The Community's Conversation

CMC unpacks the new Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan with distinguished panel. The City's new plan outlines a vision for a downtown Columbus that’s greener, more liveable, and friendlier to pedestrians. It also calls for less surface parking and more trees. Read more about the plan here.

The panelists are:

Michael B. Coleman, Former Mayor of Columbus; Partner-in-Charge, Government Law Group, Ice Miller; Chairman, Board of Directors, Columbus Downtown Development Corporation

Greg Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Columbus Downtown Development Corporation

Jeff Edwards, Chairman, CEO, and President of Installed Building Products and The Edwards Companies

The host is Jessica Ralston, Anchor, Good Day Columbus, ABC6.

This forum was presented by The Harrison Smith Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund. The forum was sponsored by Smoot Construction Corporation, Keeler & Nadler Family Wealth, Smith & Hale, MKSK, and The Sarah Gormley Gallery.  It was recorded before a live audience in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. 

This week, we unpack recent events in high-profile criminal cases, in Ohio and nationally, and explain how criminal investigations really work. How do FBI agents obtain search warrants? Does “lawyering up” make you look guilty? How do potential defendants learn they are under investigation?  

The speakers are: 

Christopher Kim, Former FBI Special Agent, and a Senior Managing Director with Guidepost 

Algenon Marbley, Chief Judge of the Southern District of Ohio 

And Ron O'Brien, Former Franklin County Prosecutor 

The host is David Axelrod, Attorney with Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick.This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. 

Founded in 1871, The Columbus Dispatch remains the only mainstream daily newspaper in Ohio’s capital. Dispatch leaders have witnessed dramatic changes in recent decades to how news in America is gathered, shared, and accessed by readers. We discuss the future of “Ohio’s Greatest Home Newspaper” and journalism itself with today’s guests.

The panelists are:

Edwina Blackwell Clark, Executive Editor, The Columbus Dispatch

Amelia Robinson, Opinion and Community Engagement Editor, The Columbus Dispatch

The hosts are:

Nicole Kraft, Associate Professor with The Ohio State University School of Communication

Jessica Langer, Editor in Chief of The Ohio State University’s Lantern Media Group

Today’s forum is sponsored by The Ohio State University with support from The Columbus Dispatch.

This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. 

The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis called states the “laboratories of democracy.” But thanks to gerrymandering and fiercely partisan politics, many Ohioans fear this laboratory is in jeopardy, and the November 2022 elections were run in Ohio with unconstitutional district maps. This CMC forum looks at the results of this year’s election and what they might mean for the future of our democracy.

The panelists are: 

Karen Kasler, Bureau Chief, Statehouse News Bureau 

Bradley Smith, Professor, Capital University Law School, and Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission

Dr. Wendy Smooth, Professor, Department of Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies and the Department of Political Science, The Ohio State University

The host is Mike Thompson, Chief Content Director of News and Public Affairs, with “Democracy in Crisis” series partner WOSU Public Media.  

The forum sponsor is Hannah News Service. The forum partner is the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus. 

This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.  

Nannette Maciejunes has steered the Columbus Museum of Art through two decades of growth as its leader, and safely brought the crown jewel of the Columbus art scene through the COVID-19 pandemic.   

As Maciejunes retires at the end of 2022, she leaves CMA and Columbus enriched by art and artists. Today’s panel reflects on Maciejunes’ legacy and shares their thoughts on the role of art in society, on Columbus’ burgeoning art scene, and what’s next for art in Columbus. 

The panelists are:

Nannette V. Maciejunes, Executive Director and CEO, Columbus Museum of Art

Bryan Moss, Painter and Comic Artist   

The host is Tom Katzenmeyer, President and CEO, Greater Columbus Arts Council This forum was made possible by the Carol A. McGuire Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund, celebrating the contributions made to society by arts and culture.  The forum sponsor was AECOM.  This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.  

From New York’s Stonewall Uprising in 1969, through the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, to the 2015 Supreme Court decision that declared same-sex marriage legal in every state, LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. have advanced thanks to the tireless work of activists and advocates.

Now a growing backlash is taking aim at these rights in the U.S. and threatening to roll back decades of progress in equality.

Today’s forum looks at both the past and the future of the struggle for equality in Central Ohio through the eyes of four generations of activists.    

The panelists are: 

Chris Cozad, LGBTQ+ Activist and Owner & President, Alternative Auto Care 

Karen Hewitt, Associate Director, Leadership Columbus, and Co-Founder, The Ohio REST Collective 

José Rodriguez, Vice President, Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions   

Joseph Soza, Central Ohio Regional Organizer, Equality Ohio  

The host is Ronald Murray, President, Stonewall Columbus Board of Trustees, and MARCH Program Director, Franklin County Municipal Court 

This forum was made possible by the Lynn Greer Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund and was sponsored by Battelle and Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions.

The forum partner was Stonewall Columbus.     This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.  

This week, CMC extended an invitation to both the Republican and Democratic candidates in the 2022 Ohio governor’s race to talk on our stage about their visions for Ohio’s future. Republican Mike DeWine didn’t accept our invitation, but Democrat Nan Whaley did.  

Today’s speaker is: 

Nan Whaley, Former Mayor of Dayton and the 2022 Democratic Candidate for Ohio Governor. 

The host is Colleen Marshall, Anchor, NBC4. 

CMC’s political series is sponsored by Hannah News Service. The forum partners were King Business Interiors and NBC4.     This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.  

Franklinton is the oldest part of Columbus, with a mix of residential streets and former industrial areas that are home to parks, art galleries, event spaces, and over 8,000 residents. The current resurgence of Franklinton was made possible by the completion of the Franklinton Floodwall in 2004, which helped Franklinton reinvent itself. Today we’ll explore what’s happening in Franklinton with the help of a panel of passionate leaders.  

The speakers are: 

Dr. Kim Campbell, Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Mount Carmel College of Nursing   

Johnny Riddle, Executive Director, Franklinton Arts District  

Trent Smith, Executive Director, Franklinton Board of Trade  

Jeffrey Woda, Managing Director and President, Woda Cooper Companies  

The host is Deborah Pryce, Former Member of Congress, 1993-2008     This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.  

The first amendment of the Constitution protects our freedom to say almost anything with few restrictions. But when that freedom is abused, do we need new rules? Can truth in media be regulated? CMC’s Democracy in Crisis series continues with an expert panel.  

The speakers are: 

Andrew Alexander, Scripps Howard Visiting Professional, Ohio University 

Dr. Eddith Dashiell, Professor and Director, E. W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University 

Dr. David Stebenne, Professor of History and Law, The Ohio State University 

The host is Mike Thompson, Chief Content Director of News and Public Affairs, WOSU Public Media. 

CMC’s partner in the Democracy in Crisis series is WOSU Public Media    This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.  

We discuss the state of the workforce in Central Ohio and what current trends indicate for the future, plus The Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio provides an overview of their “State of the Workforce 2022” report, with new insights on Ohio’s labor participation rate, unemployment rate, and details on specific job sector growth and losses projected through 2028. 

The speakers are: 

Ryan Burgess, President & CEO of Goodwill Columbus  

Nichole Kneedler, Chief Talent Officer with Huntington National Bank 

Dr. Tian Lou, Research Scientist with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University  

Chance Shannan with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio provides introductory remarks.  

The host is Colleen Marshall, Co-Anchor with NBC4. 

This forum was sponsored by Improving, Corna Kokosing, and Columbus State Community College.    This forum was recorded live at The Boat House in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.