The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

New York\'s Bryant Park was established in 1847, but by the 1970s, the 9.6 acres behind the New York Public Library just a block off Times Square had become an open air drug market, with muggings there cited as the reason companies were leaving Manhattan. Enter Dan Biederman, founder of the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation. Beginning in 1980, Biederman led a series of initiatives remaking the park into a destination for visitors and residents seeking respite and recreation. After a complete restoration and reimagining programing of the space in the early 1990s, Bryant Park had become a emblem of midtown Manhattan\'s rebirth. Today, with caf?s, a performance stage, ping pong tables, and ample tree canopy, it has become one of the most welcoming public parks in New York City.\r\n\r\nBiederman went on to launch a private consultancy, helping government agencies, private developers, sports teams, non-profit agencies, and communities reclaim and reimagine the public realm, with self-sustaining parks and urban spaces that contribute to community and economic development. He has worked in Green Bay, Dallas, San Francisco, Nashville, El Paso, and Seattle, among dozens of other cities.

Essential-and foundational-to our democracy is the promise of a free and fair press. Civic life thrives when the relationship between media and government remains strong, transparent, and accountable. This is especially true at the local level, where access to trusted journalism directly shapes meaningful community engagement.\r\n\r\nIn Cleveland, the City is working to modernize operations and reassert its legacy in industry, growth, and innovation. Lakefront and downtown development have dominated recent headlines, alongside major initiatives focused on public safety and neighborhood stabilization.\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club, in partnership with The Press Club of Cleveland, for a timely conversation with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and WKYC's Russ Mitchell on the role of journalism in civic life-and what we can learn from the City's efforts to build what has been called "The Cleveland Era.\"

Work is full of communication. Slack messages. Zoom calls. Meetings stacked on meetings. But many teams still struggle to do the one thing that matters most: connect in ways that build trust, insight, and better thinking together. It's like we're starving at a buffet.\r\n\r\nAnn Kowal Smith, founder and CEO of Reflection Point, will argue that a successful future (at work and beyond) depends not only on new technology, but on enduring human capacities: listening, empathy, curiosity, challenging assumptions, and disagreeing respectfully. Reflection Point helps organizations develop these five skills through shared discussions about literature, using stories as a practical tool for culture building and stronger collaboration.\r\n\r\nJoining Ann is Randell McShepard, Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Talent Officer at RPM, who will discuss why his company sees these critical capacities as essential to leadership, culture, and performance.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club for a unique forum featuring a live Reflection Point demonstration using a provocative short story. Together, the conversation will show how stories can help teams think more deeply, relate more honestly, and work better together.

Part of The Cleveland Orchestra\'s Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Opera and Humanities Festival\r\n\r\nThroughout 2026, and in partnership with the America 250-Ohio Commission, the City Club will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States by exploring all the ways that Ohio has contributed to U.S. history for 250+ years. In May, our state will recognize Ohio Creates: Arts, Culture, and Literature.\r\n\r\nFor decades, The Cleveland Orchestra has consistently ranked among the very best orchestras in the world. Their excellence has kept Northeast Ohio in global arts and culture conversations and as a place where world-class art can thrive. Beginning in 2023, The Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director Franz Welser-M?st launched the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival-a new tradition of innovative opera presentations that tackles themes like \"Reconciliation,\" \"Power,\" and \"The American Dream.\" The festival's inaugural edition was praised by The New York Times as a "compelling proof of concept" and "an ambitious achievement." This year, the festival will explore the theme of \"Courage.\" It centers Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, which serves as a testament to courage and human nobility.\r\n\r\nYet, what does opera mean today, and what might it become? At the heart of the Festival is a new creative partnership with American jazz trumpeter and opera composer Terence Blanchard. He will be joined on the City Club stage by tenor David Butt Philip, who appears as Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio, and Emmy-winning soprano Adrienne Danrich.

After months of community feedback sessions, data analysis, and deliberation, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) passed the Building Brighter Futures (BBF) plan in December 2025. The stated goals of the plan are to streamline services and provide more educational opportunities, career pathways, and extracurricular activities, but do so at fewer school sites, essentially reducing looming budgetary liabilities while creating more academic opportunities. Announcements of layoffs and school consolidations, however, have met with resistance among some students, families, and teachers.\r\n\r\nThe situation Cleveland finds itself in is not unique. Across Ohio and the nation, public schools have faced decades of declining student enrollment and persistent legislative changes to funding formulas-including so-called \"school choice\" or \"voucher\" programs. Join us for an in-depth conversation about CMSD\'s Building Brighter Futures, the future of public schools in Cleveland, and how Cleveland\'s experience fits into the changing national landscape of public education.

With global security in question, geopolitics intensifying, and democratic values facing increasing threats, the international order has no doubt faced mounting pressure. At the center of these dynamics is the German Marshall Fund (GMF), a nonpartisan organization that for over five decades has worked to strengthen the transatlantic partnership and prepare it for the challenges of the 21st century. At its core, GMF believes that deep cooperation between the U.S. and Europe is key to navigating today\'s complex political and economic landscape.\r\n\r\nDr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer became President and CEO of GMF in 2024-the first European woman to take over the post. With over twenty years of experience at the intersection of international relations, policy research, and public engagement, she is a leading transatlantic voice on geopolitics, European affairs, U.S.-Europe relations, and corporate diplomacy. Her expertise has shaped how governments, businesses, and international institutions across the Atlantic approach defense, diplomacy, and geoeconomics. Before joining GMF, Dr. de Hoop Scheffer held senior advisory and research positions in the French government, academia, and international organizations.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear from Dr. Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer of the German Marshall Fund, and what it will take to strengthen transatlantic security, advance economic and technological competitiveness, and adapt to an ever-shifting global landscape.

In his first year, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has been responsible for some of the most sweeping public health reforms in modern history. \r\n\r\nHHS has lowered drug prices by aligning what the U.S. pays for certain drugs with the lowest prices paid in other developed countries and launching TrumpRx to give patients direct access to those lower prices. Partnering with USDA, HHS released the Dietary Guidelines and flipped the food pyramid with one simple message: eat real food. The FDA has removed several petroleum-based dyes from the American food supply and is closing the GRAS loophole to reduce harmful chemicals in food. With HHS's encouragement, more than 50 medical schools have voluntarily expanded nutrition education from an average of 4 hours to more than 40. HHS has also committed $50 billion over the next five years to drive innovation in rural health. And as part of President Trump's Great American Recovery initiative, HHS is overhauling addiction and mental health care by shifting from a fee-for-service system to an outcomes-based model.\r\n\r\nSecretary Kennedy's leadership is reshaping how Americans eat, live, and take care of their own health, with a stated goal of putting prevention first and shifting the nation from a so called "sick-care" system to a true healthcare system.\r\n\r\nAs part of the City Club\'s commitment to engaging leaders shaping the nation's future, we welcome Secretary Kennedy to discuss HHS priorities and engage directly with the community.

Summer is almost here in Northeast Ohio, and with that comes an ambitious \"To Be Read\" list with fresh books from your favorite bookstore. Their spines ready to be cracked on the edge of a beach, or a comfy chair on your front porch. Perhaps you\'re an audiobook fan, indulging in the latest volume at 1.5x speed. No matter how you enjoy your literature, our roundtable of book lovers is here to let you know which books are must-reads for Summer 2026. Included in the conversation are the best of Young Adult and Children\'s books that fit the taste of every kid yearning to earn that personal pan pizza. With Bill Kelly, Adult Programming Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library; Erica Marks, Senior Director of Outreach & Programming, Cleveland Public Library; Rosa Ransom, Store Manager, Mac\'s Backs - Books on Coventry; and Michelle Smith, Programming Director, Literary Cleveland

Few organizations serve as fiercer defenders of constitutional rights and the rule of law than the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). At a time when free speech, free assembly, immigration, and voting rights are being tested across multiple fronts, Americans have come to count on the ACLU for its unyielding dedication to principle - even if they don\'t agree on every issue.\r\n\r\nDeborah N. Archer is President of the national ACLU, where she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. She brings frontline insight into today\'s web of legal battles, and calls attention to how traditional tools for protecting civil rights are currently being weakened and tested. Deborah is a tenured professor and associate dean at New York University School of Law, and the faculty director of the Community Equity Lab at NYU Law.\r\n\r\nTo mark Law Day 2026, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association\'s Chris Schmitt will sit in conversation with Deborah N. Archer, President of the ACLU, on the urgency of protecting the rule of law and defending the rights of all people nationwide.

Perhaps better than anything else, food has the unique power to transport us back in time and evoke memories, a feeling, or a moment of our lives. In Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees, poet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil explores the way food and drink evoke our associations and remembrances-a subtext or layering, a flavor tinged with joy, shame, exuberance, grief, desire, or nostalgia. It is an illustrated, lyrical memoir told in short essays that reminds us all to slow down and reflect on food\'s universal power to shape who we are, how we connect with others, and the joy of being present.\r\n\r\nBorn to a Filipino mother and Malayali Indian father, Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of five books of poetry, Bite by Bite is her second essay collection, which was named a Barnes and Noble Best Book of 2024. Aimee is known for her dynamic and joy-filled teaching. For a decade, she served as the poetry editor for Orion and Sierra magazines. A professor of English and Creative Writing for over twenty-five years, she also serves as a firefly guide for Mississippi State Parks.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club, and in partnership with the 2026 Cuyahoga County NEA Big Read, as author and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil sits down with Lit Cleveland\'s Matt Weinkam to discuss how food marks our experiences and identities and explore the boundaries between heritage and memory.\r\n\r\n-----\r\n\r\nThis program is part of "BITE INTO BOOKS," the 2026 Cuyahoga County NEA Big Read led by Heights Libraries in collaboration with Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, East Cleveland Public Library, Euclid Public Library, Rocky River Public Library, Shaker Library, Westlake Porter Public Library, and various community partners. Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Dig in at cuyahogareads.org.