CMC welcomes the Democratic candidates running for Ohio governor, who will face each other in the Democratic primary on May 3, 2022. The winner will appear on the November 2022 ballot alongside a Republican opponent.

This forum is sponsored by Hannah News Service. The forum partners are The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus and NBC4.

This CMC forum was recorded live on April 20, 2022.

The speakers are:

John Cranley, Former Mayor of Cincinnati

Nan Whaley, Former Mayor of Dayton

The host is Colleen Marshall, NBC4 Anchor

The pandemic took its toll on Columbus’ favorite activities, and no activity was more impacted than dining out in the city’s restaurants. If there’s one thing Columbus residents love, it’s the vibrant “Cbus” food scene. While takeout kept many restaurants busy and let patrons support their favorite spots during the pandemic, Columbus restaurants now seemed poised for a major comeback.  

This CMC forum was recorded live on April 13, 2022.  

The speakers are: 

Rich Terapak and Steve Stover, Co-hosts of All Sides Weekend: Chefs in the City on 89.7 NPR News, 

Jim Budros, Restaurateur, and Founder, Budros, Ruhlin & Roe 

The host is Ann Fisher, Executive Producer and Host of WOSU Public Media's "All Sides with Ann Fisher.” 

Once regarded as one of the most statistically average cities in America, Columbus has stepped on the accelerator in the last decade.  Almost every year Columbus adds the equivalent in population of a new Bexley, and in the last ten years, nearly every Franklin County census tract became more diverse. This week’s CMC forum will unpack Columbus’ population growth and its growing diversity. 

This CMC forum was recorded live on April 6, 2022.  

The speaker is: 

Michael Wilkos, Senior Vice President of Community Impact, The United Way of Central Ohio 

The host is Autumn Glover, Senior Director, Community Health Partnerships, OhioHealth 

The forum is sponsored by The Robert Weiler Company and Regionomics. 

Experts say there’s never been a labor market like the one we’re seeing now. Following a pandemic that upended the working world, Ohio’s current labor market is filled with openings for high-tech jobs, low-tech jobs, and everything in between.

This week’s CMC forum explores the connections between Ohio’s workforce and the state’s chances for future prosperity. 

This CMC forum was recorded live on March 23, 2022.  

The panelists are: 

Ola Snow, Chief Human Resources Officer for Cardinal Health 

Steve Stivers, President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce 

The host is Lisa Patt-McDaniel, President and CEO of the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio  The Ohio Chamber of Commerce provided special support for this forum. 

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is reshaping the international world order in real time. It has also created a life-threatening crisis for the Ukrainian people. What are the short-term and long-term implications of this costly conflict? This week’s CMC forum will examine the causes and impact of this ongoing conflict with an expert panel. 

This CMC forum was recorded live on March 18, 2022.  

The panelists, all from The Ohio State University, are: 

Christopher Gelpi, Ph.D., Director and Chair of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution with the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, and a Professor of Political Science 

Philip Kopatz, graduate student at The Center for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies 

Myroslava Mudrak, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus with the Department of History of Art 

Mykyta Tyshchenko, graduate student in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures 

Our host is Angela Brintlinger, Ph.D., Director of The Center for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies 

The forum’s presenting partner was the Columbus Council on World Affairs and was sponsored by The Ohio State University. 

This week’s CMC forum looks at the race to develop multi-million-dollar cell and gene therapies in Central Ohio. 

Central Ohio is rapidly becoming a key player in cell and gene therapy, promising to turn the state into a Silicon Valley for this cutting-edge medical technology.   

Cell and gene therapy are related fields that share the goal of modifying genetic material to fight diseases or to improve the way the body functions. The potential is enormous, both in patient outcomes and investor profit.     

This CMC forum was recorded live on March 16, 2022.  

The panelists are: 

Samantha M. Jaglowski, MD, Physician and Associate Professor-Clinical in Leukemia Research, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University  

Timothy J. Miller, Ph.D., CEO, President, and Co-Founder, Forge Biologics 

Eli Phillips Jr., PharmD, Vice President for Specialty Solutions, Cardinal Health 

The host is Eddie Pauline, President and CEO of BioOhio. 

CMC’s Optimal Health Series is presented by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and by Nationwide Children's Hospital. This forum was sponsored by Cardinal Health, BioOhio, Armatus Bio, Andelyn Biosciences, and by JobsOhio

Experts say diversity is the presence of differences that may include ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, political perspective, and other factors.   

This week’s CMC forum explores what diversity – plus equity and inclusion - means for organizations and companies that are interested in understanding the true meaning and value of DEI and in doing the right thing.  

This CMC forum was recorded live on March 9, 2022.  

The panelists are: 

Angela Bretz, SVP and Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, Nationwide   

Tanny Crane, President and CEO of Crane Group  

Jona Hilario, Ph.D., Statewide Co-Director, OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership  

Anthony Wilson, Ph.D., Chief Diversity Officer, Columbus Metropolitan Library  

The host is Ralph Smithers, Jr., AVP, Diversity Equity, Inclusion and Community Relations, Encova Insurance 

Today’s forum is sponsored by Barnes and Thornburg, CoverMyMeds, Crane Group, and Encova Insurance, with support from WBNS 10TV.   

This week’s CMC forum unpacks a new report focused on Ohio’s post pandemic economy that’s built around questions for the next Ohio governor. Our panelists will discuss the profound changes the state has faced since the last report in 2018 and what the future holds for a post-pandemic Ohio.

This CMC forum was recorded live on March 2, 2022.

The panelists are:

William Shkurti, Distinguished Adjunct Professor with The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs

Fran Stewart, Ph.D., Researcher and Writer with The Ohio Manufacturing Institute and The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs

The host is Tom Suddes, Assistant Professor of Instruction at Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, and a Member of the Editorial Board at The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com.

CMC’s Political Series is presented by The Ohio Farm Bureau and sponsored by Hannah News Service. Today’s forum partner was The League of Women Voters of Metro Columbus.

Downtown Columbus is our region’s largest employment center with ninety thousand jobs, a number steadily growing prior to the pandemic. 

Now, work-from-home trends threaten to undermine downtown’s vibrancy. This CMC forum maps out the future trajectory of downtown Columbus with a panel of experts.

This CMC forum was recorded live on February 23, 2022.

The panelists are:

Marc Conte, Executive Director, Capital Crossroads and Discovery Special Improvement Districts

Michael Coleman, Partner, Public Affairs and Government Law Group, Ice Miller, and Former Mayor of the City of Columbus

Jeff Edwards, President and CEO, Edwards Companies 

The host is Mark Ferenchik, Columbus Neighborhoods/Urban Issues Reporter, The Columbus Dispatch

This forum was sponsored by The Robert Weiler Company, Installed Building Products, and by Marker, Inc.

Ohioans aren’t used to bare store shelves, apart from occasional pre-snowstorm emergencies. And while most U.S. stores are far from empty, some items have become noticeably harder to find during the pandemic. At play in this crisis of the world’s supply chains are many interlocked circumstances.

At this week’s CMC forum we’ll untangle the global supply chain crisis and explore the ways Ohio is helping to fix it.  

This CMC forum was recorded live on February 16, 2022.

The panelists are:

Ken Ackerman, Founder and Lead Consultant, K. B. Ackerman Company

Dr. Keely Croxton, Professor of Logistics, Department of Marketing and Logistics at the Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business

Charles Goodwin, Director of Operations and Aviation Business Services for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority

The host is Eleanor Kennedy, Assistant Managing Editor of Columbus Business First

This forum was sponsored by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority.