the show David Bahnsen… Those were the two best games of the season thus far in my book, and both on the same weekend no less! But how about some other scores? #5 Clemson def. FSU 34-28 #4 Michigan def. #10 Penn State 41-17 #8 TCU def. OK ST 43-40 Tons of undefeated teams came tumbling down this weekend! Lastly in Baseball, The Padres sent the Dodgers home packing after their Saturday win… they won the series 3-1. The Astros advanced after sweeping the Mariners. The Phillies defeated the Braves 8-3 to win the series 3-1. The Yankees and the Indians… not guardians… Indians, are tied at two games a piece after the Yankees won 4-2 on Sunday.

Many of us work in what we consider ‘global' organizations, but we do it from the comfort of our home or at a local office. Actually going global, relocating to an entirely different part of the world may not be for everyone, but the opportunities to broaden your perspective and have a lasting impact are second to none. Steve Ashcroft is the Director of General Services and Procurement for the African Development Bank Group. He has spent many years in the world of procurement, including time as a consultant, an educator, and a practitioner.  Most interestingly, Steve has vast global experience, and is currently based in Cote d'Ivoire, a country on the coast of Western Africa.  In this episode, Philip and Steve discuss: Working successfully across cultures The opportunities that exist when building a procurement capability that spans 44 countries across Africa  Why anyone thinking about a career in procurement should take the leap

The first podcast of the new academic year is with Rebekah Carson ‘23 who has one of the most unique journeys of any student at Albany Law School. She talks about her daughter, her emancipation, her experiences with financial aid here at Albany Law, and her internship with the New York State Office of General Services this past summer. That is only the start too! Financial Aid at Albany Law School: https://www.albanylaw.edu/applications-admissions/financial-aid Women's Law Caucus: https://www.albanylaw.edu/student-experience-support/student-organizations Family Violence Litigation Clinic: https://www.albanylaw.edu/the-justice-center/family-violence-litigation-clinic Career and Professional Development Center: https://www.albanylaw.edu/about/career-and-professional-development-center

This episode (#96) of All Hazards gives us a view of Cal OES's mission through a legal lens. We sit down with Cal OES Chief Counsel Jennifer Bollinger. She covers everything from how she became an attorney, and how she came to Cal OES and why she's here for the long term. Daily life as a lawyer for state government is one thing - life at Cal OES is another; it's fast paced, exciting and very challenging. Jennifer goes over all of it, from the time she joined the agency as a staff attorney to now as chief counsel.   Fun fact - Jennifer has a weight bench in her office!   Jennifer L. Bollinger, 40, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Counsel at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. Bollinger has been Chief Counsel at the Department of General Services since 2020. Bollinger was Assistant Chief Counsel at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services from 2018 to 2020. She was Board Counsel at the California Fire and Rescue Training Authority from 2016 to 2019. Bollinger held several positions at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services from 2017 to 2018, including Acting Assistant Chief Counsel, Senior Counsel and Acting Contracts and Procurement Division Chief. She was a Financial Services and Business Litigation Attorney at LeClairRyan from 2015 to 2016. Bollinger was an Attorney at the California Public Employees' Retirement System from 2013 to 2015 and at the California State Teachers' Retirement System from 2010 to 2013. Bollinger held several positions at Porter Scott Attorneys from 2008 to 2010, including Litigation Associate and Legal Intern. Bollinger earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Links JC-319482 - Senior Counsel  ATTORNEY III Final Filing Date: 8/25/2022 https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=319482 Cal OES Legal Affairs Podcast #71: Cal OES Legal Chief Alex Pal Sets High Bar to Help Ensure a Resilient California  

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/07/04/office-of-general-services-annual-july-4-celebration-and-naturalization-ceremony/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

The Bucks County Administration Building's courtyard is filled with memorials dedicated to the fallen heroes of nearly every American war. In this episode of Bucks County Conversations, we chat with Tim Wynn, the Director of Bucks County Veterans Affairs and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. We also take a little tour of the courtyard with Tim and Steve Brauns, Deputy Director of General Services and designer of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial. They talk about how some of the memorials have been there since the world had only seen one world war, and how one memorial just showed up one day ~ with no explanation.  Follow us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTokCheck us out online: BucksCounty.gov

In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, host John Failla introduces Susan Corry of the University of Maryland College Park, David Reid of Celanese, and Peter Kelly-Detwiler of Smart Energy Decisions from a panel at Smart Energy Decisions' recent Innovation Summit. These three leaders discuss decarbonizing thermal loads and how different types of organizations are facing this challenge. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Hard-to-Abate emissions [02:09] Susan Corry's role at the University of Maryland [06:31] David Reid's role at Celanese [09:22] Investigating new technologies [12:28] Resources needed to move forward [15:00] Enthusiasm and next steps [20:40] Addressing the thermal challenge Peter Kelly-Detwiler explains that thermal energy accounts for a quarter of our energy use and about half of our emissions. While hydrogen is clearly in the offing, other exciting technologies are emerging. A company in California just signed a lease with the U.S. government for the land where they're going to put concentrating mirrors. The idea is to drive focused solar energy at mirrors with molten salt and generate either hydrogen or heat for thermal applications. Siemens has a project in Europe where they take wind energy and put it through resistors to warm up volcanic rock. Originally they were going to use that to generate steam and generate power. However, the roundtrip efficiencies were 30%. Now they're pivoting to use that for thermal applications.  The real challenge with any solution is if it can be scaled. Scaling would require first that the solution is viable and then that the economy of scale can be created while the technology improves. Unfortunately, applications aren't one size fits all, and each situation may require different technology. University of Maryland's energy research The University of Maryland is a flagship university within the state of Maryland. Every month, a number of the universities within the state of Maryland convene, calling themselves the Energy Committee. With each person's partnership and relationship with various energy services companies, these meetings are an excellent opportunity to share information and discuss potential pilot projects.  As a major research institution, the University of Maryland also has several faculty members who are researching thermal space in terms of energy-related technologies. At one point, the university had a professor growing a particular type of algae for carbon capture. Unfortunately, the economics were challenging to justify, even on a small scale, so it never gained legs. While a lot of technology is being explored, newer technologies won't be proven without the finances devoted to development. Celanese energy challenge While some companies have a separate capital fund for sustainability or an internal cost of carbon, Celanese doesn't have either yet. Its energy and sustainability efforts compete for capital along with every other project within the company. Funds are always a challenge, so Celanese is looking at alternatives in order to have projects justified within the company. Other financing options are sometimes available, and Celanese is trying to have an open mind to different opportunities.  Energy efficiency is still the number one project for Celanese. Recently the company challenged its energy sites to develop a 30% reduction at its sites over a five-year period. Through this method, the company has found a lot of great projects, but some of them don't have great paybacks.The challenge is to figure out how to make the projects look better financially or find different ways to acquire the money needed to do such a project. Resources & People Mentioned Celanese Corporation University of Maryland Energy storage recharges the transition I Siemens Gamesa A highly efficient microalgae-based carbon sequestration system to reduce CO2 emission from power plant flue gases Connect with Susan Corry Susan Corry is the Director of Engineering and Energy at the University of Maryland College Park and has spent her career in the energy industry. Susan received her mechanical engineering degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and is a Certified Energy Manager, Certified Demand Side Manager, and Certified Existing Building Commissioning Professional. She began her career in the energy sector, working on energy and demand-side management programs with public utilities. She then moved into higher education, working for George Mason University, leading the development of long-term conservation plans to meet energy and carbon reduction goals.  Susan moved on to the University of Maryland, where she is responsible for energy procurement, energy and carbon reduction plans, renewable energy strategies, building design standards, building performance, and management of the campus power plant. Susan leads the energy committee comprised of the University System of Maryland institutions and the Maryland Department of General Services, representing all other State agencies in energy-related matters. She has served on the advisory boards of the Maryland Clean Energy Center and Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Fund and was past chair of DOE's Better Buildings Alliance Higher Education Steering Committee. Connect with David Reid On LinkedIn David Reid is the Senior Manager, Global Energy and Productivity for Celanese. He is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, Canada with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering and is a certified energy manager (CEM). David has more than 30 years of manufacturing experience in polymer and chemicals industries. He has held positions in Process Control, Manufacturing Operations Leadership as well as global Operational Excellence responsibilities including his current role leading the Energy and Productivity programs for Celanese manufacturing sites worldwide. Celanese is a global technology and specialty materials company that engineers and manufactures a variety of products essential to everyday living. Connect with Peter Kelly-Detwiler On LinkedIn Peter Kelly-Detwiler has 30 years of experience in the electric energy industry, with much of his career in competitive power markets. He's currently a leading consultant in the electric industry, providing strategic advice to clients and investors, helping them to navigate the rapid evolution of the electric power grid. Mr. Kelly-Detwiler offers numerous keynotes and workshops on a wide range of topics. He has also written widely on energy issues for Forbes.com and GE, with over 300 articles to his credit. His book on the transformation of electric power markets - “The Energy Switch” - was published by Prometheus Books in June of 2021. Connect With Smart Energy Decisions https://smartenergydecisions.com Follow them on Facebook Follow them on Twitter Follow them on LinkedIn Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices If you're interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decision Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Event Operations Director, Lisa Carroll at lisa@smartenergydecisions.com Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Angelina Zulkic is back in the Concord TV podcast studio to share information about all of the spring operations in the Concord General Services Department. Music by Matt Boisvert.

Diversity & Inclusion is wider than the workplace. The most successful businesses know that by creating diversity in their supply chains as well, they can unlock innovation and agility, and improve their ethical credentials. Supplier Diversity is defined as, “a proactive business program, which encourages the use of minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, LGBT-owned, service disabled veteran-owned, historically underutilized business, and Small Business Administration (SBA)-defined small business concerns as suppliers.” On this episode of Dimensions of Diversity, host Lloyd Freeman is joined by Dr. Karmetria Dunham Burton, Sr. Director, Global Supplier Diversity and Inclusion, McDonalds; Kerry L. Kirkland, Deputy Secretary for Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities, Pennsylvania Department of General Services; and Lee E. Lewis, Jr., Director of Supplier Diversity & Inclusion, Highmark Health. The group discusses supplier diversity best practices, how supplier diversity works to combat racial/social injustice, how to eliminate barriers for minority suppliers, and ways to measure the effectiveness of supplier diversity programs. To learn more about Lloyd Freeman, click here: https://www.bipc.com/lloyd-freeman. To learn more about Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, visit, www.BIPC.com. To learn more about Kerry Kirland, click here: https://www.dgs.pa.gov/About/Pages/Bio-Kerry-Kirkland.aspx To learn more about Lee Lewis: https://f.datasrvr.com/fr1/522/29450/MLK-2022-Bios_Lewis.pdf To learn more about Karmetria Dunham-Brown - https://f.datasrvr.com/fr1/722/35016/MLK-2022-Bios_Burton.pdf

Hundreds of new high-level jobs coming to Henrico; your chance to provide input about the future of  Henrico; a man is arrested after trying to bring a gun onto a flight at RIC; Congressman Donald McEachin introduces legislation to protect African American burial sites; St. Mary's Hospital adds its own EMS service; Henrico names its new General Services director.Support the show (http://www.henricocitizen.com/contribute)

On this week's 51%, we speak with Gayatri Patel of the Women's Refugee Commission about how the U.S. can better promote gender equality in its response to humanitarian crises. Also, Dr. Sharon Ufberg speaks with Karyn Gerson of Project Kesher about the organization's efforts to support women impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Guests: Gayatri Patel, vice president of external relations at the Women's Refugee Commission; Karyn Gerson, CEO of Project Kesher; Michelle Rosales, NYS Office of General Services 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for tuning in, I'm Jesse King. Last week, we highlighted the joy and empowerment that can come through traveling, and it's a wonderful thing – but I think it's important to remember that there's a certain privilege inherent in traveling for pleasure, rather than by necessity. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 82.4 million people worldwide were displaced from their homes at the end of 2020 as a result of persecution, conflict, and violence, resulting in nearly 26.4 million refugees. The struggles faced by refugees have lately been highlighted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which according to the U.N., has forced more than 2 million people – most of them women and children -- to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries. That's the estimate so far – as of this taping, Russian forces continue to push toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Our main guest today is part of a nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children refugees. Gayatri Patel is the vice president of external relations for the Women's Refugee Commission, which also works to promote gender equality across the ways we respond to humanitarian crises. Patel notes the issue in eastern Europe right now, unfortunately, is nothing new – the Commission has been particularly monitoring the fallout in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal last year.  "A lot of what we do is bring the messages of what is happening on the ground to U.S. government policymakers or to other policymakers. So when the U.S. started moving out of Afghanistan, around, unfortunately, the same time that the Taliban started taking over, and when Kabul fell, there was a real strong concern about the safety and wellbeing of women in Afghanistan – particularly those who had been active in the government, active human rights defenders," she explains. "So part of what I was doing, along with a network of women who were similarly concerned, was really trying to make sure that particularly targeted women were brought to the attention of U.S. policymakers in Congress, with the administration, so that they could be prioritized for evacuation. There were a number of people who were helping women get out, but there are, of course, a number of women who were not able to get out. So our ongoing efforts through WRC and through some of our coalitions and networks was really to continue pushing on the U.S. government to make sure that those women who remained in Afghanistan, that their needs were met, that they were kept safe to the extent possible, and that they were prioritized for pathways out of Afghanistan if they chose to leave – or, you know, if they chose to stay in Afghanistan, that they were protected, and that their rights were protected." What issues do women and children refugees particularly face, compared to men? That's a really good q

On this week's 51%, we speak with Gayatri Patel of the Women's Refugee Commission about how the U.S. can better promote gender equality in its response to humanitarian crises. Also, Dr. Sharon Ufberg speaks with Karyn Gerson of Project Kesher about the organization's efforts to support women impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Guests: Gayatri Patel, vice president of external relations at the Women's Refugee Commission; Karyn Gerson, CEO of Project Kesher; Michelle Rosales, NYS Office of General Services 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for tuning in, I'm Jesse King. Last week, we highlighted the joy and empowerment that can come through traveling, and it's a wonderful thing – but I think it's important to remember that there's a certain privilege inherent in traveling for pleasure, rather than by necessity. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 82.4 million people worldwide were displaced from their homes at the end of 2020 as a result of persecution, conflict, and violence, resulting in nearly 26.4 million refugees. The struggles faced by refugees have lately been highlighted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which according to the U.N., has forced more than 2 million people – most of them women and children -- to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries. That's the estimate so far – as of this taping, Russian forces continue to push toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Our main guest today is part of a nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children refugees. Gayatri Patel is the vice president of external relations for the Women's Refugee Commission, which also works to promote gender equality across the ways we respond to humanitarian crises. Patel notes the issue in eastern Europe right now, unfortunately, is nothing new – the Commission has been particularly monitoring the fallout in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal last year.  "A lot of what we do is bring the messages of what is happening on the ground to U.S. government policymakers or to other policymakers. So when the U.S. started moving out of Afghanistan, around, unfortunately, the same time that the Taliban started taking over, and when Kabul fell, there was a real strong concern about the safety and wellbeing of women in Afghanistan – particularly those who had been active in the government, active human rights defenders," she explains. "So part of what I was doing, along with a network of women who were similarly concerned, was really trying to make sure that particularly targeted women were brought to the attention of U.S. policymakers in Congress, with the administration, so that they could be prioritized for evacuation. There were a number of people who were helping women get out, but there are, of course, a number of women who were not able to get out. So our ongoing efforts through WRC and through some of our coalitions and networks was really to continue pushing on the U.S. government to make sure that those women who remained in Afghanistan, that their needs were met, that they were kept safe to the extent possible, and that they were prioritized for pathways out of Afghanistan if they chose to leave – or, you know, if they chose to stay in Afghanistan, that they were protected, and that their rights were protected." What issues do women and children refugees particularly face, compared to men? That's a really good question, and one that unfortunately doesn't get asked enough. I mean, women and girls often have really unique considerations in crises like what's happening in Ukraine and Afghanistan and in Ethiopia, Burma, etc. The biggest concerns are really related to their health and safety. So for instance, there's an increased risk of gender-based violence, such as rape, or intimate partner violence, or child marriage. For instance, one fact that really strikes me is that, according to the UN, an estimated 70 percent of women experience some form of gender-based violence during an emergency, which is huge, huge if you think about it. Women and girls also have unique health-related concerns during an emergency: they need access to contraception, they need maternal health care, and other sexual and reproductive health care. They have nutritional needs that are unique and different. You know, that's something that we're right now, for instance, in Ukraine, really grappling with. According, again, to the UN Population Fund, 265,000 women were pregnant in Ukraine at the beginning of this current conflict, and they're estimating another 80,000, will give birth in the coming three months. And I think with the enormity of the situation, it's very easy to lose sight of the fact that these women still need health care – they're going to give birth. And so, you know, we need to make sure that there are services there that are available for them. Nutrition right now in Afghanistan – over half of Afghan children under five years old are acutely malnourished, and they're expecting 10 maternal deaths a day. These are all issues that are unique to women and girls and children in these crises. And I think one thing that's also very easy to lose sight of is that women and girls in humanitarian settings are diverse, and they experience crises differently. So, for example, women with disabilities face higher rates of gender-based violence. But because of negative or hostile attitudes, or inaccessible buildings or lack of information, they often don't get the critical care that they need. So making sure that not only are their humanitarian responses tailored to the unique needs of women and girls, but that those responses also include age, gender, other diversity factors, such as disability or being in part of an ethnic minority – those are also really critical to keep in mind. There's so many things that are involved here, at stake here. And it's really important to note that despite all of this, women and girls are largely excluded from decision making and leadership when it comes to defining their needs and the responses that will help them. And of course, this really creates gaps in responding effectively, but also really discounts that women are often on the frontlines of humanitarian response. They're often the ones who are providing the medical care, or supporting their community members, are building shelters, or are cooking the food and feeding people. And so it's so important to have them be part of the humanitarian response and part of that decision making – but they're often left out. And so that's a bigger picture thing that we really need to address as a humanitarian community. That actually does go into one of my next questions. How can we better amplify the needs of women refugees, who are the ones facing these issues, and ensure that women are in the room for major decision making and planning? Yeah, it's so simple and basic, but just recognizing [that] they want to be heard. You know, in Afghanistan, a lot of what we have done – we meaning the United States has done – in the past 20 years is build institutions and build these structures [where] African women and girls are able to go to school, are able to be part of the political structures, are able to be business leaders. They had a voice. And now we are in a stage where, you know, they need humanitarian assistance, and we're not listening to them. So we have to make it a priority to ourselves, listen to them, and make sure that they have opportunities to be heard. So, for instance, whenever there's a peace building negotiation, women should absolutely be at the table. And it's the responsibility of the U.S. government, other governments, other donors and actors who are in the room, to bring them in and make sure that they're there, and that they're heard. I think we also need to make sure that resources are available. I don't know if you heard recently about this announcement of the U.S. government requesting $2.6 billion for gender equality, and I just want to say, this is fantastic. This is the kind of commitment of resources that we need. It's historic, and certainly reflects why advocacy is so important, because we've been pushing for years for that kind of strong commitment to gender equality. That's the kind of commitment and show of political will that we need when it comes to really helping make a difference on the ground. I was gonna ask, how do you feel the U.S. ranks in its response to humanitarian crises? I think you've touched on a couple ways already in which we can improve. But are there ways that you think we get it right? Or are there ways that you think we've still got a long way to go? I think there are a lot of great things that the U.S. government does in humanitarian crises. I mean, the U.S. is the most generous humanitarian donor that's out there. I think that humanitarian assistance, and that leadership role that the U.S. plays, really needs to reflect some of these gender concerns – and in some ways they do. I mean, there's specific programming to address gender-based violence and emergencies, there's support for organizations that provide sexual and reproductive health care and emergencies from the U.S., there's support for building the capacity of humanitarian responders to see gender concerns as they're designing humanitarian responses. And so I think all of those things are good, and need to be built on – because it's a practical function, but it's also a leadership function. The U.S. plays a really critical role in bringing others on board with this idea that humanitarian response needs to have a strong gender lens to it. Lastly, is there anything that the commission is particularly looking at right now, when it comes to the war in Ukraine? Yes, we're really concerned about some of the protection concerns, in particular. Women and girls are, largely, they're the ones who are coming across the borders into neighboring countries. A lot of unaccompanied children are in that mix as well. And so really, we're looking hard to make sure that as they get to safety in those neighboring countries, [that] they have the resources, that they have the protection that they need from gender-based violence, human trafficking, etc, that the unaccompanied children have the child protection services that they need, so that they're not abused, exploited, etc. And a lot of what we've seen is that organizations who are on the ground responding to the humanitarian crisis are really looking at things like cash assistance, which is something that the WRC has really kind of built an evidence base around. Not just cash for meeting immediate needs, but cash as a means of protecting against gender-based violence, or a means of being able to leave abusive relationships, or being able to meet one's own needs rather than being dependent on others to do so in a way that could be exploited. So those are some of the things that we're looking at. We're also really keenly concerned about the maternal health, and the sexual and reproductive health in general of women and girls who are leaving Ukraine. Like I mentioned before, there's the need for maternal health care, but also the need for contraception, and dignity kits, and hygiene, including menstrual hygiene management and commodities like that. So these are all pieces that we're trying to bring together and work with advocates on the hill and with the administration and with partners who are on the ground, to make sure are really part of the mix. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. That was all the questions that I had for you, but is there anything that I'm missing that you'd like me to know, or that you'd like our listeners to know? I think just one last point that I'd leave you with. There's so much needed emphasis on Ukraine, and so much needed emphasis on Afghanistan – but let's please not forget the women and girls and other vulnerable and marginalized groups that are in humanitarian crises around the world. I believe we've largely lost sight of what's happening in Ethiopia or in Myanmar, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Burkina Faso. There's so many places where there is a humanitarian situation still going on. And the women and girls in those situations deserve our attention and our support. That was Gayatri Patel, vice president of external relations for the Women's Refugee Commission. You can learn more about the Commission and its work at womensrefugeecommission.org.  Now, the war in Ukraine has prompted many in the U.S. to look into how they can personally aid Ukrainians from afar. If you're among them, it's important to know the best ways to go about it, and our next guest can certainly speak to that. Karyn Gerson is the CEO of Project Kesher, a network of Jewish women leaders and roughly 200 nonprofits working to empower women and promote tolerance in countries including Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and Russia. From the project's offices in New York, Gerson has been trying to connect with her contacts across Europe in order to provide direct aid to women on the ground in Ukraine. It's an ongoing situation that is constantly changing, but she recently provided an update to Dr. Sharon Ufberg, co-founder of the California-based personal development and wellness company, Borrowed Wisdom, for her 51% segment “Force of Nature.”  "On a daily basis, I talk to women in the region. And frankly, every conversation starts in tears. I don't think that anyone really could have imagined how quickly and how aggressively this war would progress. And as a result, I think most people are really just in shock," says Gerson. Ufberg: What are the women telling you? Are most of them wanting to flee? Are most of them wanting to stay? How are they responding? Gerson: I think if you had asked me a few years ago, because my specialty is the Jewish community, I think that I would have expected many people just to leave the country. But now there's a much higher sense of patriotism than I've heard in the past. I think the last few revolutions in the country have really given Ukrainians a sense of ownership of their country, and a sense that the possibility of becoming more free and more European was really not too far out of their grasp. So increasingly, I'm hearing from women that they would really like to stay in their country. But everything depends on what's going on. One of my top leaders had said that she would not be leaving her town or her house until the tank rolled up to the door. Well, this week it did. And so now she's on the road, and she's moving west. And so I think this is a constant shifting situation. Ufberg: And how is Project Kesher responding to this ever-changing situation? What do you see? What are you doing? Gerson: So Project Kesher is in every oblast, every state across Ukraine. And so normally, we would really be very active and volunteer in each of these areas – but right now, everybody is in motion, and everybody is shifting. And so as I was laying out, we talk to each woman, and we try to find out their plan of action. Are they saying, are they moving? Are they leaving the country? Or are they potentially going to Israel? And after that, we are trying to get small grants into their hands. This is a very poor country. Women are unlikely to have a bank account, a credit card. If they have a debit card right now, it's not that easy to get money on the debit card. And so we're trying very hard to teach women how to download apps onto their phone, and to get money for them through things like Pay Pal. The goal is to basically give them enough peace of mind to make the journey wherever they need to go to have some shelter, to get some food, and then to really make sure we pass them off safely to the next organization that will either help them in western Ukraine or help them as they begin their journey to be a refugee. Our plans are to stay primarily focused on the women in Ukraine, where we have the most ability to have an impact. We're going to leave the refugee work to organizations like HIAS and the GDC and several others. And then because, again, we do work in the Jewish community, we will be working with a group in Israel to help on the intake of the new refugees there. Ufberg: Are you finding that these 200 women's groups are rallying around helping one another? Are people feeling isolated, or is the Project Kesher community responding there and helping one another? Gerson: Well, you really can't talk about groups at this time at all. Everybody is really trying to make the best decision for their family. I'm really working right now mostly with individual women, many of whom I've known for more than 20 years. And I can picture each one of them. And some of the things that we're doing, for instance, is we had one bank account in Ukraine – the city where that was located is getting increasingly under a military assault. So on one given day, we opened eight new bank accounts, you know, seated each one with $10, to see if the wire transfers would go through. And then the next day had women go into the bank to see if they could get the money out. And so now we have bank accounts across the country that today are working. Whether they will work tomorrow or the week after, we don't know. But we're trying to stay incredibly flexible, so that as we see things unfold and the needs start to present themselves, we are in a position to use the money that has been entrusted to us to be as flexible and responsible to the women as possible. In the first few days, I thought, “Well, what can we send?” And what I've learned from the wonderful Ruth Messenger, who was the head of American Jewish World Service, one of the leading relief organizations in the world, is don't send anything. And the reason is that the roads in that region are congested, the ability to unpack and distribute materials is very, very complicated, and really almost impossible to achieve. And also these economies in like Moldova, and Romania – to the extent we send resources, we send money to the expert organizations on the ground, they will be able to make purchases that will also stimulate those economies, because these are countries that are taking in refugees. And by saying to them that we will make these purchases through their countries, we're saying that we really appreciate that you've taken all these refugees in. One of the other things Ruth has taught me in the last few days is that if we send too much product into a country, the country will start to put taxes tariffs in place, and start to make it expensive for the nonprofits to accept these overseas packages. So I would encourage everybody who is trying to be really caring and compassionate, that if they can send money – do not send things. I would also say [we need] to realize this is going to be a long haul, that we are not going to resolve this issue quickly. These are going to be refugees for quite a long time, and Europe is going to have a heck of a time absorbing this number of people. And then there are going to be people, we hope, that when Ukraine is secured and peaceful, will choose to return home, and then the rebuilding will be a very major expense as well. So if this is a region of the world and a people you care about, be prepared to be involved in this process for many years to come. Ufberg: Thank you. Karyn, can you give us some information how listeners could find you to learn more? Gerson: So Project Kesher can be found on the Internet at www.projectkesher.org. I'm reticent to talk about too many organizations – there's quite a few great ones, but I'll just mention one, and that would be Afya. They are doing medical supply transports to the region. And if you are interested in helping to get medical supplies over, they have expert experience doing so. Again, if you just start packaging up things, it's not going to get where it needs to be. But if you work with an expert in global relief and crisis situations, then you know your monies are going to be well spent. We're going to change gears somewhat now to recognize Women's History Month. Cities, businesses, and museums across the country are celebrating women in a myriad of ways, and throughout the month of March, I'd like to take some time to learn about the prominent women in our past and present. We'll start with the annual Women's History Month exhibit on view at the New York State Capitol. You can find it in the governor's reception room, or “war room,” on the second floor. The war room has this intricate ceiling mural depicting some of the state's heroes amid a slew of battle scenes, both real and mythical, but for the rest of this month, it's women's faces and stories that take front and center. This year's “First and Foremost” exhibit features 20 New York women who either made history by being the “first” to break down certain barriers for women, or who rose to prominence as the foremost expert in their chosen field. "It's really hard to pare it down, honestly," says Michelle Rosales, a spokesperson for the state Office of General Services, which assembled the exhibit. "We have so many great historic women, and doing the research, we always end up having some for next year or the following year, you know?" As you check out the various panels you'll catch some familiar faces – Governor Kathy Hochul, State Attorney General Letitia James, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sojourner Truth – but you'll likely notice some new names as well.  "Here we have Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trias," Rosales motions. "She lived and worked in both New York and Puerto Rico. She worked a pediatrician, and while she was doing that, she became aware of ways social and economic equality affected one's access to healthcare. So she spent the rest of her career educating and advocating for healthcare accessibility and women's reproductive rights." Rosales says one of her favorite women featured is Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, who represented New York's 12th District in Brooklyn from 1969 to 1983. Chisholm was born to immigrant parents on November 30, 1924, and she initially sought a career as a nursery teacher, getting her masters in early childhood education from Columbia University. But she was also a vocal activist, and became the second Black representative in the New York Legislature – behind Edward A. Johnson – before ultimately running for Congress. As a Congresswoman, Chisholm helped expand the food stamp program, advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment, and spoke out against the Vietnam War. In 1972, she took things a step further by running for president, becoming the first woman and African American to seek the Democratic Party nomination for the role.  "And she has a quote that I like, personally: 'If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair,'" adds Rosales. "I just love that, because it's powerful, and it's taking charge and making changes." At the exhibit, you'll find some campaign buttons from Chisholm's presidential run, as well as some White House invitations from Eleanor Roosevelt and a record by Native American musician Joanne Shenandoah, who died last fall at the age of 64. "She's a Grammy Award-winning artist born in Syracuse, New York, and a member of the Wolf Clan Oneida Nation. She used her heritage for her activism, so it went beyond music — she was on the task force on American and Alaskan Native Children Exposed to Violence for the U.S. Department of Justice during President Obama's administration," Rosales notes. "I want people to walk away from this exhibit feeling empowered, inspired. I have three daughters of my own, and not just for the women looking at this exhibit, but also for anyone coming here — I want them to feel like you can make change. You can look at the history and what these people have done in their various fields of study, and know that it's OK to ask questions. It's OK to push boundaries and call for equality and just make it fair." The First & Foremost exhibit is open to the public through March, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the governor's reception room in the New York State Capitol. If that's too much of a trek for you, no worries, you can also catch it online. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week's 51%, we speak with Gayatri Patel of the Women's Refugee Commission about how the U.S. can better promote gender equality in its response to humanitarian crises. Also, Dr. Sharon Ufberg speaks with Karyn Gerson of Project Kesher about the organization's efforts to support women impacted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Guests: Gayatri Patel, vice president of external relations at the Women's Refugee Commission; Karyn Gerson, CEO of Project Kesher; Michelle Rosales, NYS Office of General Services 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for tuning in, I'm Jesse King. Last week, we highlighted the joy and empowerment that can come through traveling, and it's a wonderful thing – but I think it's important to remember that there's a certain privilege inherent in traveling for pleasure, rather than by necessity. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 82.4 million people worldwide were displaced from their homes at the end of 2020 as a result of persecution, conflict, and violence, resulting in nearly 26.4 million refugees. The struggles faced by refugees have lately been highlighted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which according to the U.N., has forced more than 2 million people – most of them women and children -- to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries. That's the estimate so far – as of this taping, Russian forces continue to push toward the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Our main guest today is part of a nongovernmental organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and children refugees. Gayatri Patel is the vice president of external relations for the Women's Refugee Commission, which also works to promote gender equality across the ways we respond to humanitarian crises. Patel notes the issue in eastern Europe right now, unfortunately, is nothing new – the Commission has been particularly monitoring the fallout in Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal last year.  "A lot of what we do is bring the messages of what is happening on the ground to U.S. government policymakers or to other policymakers. So when the U.S. started moving out of Afghanistan, around, unfortunately, the same time that the Taliban started taking over, and when Kabul fell, there was a real strong concern about the safety and wellbeing of women in Afghanistan – particularly those who had been active in the government, active human rights defenders," she explains. "So part of what I was doing, along with a network of women who were similarly concerned, was really trying to make sure that particularly targeted women were brought to the attention of U.S. policymakers in Congress, with the administration, so that they could be prioritized for evacuation. There were a number of people who were helping women get out, but there are, of course, a number of women who were not able to get out. So our ongoing efforts through WRC and through some of our coalitions and networks was really to continue pushing on the U.S. government to make sure that those women who remained in Afghanistan, that their needs were met, that they were kept safe to the extent possible, and that they were prioritized for pathways out of Afghanistan if they chose to leave – or, you know, if they chose to stay in Afghanistan, that they were protected, and that their rights were protected." What issues do women and children refugees particularly face, compared to men? That's a really good question, and one that unfortunately doesn't get asked enough. I mean, women and girls often have really unique considerations in crises like what's happening in Ukraine and Afghanistan and in Ethiopia, Burma, etc. The biggest concerns are really related to their health and safety. So for instance, there's an increased risk of gender-based violence, such as rape, or intimate partner violence, or child marriage. For instance, one fact that really strikes me is that, according to the UN, an estimated 70 percent of women experience some form of gender-based violence during an emergency, which is huge, huge if you think about it. Women and girls also have unique health-related concerns during an emergency: they need access to contraception, they need maternal health care, and other sexual and reproductive health care. They have nutritional needs that are unique and different. You know, that's something that we're right now, for instance, in Ukraine, really grappling with. According, again, to the UN Population Fund, 265,000 women were pregnant in Ukraine at the beginning of this current conflict, and they're estimating another 80,000, will give birth in the coming three months. And I think with the enormity of the situation, it's very easy to lose sight of the fact that these women still need health care – they're going to give birth. And so, you know, we need to make sure that there are services there that are available for them. Nutrition right now in Afghanistan – over half of Afghan children under five years old are acutely malnourished, and they're expecting 10 maternal deaths a day. These are all issues that are unique to women and girls and children in these crises. And I think one thing that's also very easy to lose sight of is that women and girls in humanitarian settings are diverse, and they experience crises differently. So, for example, women with disabilities face higher rates of gender-based violence. But because of negative or hostile attitudes, or inaccessible buildings or lack of information, they often don't get the critical care that they need. So making sure that not only are their humanitarian responses tailored to the unique needs of women and girls, but that those responses also include age, gender, other diversity factors, such as disability or being in part of an ethnic minority – those are also really critical to keep in mind. There's so many things that are involved here, at stake here. And it's really important to note that despite all of this, women and girls are largely excluded from decision making and leadership when it comes to defining their needs and the responses that will help them. And of course, this really creates gaps in responding effectively, but also really discounts that women are often on the frontlines of humanitarian response. They're often the ones who are providing the medical care, or supporting their community members, are building shelters, or are cooking the food and feeding people. And so it's so important to have them be part of the humanitarian response and part of that decision making – but they're often left out. And so that's a bigger picture thing that we really need to address as a humanitarian community. That actually does go into one of my next questions. How can we better amplify the needs of women refugees, who are the ones facing these issues, and ensure that women are in the room for major decision making and planning? Yeah, it's so simple and basic, but just recognizing [that] they want to be heard. You know, in Afghanistan, a lot of what we have done – we meaning the United States has done – in the past 20 years is build institutions and build these structures [where] African women and girls are able to go to school, are able to be part of the political structures, are able to be business leaders. They had a voice. And now we are in a stage where, you know, they need humanitarian assistance, and we're not listening to them. So we have to make it a priority to ourselves, listen to them, and make sure that they have opportunities to be heard. So, for instance, whenever there's a peace building negotiation, women should absolutely be at the table. And it's the responsibility of the U.S. government, other governments, other donors and actors who are in the room, to bring them in and make sure that they're there, and that they're heard. I think we also need to make sure that resources are available. I don't know if you heard recently about this announcement of the U.S. government requesting $2.6 billion for gender equality, and I just want to say, this is fantastic. This is the kind of commitment of resources that we need. It's historic, and certainly reflects why advocacy is so important, because we've been pushing for years for that kind of strong commitment to gender equality. That's the kind of commitment and show of political will that we need when it comes to really helping make a difference on the ground. I was gonna ask, how do you feel the U.S. ranks in its response to humanitarian crises? I think you've touched on a couple ways already in which we can improve. But are there ways that you think we get it right? Or are there ways that you think we've still got a long way to go? I think there are a lot of great things that the U.S. government does in humanitarian crises. I mean, the U.S. is the most generous humanitarian donor that's out there. I think that humanitarian assistance, and that leadership role that the U.S. plays, really needs to reflect some of these gender concerns – and in some ways they do. I mean, there's specific programming to address gender-based violence and emergencies, there's support for organizations that provide sexual and reproductive health care and emergencies from the U.S., there's support for building the capacity of humanitarian responders to see gender concerns as they're designing humanitarian responses. And so I think all of those things are good, and need to be built on – because it's a practical function, but it's also a leadership function. The U.S. plays a really critical role in bringing others on board with this idea that humanitarian response needs to have a strong gender lens to it. Lastly, is there anything that the commission is particularly looking at right now, when it comes to the war in Ukraine? Yes, we're really concerned about some of the protection concerns, in particular. Women and girls are, largely, they're the ones who are coming across the borders into neighboring countries. A lot of unaccompanied children are in that mix as well. And so really, we're looking hard to make sure that as they get to safety in those neighboring countries, [that] they have the resources, that they have the protection that they need from gender-based violence, human trafficking, etc, that the unaccompanied children have the child protection services that they need, so that they're not abused, exploited, etc. And a lot of what we've seen is that organizations who are on the ground responding to the humanitarian crisis are really looking at things like cash assistance, which is something that the WRC has really kind of built an evidence base around. Not just cash for meeting immediate needs, but cash as a means of protecting against gender-based violence, or a means of being able to leave abusive relationships, or being able to meet one's own needs rather than being dependent on others to do so in a way that could be exploited. So those are some of the things that we're looking at. We're also really keenly concerned about the maternal health, and the sexual and reproductive health in general of women and girls who are leaving Ukraine. Like I mentioned before, there's the need for maternal health care, but also the need for contraception, and dignity kits, and hygiene, including menstrual hygiene management and commodities like that. So these are all pieces that we're trying to bring together and work with advocates on the hill and with the administration and with partners who are on the ground, to make sure are really part of the mix. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. That was all the questions that I had for you, but is there anything that I'm missing that you'd like me to know, or that you'd like our listeners to know? I think just one last point that I'd leave you with. There's so much needed emphasis on Ukraine, and so much needed emphasis on Afghanistan – but let's please not forget the women and girls and other vulnerable and marginalized groups that are in humanitarian crises around the world. I believe we've largely lost sight of what's happening in Ethiopia or in Myanmar, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Burkina Faso. There's so many places where there is a humanitarian situation still going on. And the women and girls in those situations deserve our attention and our support. That was Gayatri Patel, vice president of external relations for the Women's Refugee Commission. You can learn more about the Commission and its work at womensrefugeecommission.org.  Now, the war in Ukraine has prompted many in the U.S. to look into how they can personally aid Ukrainians from afar. If you're among them, it's important to know the best ways to go about it, and our next guest can certainly speak to that. Karyn Gerson is the CEO of Project Kesher, a network of Jewish women leaders and roughly 200 nonprofits working to empower women and promote tolerance in countries including Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and Russia. From the project's offices in New York, Gerson has been trying to connect with her contacts across Europe in order to provide direct aid to women on the ground in Ukraine. It's an ongoing situation that is constantly changing, but she recently provided an update to Dr. Sharon Ufberg, co-founder of the California-based personal development and wellness company, Borrowed Wisdom, for her 51% segment “Force of Nature.”  "On a daily basis, I talk to women in the region. And frankly, every conversation starts in tears. I don't think that anyone really could have imagined how quickly and how aggressively this war would progress. And as a result, I think most people are really just in shock," says Gerson. Ufberg: What are the women telling you? Are most of them wanting to flee? Are most of them wanting to stay? How are they responding? Gerson: I think if you had asked me a few years ago, because my specialty is the Jewish community, I think that I would have expected many people just to leave the country. But now there's a much higher sense of patriotism than I've heard in the past. I think the last few revolutions in the country have really given Ukrainians a sense of ownership of their country, and a sense that the possibility of becoming more free and more European was really not too far out of their grasp. So increasingly, I'm hearing from women that they would really like to stay in their country. But everything depends on what's going on. One of my top leaders had said that she would not be leaving her town or her house until the tank rolled up to the door. Well, this week it did. And so now she's on the road, and she's moving west. And so I think this is a constant shifting situation. Ufberg: And how is Project Kesher responding to this ever-changing situation? What do you see? What are you doing? Gerson: So Project Kesher is in every oblast, every state across Ukraine. And so normally, we would really be very active and volunteer in each of these areas – but right now, everybody is in motion, and everybody is shifting. And so as I was laying out, we talk to each woman, and we try to find out their plan of action. Are they saying, are they moving? Are they leaving the country? Or are they potentially going to Israel? And after that, we are trying to get small grants into their hands. This is a very poor country. Women are unlikely to have a bank account, a credit card. If they have a debit card right now, it's not that easy to get money on the debit card. And so we're trying very hard to teach women how to download apps onto their phone, and to get money for them through things like Pay Pal. The goal is to basically give them enough peace of mind to make the journey wherever they need to go to have some shelter, to get some food, and then to really make sure we pass them off safely to the next organization that will either help them in western Ukraine or help them as they begin their journey to be a refugee. Our plans are to stay primarily focused on the women in Ukraine, where we have the most ability to have an impact. We're going to leave the refugee work to organizations like HIAS and the GDC and several others. And then because, again, we do work in the Jewish community, we will be working with a group in Israel to help on the intake of the new refugees there. Ufberg: Are you finding that these 200 women's groups are rallying around helping one another? Are people feeling isolated, or is the Project Kesher community responding there and helping one another? Gerson: Well, you really can't talk about groups at this time at all. Everybody is really trying to make the best decision for their family. I'm really working right now mostly with individual women, many of whom I've known for more than 20 years. And I can picture each one of them. And some of the things that we're doing, for instance, is we had one bank account in Ukraine – the city where that was located is getting increasingly under a military assault. So on one given day, we opened eight new bank accounts, you know, seated each one with $10, to see if the wire transfers would go through. And then the next day had women go into the bank to see if they could get the money out. And so now we have bank accounts across the country that today are working. Whether they will work tomorrow or the week after, we don't know. But we're trying to stay incredibly flexible, so that as we see things unfold and the needs start to present themselves, we are in a position to use the money that has been entrusted to us to be as flexible and responsible to the women as possible. In the first few days, I thought, “Well, what can we send?” And what I've learned from the wonderful Ruth Messenger, who was the head of American Jewish World Service, one of the leading relief organizations in the world, is don't send anything. And the reason is that the roads in that region are congested, the ability to unpack and distribute materials is very, very complicated, and really almost impossible to achieve. And also these economies in like Moldova, and Romania – to the extent we send resources, we send money to the expert organizations on the ground, they will be able to make purchases that will also stimulate those economies, because these are countries that are taking in refugees. And by saying to them that we will make these purchases through their countries, we're saying that we really appreciate that you've taken all these refugees in. One of the other things Ruth has taught me in the last few days is that if we send too much product into a country, the country will start to put taxes tariffs in place, and start to make it expensive for the nonprofits to accept these overseas packages. So I would encourage everybody who is trying to be really caring and compassionate, that if they can send money – do not send things. I would also say [we need] to realize this is going to be a long haul, that we are not going to resolve this issue quickly. These are going to be refugees for quite a long time, and Europe is going to have a heck of a time absorbing this number of people. And then there are going to be people, we hope, that when Ukraine is secured and peaceful, will choose to return home, and then the rebuilding will be a very major expense as well. So if this is a region of the world and a people you care about, be prepared to be involved in this process for many years to come. Ufberg: Thank you. Karyn, can you give us some information how listeners could find you to learn more? Gerson: So Project Kesher can be found on the Internet at www.projectkesher.org. I'm reticent to talk about too many organizations – there's quite a few great ones, but I'll just mention one, and that would be Afya. They are doing medical supply transports to the region. And if you are interested in helping to get medical supplies over, they have expert experience doing so. Again, if you just start packaging up things, it's not going to get where it needs to be. But if you work with an expert in global relief and crisis situations, then you know your monies are going to be well spent. We're going to change gears somewhat now to recognize Women's History Month. Cities, businesses, and museums across the country are celebrating women in a myriad of ways, and throughout the month of March, I'd like to take some time to learn about the prominent women in our past and present. We'll start with the annual Women's History Month exhibit on view at the New York State Capitol. You can find it in the governor's reception room, or “war room,” on the second floor. The war room has this intricate ceiling mural depicting some of the state's heroes amid a slew of battle scenes, both real and mythical, but for the rest of this month, it's women's faces and stories that take front and center. This year's “First and Foremost” exhibit features 20 New York women who either made history by being the “first” to break down certain barriers for women, or who rose to prominence as the foremost expert in their chosen field. "It's really hard to pare it down, honestly," says Michelle Rosales, a spokesperson for the state Office of General Services, which assembled the exhibit. "We have so many great historic women, and doing the research, we always end up having some for next year or the following year, you know?" As you check out the various panels you'll catch some familiar faces – Governor Kathy Hochul, State Attorney General Letitia James, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sojourner Truth – but you'll likely notice some new names as well.  "Here we have Dr. Helen Rodriguez Trias," Rosales motions. "She lived and worked in both New York and Puerto Rico. She worked a pediatrician, and while she was doing that, she became aware of ways social and economic equality affected one's access to healthcare. So she spent the rest of her career educating and advocating for healthcare accessibility and women's reproductive rights." Rosales says one of her favorite women featured is Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress, who represented New York's 12th District in Brooklyn from 1969 to 1983. Chisholm was born to immigrant parents on November 30, 1924, and she initially sought a career as a nursery teacher, getting her masters in early childhood education from Columbia University. But she was also a vocal activist, and became the second Black representative in the New York Legislature – behind Edward A. Johnson – before ultimately running for Congress. As a Congresswoman, Chisholm helped expand the food stamp program, advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment, and spoke out against the Vietnam War. In 1972, she took things a step further by running for president, becoming the first woman and African American to seek the Democratic Party nomination for the role.  "And she has a quote that I like, personally: 'If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring in a folding chair,'" adds Rosales. "I just love that, because it's powerful, and it's taking charge and making changes." At the exhibit, you'll find some campaign buttons from Chisholm's presidential run, as well as some White House invitations from Eleanor Roosevelt and a record by Native American musician Joanne Shenandoah, who died last fall at the age of 64. "She's a Grammy Award-winning artist born in Syracuse, New York, and a member of the Wolf Clan Oneida Nation. She used her heritage for her activism, so it went beyond music — she was on the task force on American and Alaskan Native Children Exposed to Violence for the U.S. Department of Justice during President Obama's administration," Rosales notes. "I want people to walk away from this exhibit feeling empowered, inspired. I have three daughters of my own, and not just for the women looking at this exhibit, but also for anyone coming here — I want them to feel like you can make change. You can look at the history and what these people have done in their various fields of study, and know that it's OK to ask questions. It's OK to push boundaries and call for equality and just make it fair." The First & Foremost exhibit is open to the public through March, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., in the governor's reception room in the New York State Capitol. If that's too much of a trek for you, no worries, you can also catch it online. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this episode, how 18-year old Sonali Ratnasinghe made it her mission to simply community service for youth all across the nation, the obstacles she faced along the way, and the exciting road ahead.