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Founded in 1976 by 13 visionary women leaders in Columbus, Ohio, the Columbus Metropolitan Club connects people and ideas through community conversation. From its start, CMC has welcomed everyone. Each week, the Columbus Metropolitan Club hosts a public forum discussion on topics that range from business to policy to social services and beyond. The discussions might feature a diverse panel of experts, or may be a 1:1 interview with a high-level community or business leader. Every CMC forum p ...
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Optimal Health Series Central Ohio is home to global leaders in healthcare, but access to healthcare remains uneven in the region as it is for much of the country. What are the costs of uneven healthcare coverage to our region, and what are the factors that prevent many from getting the care they need? With a panel of passionate healthcare leaders,…
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With early voting already underway, Ohio voters are being asked to decide if a new approach to redrawing the state’s electoral districts is necessary. At stake is potentially nothing less than the future control of Ohio’s statewide legislative bodies. The nonprofit Citizens Not Politicians asserts that Ohio’s current electoral districts are gerryma…
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An erosion of LGBTQ+ rights seems to be the latest casualty of America's deepening polarization. This week’s panel takes stock of the trajectory of LGBTQ+ rights and what the future may hold for LGBTQ+ Ohioans and their families. Featuring: The Honorable Nickie J. Antonio, Ohio State Senate Democratic Leader Karen Hewitt, Founder and CEO, K Hewitt …
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Could fresh thinking about philanthropy help save the lives of mothers and babies in Central Ohio? This panel explores how participatory grantmaking, trust-based philanthropy, and low-barrier funding promise to improve the lives of Central Ohio’s mothers and babies. Featuring: Isi Ikharebha Green, President, Physicians CareConnection Kelley Griesme…
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What would Central Ohio's future look like with safe, affordable mixed-income neighborhoods as a part of everyday life? How much healthier, stronger, and more equitable would our region be? For the most part, this is now just a dream for many central Ohioans. Our region is experiencing a severe housing shortage because we’ve built an average of onl…
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Will an innovative new collaboration help Central Ohio attract and build the workforce it needs? The Central Ohio Workforce Development Network is a new large-scale collaborative between thirteen organizations that backers say will open a wide new pipeline funneling eager workers to employers. With a panel of employment advocates and regional leade…
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According to Hunger Ohio, our state has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the country, with over 400,000 children across the state living in food-insecure households. What would it take to end hunger once and for all in Central Ohio? This forum brings together passionate experts to spotlight hunger in our midst and discuss actionable s…
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In today’s polarized landscape, can we still have constructive bipartisan dialogue, especially with a contentious election season underway? Are good-faith discussions across divides even possible in America’s white-hot political climate? Our panelists say not only are they possible, they’re essential if our democracy is to survive and thrive. By fo…
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Central Ohio’s women face unique barriers compared to men in the creation and accumulation of their personal wealth. The cost of the disparity is enormous: the Federal Reserve estimated that closing gender and racial wealth gaps could have increased Ohio's GDP by $67 billion between 2005 and 2019. This week’s forum digs into the challenges Central …
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The free press and democracy draw strength from each other. When one fails, or is deliberately targeted for destruction, the other is likely to also be a casualty. This week’s forum dives into the importance of a free press and the role journalism plays in keeping democracy vigorous. Featuring: Rita McNeil Danish, CEO of Signal Ohio Dr. Kelly Garre…
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Get ready for retirement, because it’s coming: while not everyone in Central Ohio is ready to clock out for the last time, the region will soon have more residents reaching the age of 65 than starting kindergarten. It’s a situation with enormous implications for employers, school districts, healthcare providers, and taxpayers. The 65+ age group of …
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Columbus, Ohio has been stacking up impressive accolades for some time. The city is home to some of the country’s top attractions, world-class sports, a great restaurant and bar scene, and a growing and diversifying population that’s significantly younger than the statewide average. Recently, Experience Columbus – the destination marketing organiza…
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More than 1.5 million Ohioans – over 13% of the state’s population – lives in the cities governed by our three July 24 forum panelists. We welcome the current mayors of Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio for an extraordinary program as these three dynamic leaders discuss the unique challenges and opportunities facing their 21st century citie…
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Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. was appointed as the 17th president of The Ohio State University by its Board of Trustees last August. He began his tenure at Ohio State on January 1 of this year. As president, Carter leads the state’s premier public research university with six campuses in Ohio and a student body of more than 65,000. Carter also served as …
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A proposed major overhaul of Columbus’ 70-year-old zoning code will bring big changes to Columbus. If passed, the new code will dramatically reshape parts of the city by unlocking current density and height restrictions, allow more mixed-use developments, and much more. Proponents argue a zoning code overhaul is critical to help Columbus fix its wo…
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The state of charitable giving has a profound impact on hundreds of nonprofit organizations throughout Central Ohio, ranging from mighty arts, healthcare, and higher education institutions to local civic clubs and direct service providers. Trends in giving affect all of them — from the decline of giving among “everyday households,” increasing depen…
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Healthy nonprofit organizations are critical to any community. They address unmet needs, enrich our cultural life, and build social capital. With a panel of passionate leaders and advocates, we unpack the state of Central Ohio nonprofits at one of CMC’s most popular forums of the year. The panelists are: Suzan Bradford, Executive Director, The Linc…
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As our country heads into a pivotal 2024 election, we unpack the creation and the legacy of one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history, the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The 60-year-old Civil Right Act – bold, imperfect at creation, and controversial – demanded a fundamental fairness in American life that today remains an unf…
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Only five other states are home to more veterans than Ohio. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Buckeye State is home to 729,645 veterans. Only California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas have more veterans than Ohio. With the state’s unemployment rate well below historic averages, many employers are turning to veter…
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Ohio’s mental healthcare needs are as acute as they’ve ever been, but Ohioans’ struggle with mental health has also achieved a new and higher level of visibility, thanks to the persistent dedication of mental health advocates. Mental health struggles are touching every part of Ohio’s population: children, adults, employers, and employees, and those…
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On April 10, 2024, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered his “State of the State” address to a packed Ohio statehouse audience. Now in his second term, the Governor’s remarks were notably focused on key initiatives aimed to benefit the state’s youth, with special emphasis on improving the health and education of Ohio’s children and students. His rema…
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Imagine what economic growth looks like on a graph and you may picture a line slanting upwards from left to right. Have you ever wondered where the line stops? On a planet – or a region – with finite resources, it has to end somewhere. This realization is helping a very different model of economic growth to gain traction: the circular economy. Circ…
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A leading factor behind population growth in Central Ohio are immigrants and refugees; in recent years, of the newcomers moving to Central Ohio from outside the state, half are international immigrants. The United States is home to the highest number of immigrants in the world. Some 50 million Americans —about 15% of the country’s population, were …
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What are the chronic factors that are keeping so many Columbus families – more than one in ten – locked in a multi-generational cycle of poverty, and what new resources are needed to help these families break free of the poverty cycle once and for all? Central Ohio is a rapidly growing, vibrant community, generating the lion’s share of Ohio’s overa…
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Optimal Health Series Human beings are wired for social connections, but when those connections are few, our health pays the price. The U.S. is suffering from a loneliness epidemic, and the toll it takes on our health is both enormous and measurable. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness and isolation a “public health emergency,” sa…
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Mary Lazarus Legacy in Civic Engagement Fund Celebrating Women in Society The gender pay gap is unfair, inequitable, and even illegal – paying women less than men for the same work has been against the law in the US since 1963. And yet, based on today’s full-time, year-round wage gap, women entering the workforce stand to lose $398,160 over the cou…
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This dynamic conversation challenges the conventional understanding of influence, delving into the profound impact of social media influencers on the identity and evolution of Columbus, Ohio. By examining their roles in shaping the cultural and social fabric of Columbus, we’ll uncover the subtle yet powerful ways in which our community is being red…
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This forum is part of CMC's Optimal Health Series. Columbus may still be working toward an overall identity as a city, but leaders in healthcare have already put the region on the globe as a worldwide hub for health. Central Ohio is now home to four major hospital systems and a growing number of global leaders in therapeutics and medical technology…
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Next November, Columbus voters may be asked to approve a 0.5% sales tax increase to generate $6 billion of the estimated $8 billion cost the massive long-term transit improvement project known as LinkUS. LinkUS promises to better connect parts of Columbus though significant transit improvements that include new bus rapid transit (BRT) lines and inf…
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Developing a Dynamic Downtown Series Is Columbus ready for its next big transformation? The past two decades have brought transformative change to Downtown Columbus, including a reimagined riverfront, one-of-a-kind cultural attractions and experiences, and new retail and housing offerings. A modern downtown will demand even more to thrive. The Down…
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With the November 2023 passage of Issue 2, Ohio became the 24th state – plus the District of Columbia – to legalize recreational marijuana. Pot’s approval means the state’s cannabis industry is poised for major expansion, with predictions that the first year of sales could reach $2B, with annual sales potentially climbing to $4 billion within just …
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Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was sworn into the United States Senate on November 15, 2010 to fill the seat left vacant by the late Senator Robert C. Byrd. Born and raised in the small coal mining town of Farmington, W.Va., Manchin served as a West Virginia state legislator and Governor of West Virigina before stepping into his current role as the sta…
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Just how broken are the economics of childcare? It’s no secret they're preventing Ohio’s childcare providers from meeting the current demand for their services from employers, parents, and families. A stunning recent report from Action for Children, The Child Care Provider Survey, uncovered critical issues facing child care providers in central Ohi…
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Sports betting for adults over age 21 became legal in Ohio on January 1, 2023, and is now a $7 billion industry. Thirty-six states – plus the District of Columbia – now permit legal sports betting. Nearly every sports bet in Ohio – some 97% of bets – are placed online, although in-person bets can now be placed at casinos, stadiums, bars and restaur…
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Art in its most highly visible public form can serve as a point of pride for residents and a draw for tourists. In the era of Instagram, public art can enliven neighborhoods with color, joy, and inclusiveness, reflecting what a community values and holds dear. It can be a means for a society to showcase creativity and wonder, but can also be used t…
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Central Ohio’s healthcare giants are galloping to keep up with the region’s growth, building new facilities that’ll need to be staffed by legions of trained healthcare professionals that don’t yet exist. As reported in Columbus Business First, Central Ohio's four major hospital systems are right now trying fill more than 2,200 open positions in nur…
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What makes a city beautiful, livable, walkable, and simply a desirable place to call home? And on the other side, what mistakes can destroy a city’s appeal to residents, visitors, and investors? For the last six years, Cal Poly Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning Dave Amos has been exploring answers to these questions through his huge…
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What if Columbus committed to becoming the largest US city to completely eliminate homelessness? How much would it cost? What specifically would we do with the money? As Columbus works to hone a distinctive identity that differentiates it from other American cities, could its unique quality be that no one in Ohio’s capital city lacked a place to ca…
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What’s in store for Central Ohio’s economy in 2024? Inflation seems to be coming under control, and is well off its summer 2022 highs, yet the region’s labor market remains incredibly tight, with just 3.3% unemployment in October 2023. While the local economy appears to be booming from some perspectives, many residents are feeling left behind and l…
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Developing a Dynamic Downtown Series; Harrison Smith Legacy in Civic Engagement - Recognizing Excellence in Downtown Development; The Downtown Commission's Annual "Smithy" Awards What freeways divided in Columbus, Ohio, freeway caps are attempting to heal — and leaders hope the next few caps will continue positive momentum in revitalizing Downtown.…
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Donna James is among Ohio’s most successful and admired executives. Her current challenge may be among the most significant of her accomplished career: helping a storied Ohio-based global fashion and style icon re-imagine and re-invent itself after decades of both astounding growth and calls for change. As board chair of Victoria’s Secret & Co., Ja…
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Author Richard Kahlenberg’s new book offers an indictment of America’s housing policy by revealing the social engineering underlying our segregation by economic class, the social and political fallout that result, and what we can do about it. His new book, Excluded: How Snob Zoning, NIMBYism, and Class Bias Build the Walls We Don’t See, published i…
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An Optimal Health Series Forum It’s the leading cause of cancer death in the United States – and it’s treatable: lung cancer kills some 127,000 people annually in the U.S., but it’s not a hopeless disease, and in fact, can often be treated if detected early. While treatments continue to improve with breakthrough “targeted” therapies, it’s early det…
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Every U.S. election now feels like a litmus test for the health and future of American democracy, and this year is no exception. On November 7, Ohioans took to the polls by the millions to decide key issues, including overwhelmingly approving both an amendment to the Ohio constitution to enshrine reproductive rights and a statute to legalize recrea…
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If it looks like Millennials are everywhere, they are. In fact, Millennials are now America’s largest generation, surpassing the vaunted Baby Boomer generation as far back as 2019 in terms of sheer size, and the gap widens every year. If you know anyone between roughly the ages of 27 and 42 today, you know a Millennial, defined as anyone born gener…
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In Ohio, cities that have attempted to enact their own gun control regulations have run up against a brick wall where municipal “home rule” – and their governing authority – ends abruptly. Ohio’s legislature and courts have blocked cities’ local efforts at gun control, citing the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. Should Ohio cities have the rig…
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The lives of LGBTQ+ Americans are under greater threat in 2023 than at any point in the country’s recent past. This summer, the Human Rights Campaign declared a “state of emergency” for LGBTQ+ people in America. The rights of parents to make gender-confirming decisions for their children, of drag artists to perform and for venues to host drag perfo…
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What’s on the minds of Central Ohio’s Gen Z girls, and where will they take America? Generation Z – the Zoomers – were born after 1996. The oldest of this rising generation has just graduated from college, and the youngest are now entering their teenage years, having been born just as Barack Obama entered the White House. Their formative years have…
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The Columbus Museum of Art and The Wexner Center for The Arts are two giants on the Columbus arts scene, and both have new leaders at their helms. Gaëtane Verna is the Wexner Center's new executive director, taking over the institution’s leadership last November. Born in the Republic of Congo, and a Quebecer since age two, she is the first woman of…
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Can “hidden workers” help alleviate Ohio’s current workforce woes? Ohio’s rock-bottom unemployment rate of 3.3% – lower even than the national average of 3.5% – is forcing employers to get creative in finding and hiring a workforce needed to keep the state’s hot economy cooking. According to a recent Dayton Daily News report, Ohio has an enviable c…
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