Chris Hardie talks with Acacia St. John of Forward Wayne County and Alex Painter of the Wayne County Foundation about the recently released "County Indicators" report, and what it means for the health and future of our community.The post “I c

Mary Walker and Ashley Sieb on the power of story-telling to help us navigate COVID-19 together

Jan 28th, 2021 50m 55s

When we talk about COVID-19 and its impact on all of us, it’s tempting to focus on the numbers: deaths, tests, positivity rates, charts that go up and down. These are very important, but they don’t tell the whole story. And if we only talk num

Randy Baker of RP&L on the past, present and future of local electricity

Jan 22nd, 2021 46m 1s

Randy Baker is retiring soon as the General Manager of Richmond Power & Light. In this podcast episode, he reflects on his time there as we speak about how power generation and distribution has happened in our community over the years, the pol

Jason Truitt on the changing landscape of local news, life at the Palladium-Item

Jan 14th, 2021 46m 12s

One of my favorite subjects, and a question that I think continues to be critical in shaping the future of our community, is that of where and how people get their news and information. Over the years I’ve had a lot of different relationships

Valerie Shaffer on developing quality of place, talent for economic health

Jan 5th, 2021 44m 15s

I first interviewed Valerie Shaffer on this site back in 2017 about what the Economic Development Corporation of Wayne County does, how they measure success, and the rollercoaster of wins and losses in helping our community find its path forwa

Lauralee Hites on developing strategy, having hard conversations and finding our place

Nov 12th, 2020 59m 19s

One of my favorite kinds of community conversations to have is with someone who is making great things happen, but who isn’t necessarily high profile in their work. They lead, guide, advise, nudge and help in powerful ways, but their names don

Kelley Cruse-Nicholson on witnessing the vehicle attack on Black Lives Matter marchers

Oct 15th, 2020 47m 14s

On September 5th 2020, Richmond saw an act of aggression and violence against peaceful marchers who were demonstrating in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, as a local man drove his vehicle through the line of people, striking and inj

IN Focus with…me

Sep 10th, 2020 58m 37s

As a follow up to the hosting of WCTV’s IN Focus public affairs program that I did in July of this year, where I focused on topics of systemic racism and concern about police violence against people of color, Eric Marsh and I sat down to debri

IN Focus with Mike Britt and Brylynn Quisenberry

Jul 17th, 2020 59m 4s

The third and final (for now) episode of the public affairs program IN Focus that I have been guest-hosting in July aired this evening on WCTV. Like my earlier conversations with Betsy Schlabach, Archer Bunner and Bill Engle, it again touches

IN Focus with Archer Bunner and Bill Engle

Jul 9th, 2020 59m

In July I’m continuing to guest host a few episodes of the public affairs program IN Focus on WCTV, talking with my guests about racism and what it means for people in our community — especially white people — to be listening, learning and tak

IN Focus with Betsy Schlabach

Jul 2nd, 2020 59m 4s

In the month of July I’m guest-hosting a few episodes of IN Focus, the public affairs program on Whitewater Community Television‘s WGTV Channel 11. In talking with my guests I’m hoping to keep the conversation going around our region’s biggest

We all need fresh air: Marcie Roberts of the Richmond Friends School

Apr 28th, 2020 45m 30s

After 16 years working at the Richmond Friends School, Marcie Roberts is wrapping up her time leading the local independent school through significant growth and change. The current public health crisis has altered what her final months as Hea

Believe them, listen to them: advocating for child safety, even during a pandemic

Apr 22nd, 2020 31m 41s

Child abuse and neglect is already a tough but important issue for our community to tackle, and JACY House is on the front lines of providing prevention and advocacy services, as well as forensic interviews when an allegation of abuse is made.

Rebecca Gilliam on adapting community philanthropy and support during COVID-19

Apr 20th, 2020 30m 37s

Rebecca Gilliam had only been in the Executive Director job at the Wayne County Foundation for a few months when the COVID-19 pandemic changed daily life for everyone in Wayne County. From helping not-for-profit providers of essential services

Lisa Burkhardt and Steve Hayes Jr. on outdoor education at the Playscape

Jun 27th, 2019 32m 2s

There are lots of great options for outdoor play in Richmond. A newer one that you may not have encountered yet is the Playscape at Hayes Arboretum. A series of hands-on activities, stations and outdoor experiences built almost entirely from na

Communication, data and collaboration: Megan Sanders on Forward Wayne County

May 21st, 2019 55m 7s

Forward Wayne County is a relatively new organization driven by a simple idea: that we’re already equipped to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing our community, and that by improving communication, collaboration and how we understand

Caleb Smith on the Farmers Market, food security and Richmond after Earlham

Jun 21st, 2018 48m 6s

If you’ve visited the Richmond Farmers Market in the last few years, you may have seen Caleb Smith wandering around to offer a smile and make sure everything runs smoothly. As the Market Coordinator for the Richmond Parks Department, Smith has

What you make of it: Shana Nissenbaum on power tools & building a life in Richmond

Jun 14th, 2018 32m 15s

Shana Nissenbaum is an educator, a builder, a community organizer, and a non-profit founder…and that’s just the start of a long list of the many ways she spends her time to make Richmond a better place.In this conversation we cover a lot of gr

Unscripted: Amy and Andy Dudas on creating a new space for art

Jun 8th, 2018 38m 28s

Amy and Andy Dudas are, among many other things, the creators of the new Dudas Inspiration Venue for the Arts in Richmond’s downtown. It’s a place, yes, but it’s also a project that hopes to bring together all kinds of artists for collaboration

Sam and John Purcell on knitting together business and community

Feb 8th, 2018 48m

Ply Fiber Arts stands out on Richmond’s Main Street as one of the most colorful, creative and inviting retail spaces you can find here. But for owners Sam and John Purcell it’s much more than the building and business they opened together in 20

Pat Heiny on consensus building and making hard decisions

Feb 2nd, 2018 44m 17s

Pat Heiny has lived in Richmond for over 47 years, and brings an incredible amount of energy, clarity and thoughtfulness to her community building work. She’s served as a teacher, facilitator, consultant, board member and leader, parent, frien

Bill Engle on the state of journalism in Richmond

Dec 15th, 2017 50m 33s

My friend Bill Engle and I have been having some great conversations lately about the state of news, journalism and media in Richmond and beyond.We sat down to record some of those thoughts in case they are interesting to others, and you can l

Prophets Fest

Aug 3rd, 2015 19m 12s

For seven years now, family-friendly music festival Prophets Fest has attracted many hundreds of people from around the region to a beautiful local farm just south of Richmond. Once there, they camp, eat, dance and enjoy the offerings of severa

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