THE WAY FORWARD LEADER LUNCH BREAK ARCHIVE

Rich shared an overview of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s work, and their focus on conservation, restoration, preservation, and revitalization in natural, rural, and urban areas. He discussed the impact of the environment on communities and individuals, and the links between tree canopy and health disparities.

Brian gave a brief overview of election law, voting, and redistricting as it relates to Ohio’s current situation and provided the history and basics of gerrymandering. He covered the recent attempts at redistricting, the results of those attempts, and how it has affected recent elections, as well as ramifications going forward.

Bishara shared insights from the Fund’s research into what’s happening in labor market, including perspectives from employer and the reasons why workers are leaving their jobs (and what they want). She discussed the expectations for the future, barriers to employment, and shared three major takeaways.

Debbie shared the vision for the lakefront and talked about the three components of the plan:

• Lakefront development
• Public spaces, infrastructure and downtown connection
• Next generation facilities

She discussed how the project is being managed and advanced through the coordination of public, private, and nonprofit entities across five working groups, as well as the timeline for the project.

Jeremy talked about what the Assembly for the Arts is. He discussed the opportunities, the challenges, and the funding mechanism for the arts and culture sector. He also shared the impact of the pandemic, as well as some new announcements.

Daniel shared an overview of the background of Stella Maris and their services and their focus on access, inclusion, and safety. He also talked about the challenges facing users and treatment programs today, particularly the tainted drug supply. He also discussed their community building efforts through the new coffee shop and community space.