The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Over the past few years, schools have strived to adapt and shift in response to the ever-changing environment and requirements of a 21st-century classroom. Higher education, in particular, has borne a significant share of these challenges. Students and administrators have grappled with the Herculean task of managing the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health concerns, and political challenges directed at college faculty and curriculum.\r\n\r\nAt the same moment, college and universities in Cleveland have experienced leadership changes. In September 2021, Dr. Laura Bloomberg began her tenure as President of Cleveland State University. Then in 2022, Tri-C selected Michael Baston as its next President. Each president brings a unique approach and perspective to their role.

Food insecurity has skyrocketed in the United States, and hunger has worsened among households in 2022--with one in 8 households struggling with hunger. Rising inflation and spikes in cost of living means more families are left unable to afford basic necessities such as food.\r\n\r\nIt is time to reexamine food deserts, and instead, consider the impacts of food apartheid--a segregationist system that divides those with access to nutritious food, and those who are denied that same access due to systemic injustice.\r\n\r\nThe scarcity of nutritious and affordable food has a tremendous impact on a community in regards to health, culture, and especially education. Comprehensive solutions that address all of these impacts are what is necessary to move forward. And great work is currently underway at local organizations right here in Cleveland.\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club, in partnership with the Saint Luke\'s Foundation, as we hear from experts and community leaders on the importance of food justice and food sovereignty in building stronger neighborhoods.

Appointed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Her Excellency Oksana Markarova began her tenure as Ambassador to the U.S. on April 20, 2021. Less than a year later, Russia invaded Ukraine, escalating the ongoing conflict between the two countries and highlighting the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine. Ambassador Markarova serves an important role in educating the public about the war and the humanitarian crisis it has caused.\r\n\r\nFrom 2015 to 2020 Amb. Markarova served in Ukraine's Ministry of Finance where she headed the country's economic recovery program, oversaw fiscal consolidation, and coordinated International Monetary Fund programs. Markarova also has an acclaimed career in the private sector where she spent 17 years in leadership roles at financial institutions, including with the Western NIS Enterprise Fund.\r\n\r\nA Republican from Cincinnati, Rob Portman served as a United States senator from Ohio from 2011 to 2023, and as the co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus--where he worked across the aisle to build support for the emerging democracy in Eastern Europe. Portman previously spoke about his efforts for support and peace in Ukraine in April 2022 at the City Club.

Described by the Seattle Foundation as the \"next generation of philanthropy,\" Alesha Washington joined as President and CEO in 2022 and leads one of the region's largest community foundations devoted to advocacy, equity, and community organizing.\r\n\r\nIn her new role at the Seattle Foundation, she is building strong philanthropic relationships that are grounded in anti-racism, bridge building, economic equity, and social justice, which she hopes will serve as a national model for how community philanthropy can fully embrace racial equity and make it the center of the philanthropic sector's work.\r\n\r\nAlesha has extensive knowledge of public policy and inclusion and a prolific career in Northeast Ohio's nonprofit sector. She previously served as the program director with the George Gund Foundation. Before that, she spent five years at the Greater Cleveland Partnership, first as the senior director of government advocacy and then as the vice president of government advocacy. A native of Cleveland, Alesha attended Oberlin College and Case Western Reserve University.

From the best-selling author of Go the F**k to Sleep, famously narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, Adam Mansbach is back with his latest novel, The Golem of Brooklyn--which is a hilarious and satirical weaving of Jewish folklore and history into a thoroughly modern tale of faith, retribution and healing.\r\n\r\nIn Ashkenazi Jewish folklore, a golem is a clay-like creature formed and brought to life by a rabbi during a time of crisis for the Jewish people. But in Mansbach's book, the golem is accidentally created by a stoned art teacher. After learning about the ongoing antisemitism in America-in this case, through a fictional white supremacist gathering based on the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville-the Golem is ready to protect its people once again. The book is an epic romp through Jewish history and the American present that wrestles with antisemitism and the deepest questions of our humanity.\r\n\r\nAdam Mansbach has authored several other books including Rage Is Back, Angry Black White Boy, and The End of the Jews. He also wrote the screenplay for the Netflix film Barry, based on President Barack Obama's life after graduating from college.

In June 2023, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision to overturn a 50-year precedent, ending the practice of Affirmative Action. This decision brought Affirmative Action to the forefront of public discourse during the summer, and it continues to be a prominent topic as educational institutions reopen. While Affirmative Action is commonly associated with university admissions, its roots trace back to 1935, but it gained significant attention in 1961 with John F. Kennedy\'s Executive Order 10925, aimed at advancing racial equality. Since then, it has intermittently made headlines, evolving in public perception.\r\n\r\nAnother critical facet of the college application process that has endured through the years is academic tracking. Academic tracking is a method employed by many secondary schools to categorize students based on their perceived abilities, IQ, or achievement levels. Students are classified into high, middle, or low tracks to provide them with a curriculum and instruction tailored to their unique needs. Proponents of academic tracking argue that it offers an effective solution for accommodating diverse learning abilities within the same classroom. Conversely, critics contend that academic tracking exacerbates disparities, particularly for students below grade level, and creates obstacles for individuals attempting to catch up to their peers.

Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason assumed her role as Ireland's 19th Ambassador to the United States in August 2022. Previously, she spent five years as Ireland\'s Ambassador to the United Nations and served on the Security Council as an elected member. Her experiences in that role made her acutely aware of the importance of sustaining peace and security. 2023 also marks 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, which ended most of the violence of the Troubles in Ireland. The nation is also working through the aftermath of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and upended peace and stability from the devastating consequences of the war in Ukraine.\r\n\r\nHere in Cleveland, master plans are being drafted to renovate Irishtown Bend - the historic settlement of some of Cleveland\'s first Irish residents who constructed the canals and railways that helped shape the state. And now, direct flights from Cleveland to Ireland and 20 other European destinations are possible-- bringing with it an estimated $85 million impact on Northeast Ohio\'s economy over three years. It\'s clear the relationship between the United States and Ireland continues to grow.

Join the City Club for the annual State of the Schools address featuring CEO Dr. Warren G. Morgan. This academic year is the first for Dr. Morgan, who became CEO of Ohio's third largest school district in July. As CEO, he is responsible for implementing the strategic vision for the district, which serves more than 36,000 students. He also oversees more than 6,500 employees and collaborates with educators, students and families, and the community to create a school district that provides high-quality, equitable education to all of its students.\r\n\r\nBefore coming to CMSD, Morgan was the Chief Academic Officer for Indianapolis Public Schools. He has also held leadership roles at Teach for America and Chicago Public Schools. From 2014 to 2016, he served as a Network Leader for CMSD. Following his time in CMSD in 2016, he served in Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump\'s administration as a prestigious White House Fellow. A Chicago native, Dr. Morgan is a graduate of Butler University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and University of Illinois Chicago.

The year is not yet over, but across the country, people have weathered a significant number of climate events: Californians experienced heavy rainfall from, landslides, and even a hurricane. The South grappled with extreme heat and the Midwest and Northeast are contending with dangerous air quality from wildfires in Canada. Now, the gulf and east coasts are bracing for another season of intense hurricane activity.\r\n\r\nIn the Great Lakes, climate change has led to increased rainfall, reduced water quality, rising temperatures, and fluctuating water levels. The climate crisis is a top priority for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the organization is working with the business community, academia, and other federal, state, and local agencies to build a climate ready nation.\r\n\r\nAs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, Dr. Richard Spinrad is responsible for the strategic direction of the agency. This includes developing NOAA's products and services to address the climate crisis, enhancing environmental sustainability, fostering economic development, and creating a more equitable and diverse NOAA workforce. Prior to coming to the NOAA, Spinrad was Senior Adviser to the Vice President of Research and professor of Oceanology at Oregon State University. Dr. Spinard served as NOAA\'s chief scientist from 2014-2016 and led NOAA\'s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and National Ocean Service from 2003-2010. He has also held leadership positions with the Office of Naval Research and the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.

To have a strong region, our cities need a strong urban core. Efforts are underway to support our region\'s economic engine in order to grow jobs, create a vibrant storefront economy, and encourage residential development.\r\n\r\nA recent report released by Downtown Cleveland revealed significant population increases in the area. And in June, Cleveland leadership introduced an ambitious strategy for downtown revival after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends. Included in this plan is the completion of the Downtown Cleveland Retail Strategic Plan that will analyze Downtown's current retail inventory, identify barriers to attracting retailers, implement a targeted tenant attraction strategy, and more.\r\n\r\nWhat does the future of downtown Cleveland look like? Join us to hear from Downtown Cleveland\'s Michael Deemer and University Circle Inc\'s new President, Kate Borders on how can we reimagine downtown from a business district into a diverse, vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.