Author: Dan Gould

Dan has been a regular contributor to the Charlottesville Podcasting Network since 2008. He has produced over 1000 feature length podcasts for the site.
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Escape Fires and Healthcare Leadership

Dr. Pamela Ross speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

Some say that health outcomes are not keeping pace with the costs of healthcare while this system is by design, more “disease care” than healthcare and prevention. What can be done about an entrenched healthcare system? Dr. Pamela Ross, a featured physician in the movie documentary Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, gives an inspiring take on lessons learned.

Pamela A. Ross, MD, FACEP, is an associate professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Virginia Health System, and founding CEO of Holistic Medical Consultants. She bases her holistic medical principles and practice on the belief that there is an unbreakable connection between the mind, body and spirit.

A native of rural Decatur, Tennessee, and her parent’s oldest child, Dr. Ross’ exceptional perceptive skills and mental capabilities were realized at an early age. By the time she reached the fourth grade, she was engaged in various public speaking opportunities through 4-H Club, the nation’s largest youth development organization. Public speaking was a skill that Dr. Ross evidently mastered early, but it was her mother’s illness that sparked her interest and curiosity in the study of medicine. Determined to aid in her mother’s care, Dr. Ross focused her education and career goals on becoming a physician.

Dr. Ross received her BA in Chemistry from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and her MD from Emory University School of Medicine. Her distinguished career is filled with notable highlights including receiving an invitation from President Barack Obama to be present in the White House Rose Garden when he presented “Doctors for Healthcare Reform” to the nation – an event that galvanized the eventual passage of the Affordable Care Act by the United States Congress. Most recently, she is a featured doctor in Escape Fire: The Fight To Rescue American Healthcare, a 2012 Sundance premiere movie documentary that tackles the pressing issue of a badly broken healthcare system.

In her 16+ year tenure at the University of Virginia Health System, Dr. Ross has worn many hats. She has served as division director of the Pediatric Emergency Department, director of the Child Abuse Program, director of the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner’s Program and director of Quality Improvement. Currently, she serves as ambassador for Sisters Conquering Cancer, a local community grass roots cancer survivor-ship organization; chair of the UVA Cancer Center Minority Recruitment Task Force; and a member of the UVA Compassionate Care Initiative, grounded in compassionate action and empathic leadership. She is also the UVA School of Medicine curriculum thread leader for Complimentary and Alternative Methods (CAM.)

Dr. Ross spends her spare time nurturing her own mental, physical and spiritual well being through reading, meditation, laughter, dance and fellowship in various settings with family and friends.

Ms. Ross spoke at the Wednesday, June 12, 2013 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. The meeting was held at the Senior Center in Charlottesville. Following the presentation, questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV President Sue Liberman.

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The Encore Players: 1491

Each spring and fall, the The Senior Center in Charlottesville’s Encore Players take to the stage to perform a series of one-act plays. This spring the group presented a series of five plays.

Elaine McGrath and Bill Reed performing on the Senior Center stage.

Christopher Columbus and his wife discuss his upcoming voyage in 1491. The play was directed by Betty Hales and introduced by Jean Newland and Pat Cook.

The performance took place on Wednesday May 22, 2013 as a part of the Encore Player’s spring 2013 performance. This is the third of a five part CPN Monday series.

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Women & War: The Strange Career of Union Spy Elizabeth Van Lew

Elizabeth Varon speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

On Thursday, April 11, 2013, Elizabeth Varon presented the sixth and final lecture in our Thursday series entitled The Civil War Through Different Lenses (2013).

Ms. Varon’s presentation begins with the interesting story of how many women, disguised as men, served in both the northern and southern armies during the American Civil War and their fate if caught.

Varon then moved on to the remarkable story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a southerner, who became the Postmaster at Richmond, VA, and a Union spy.

Elizabeth Varon is the Langbourne M. Williams Professor in American History at the University of Virginia. She received her masters degree from Swarthmore College and her PHD from Yale. She has held key positions at Wesley College and Temple University and is a specialist in the Civil War era of the 19th century American south. Ms. Varon is the author of We Mean to Be Counted: White Women and Politics in Antebellum Virginia and Southern Lady, Yankee Spy: The True Story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Union Agent in the Heart of the Confederacy. She was won the Lillian Smith Book Award of the Southern Regional Council, The People’s Choice Award from the Library of Virginia, and the Richard Slatten Award from the Virginia Historical Society. Her newest book is Disunion!: The Coming of the American Civil War, 1789-1859.

The lecture series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

Click here listen all six parts of this series.

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The Encore Players: Royal Confusion

Each spring and fall, the The Senior Center in Charlottesville’s Encore Players take to the stage to perform a series of one-act plays. This spring the group presented a series of five plays.

Marge Haugen and Mark Dryer performing at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

With a nod to Abbott and Costello’s Who’s on First, The Queen and her prime minister seem unable to sort things out in Royal Confusion. The play was directed by Betty Hales. Pat Cook introduced the play.

The performance took place on Wednesday May 22, 2013 as a part of the Encore Player’s spring 2013 performance. This is the second of a five part CPN Monday series.

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In the Cause of Liberty: African Americans and the Civil War

Christy Coleman speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

On Thursday, April 4, 2013, Christy Coleman presented the fifth lecture in our six part Thursday series entitled The Civil War Through Different Lenses (2013).

It’s the spring of 1862 and over 100,000 Americans are already dead and the slaughter that is the Civil War is about to begin again. On January 1, 1863, and ignoring the advice of his advisers, President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation executive order. Listen as Ms. Coleman explains how this document took shape 150 years ago and why it’s still important today.

Christy Coleman was raised in Williamsburg Virginia. She received her bachelors and masters degrees from Hampton University. Ms. Coleman began her career as a living history interpreter at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation while still a college student. She rose through the ranks to become the director of African American Interpretations and Presentations. It was during this time that she and her team gained international acclaim for their bold and evocative programming. She has served as president and CEO of the nations largest African-American museum, The Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History in Detroit. In 2008 she accepted the position of president and CEO of the The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar. She has lectured extensively and consulted with some of the county’s leading museums, written several articles for scholarly and public history publications as well as being an award winning screen writer for educational television. Her most recent work, Freedom Bound, won an Emmy in 2009 for outstanding educational programming.

The lecture series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville. During the Q&A portion of the program, Ms. Coleman explains the rational behind the Colonial Williamsburg Slave Auction that brought her national attention in 1994.

Click here listen all six parts of this series.

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The Encore Players: Tell It to the Judge

Each spring and fall, the The Senior Center in Charlottesville’s Encore Players take to the stage to perform a series of one-act plays. This spring the group presented a series of five plays.

From left to right: Pat Cook, Alice Hennigan, Jerry Granroth, Gene Outlaw Sr. and Liz Evans performing on the Senior Center stage.

Judge Rooney hears some pretty strange cases and this one is no exception in Tell It to the Judge. The play was directed by Betty Hales. Pat Cook narrated. The play was introduced by Jean Newland.

The performance took place on Wednesday May 22, 2013 as a part of the Encore Player’s spring 2013 performance. This is the first of a five part CPN Monday series.

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The Battlefield Photography of Dr. Reed B. Bontecou

John Cummings speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, March 28, 2013, John Cummings presented the forth lecture in our six part Thursday series entitled The Civil War Through Different Lenses (2013).

In this podcast Cummings talks about photography during the Civil War. Listen to the story Dr. Reed Bontecou, an army surgeon who took it upon himself to photograph the effects of war on the human body. You’ll also hear the story of G. O. Brown and how he “acquired” the many Civil War photographs that bear his name.

John Cummings is considered to be an expert on photography in the Civil War. His blog discusses the social, political and cultural aspects of the American Civil War battles fought in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.

The lecture series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

Click here listen all six parts of this series.

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Such is War: The Looting of Fredericksburg

Beth Parnicza speaking at the
Senior Center in Charlottesville.

On March 21, 2013, Beth Parnicza presented the third lecture in a our six part CPN Thursday series entitled The Civil War Through Different Lenses (2013).

How does an action like the looting of Fredericksburg reflect on the culture of the army of the Potomac, and of the country at large? How do we think about the looting in the great scheme of battle? How is it that the looting of Fredericksburg can be considered a form of victory? These and many more questions are answered in this interesting podcast.

Beth Parnicza is an historian with the National Parks Service at the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park where she supervises the Chancellorsville Battlefield Center and manages volunteers and social media. A 2011 graduate of West Virginia University, her research interests focus largely on the human element of the Civil War, particularly in understanding the steps taken by individuals toward a harder kind of war and their motivations to do so.

The lecture series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville. Following the presentation, questions were taken from the audience.

Click here listen all six parts of this series.

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The State of the City and County

Satyendra Huja, mayor of the City of Charlottesville and Ann Mallek, chairman of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors spoke at the Wednesday, May 8, 2013 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. The meeting was held at The Senior Center in Charlottesville. Following opening remarks by the participants questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV President Sue Liberman.

Ann Mallek and Satyendra Huja speaking at the Senior Center Wednesday.

 

Satyendra Huja

Satyendra Huja is the president of Community Planning Associates, and is also adjunct faculty at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and teaches Urban Planning courses on a regular basis. He was director of Strategic Planning for the City of Charlottesville from 1998 to 2004. Prior to that he was director of Planning and Community Development for the City of Charlottesville for 25 years. He received his Masters Degree in Urban Planning from Michigan State University.

He was elected to the Charlottesville City Council in 2007 and is currently serving as mayor. His experiences are in the area of downtown revitalization, housing, historic preservation, transportation planning, art and culture activities, and neighborhood revitalization.

He has received honors from the Virginia Society of American Institute of Architects, recognition from the PEW Foundation for downtown revitalization, and a special recognition award from Piedmont Council for the Arts for his outstanding contribution and support for the arts. He also has been a consultant to the City of Pleven, Bulgaria, for Economic Development and Tourism Marketing.

Ann Mallek

Ann H. Mallek, chairman of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, represents the White Hall District. She is an educator and program coordinator for Central Virginia for the Virginia Museum of Natural History. She received her B.A. in Zoology from Connecticut College, New London CT.

Ms. Mallek was elected to the Board in January 2008 and is currently serving as chairman. She serves on the following standing committees: Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission; Piedmont Workforce Network Council; Acquisition of Conservation Easements; Property Committee; Rivanna River Basin Commission; Charlottesville/Albemarle/UVA Planning and Coordination Council Policy Committee; LEAP Governance Board; CIP Oversight Committee; and the Crozet Community Advisory Council.

She is a member of the following organizations: League of Women Voters; Albemarle County Farm Bureau; Charlottesville-Albemarle Chamber of Commerce; Piedmont Environmental Council; Southern Environmental Law Center; Rivanna Conservation Society; Ivy Creek Foundation and the League of Conservation Voters.

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Geology and Some Civil War Battlefields

Richard Nicholas speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

On March 14, 2013, Richard Nicholas presented the second lecture in our new six part CPN Thursday series entitled The Civil War Through Different Lenses (2013).

Finding the high ground was important to Civil War commanders for many reasons. Listen as Nicholas explains the role that this and other geological features played in the outcome of the war.

Richard L. Nicholas is a native Virginian and UVA graduate. He obtained his graduate degree from the University of Kansas. Richard has worked for Shell Oil as a geologist where he rose to the rank of chief geologist by the time of his retirement in 1991.

Richard has had a life long interest in Virginia history, especially the Civil War and has written two books, in the Virginia Regimental History series. He has written numerous articles for The Magazine of Albermarle County History. Mr. Nicholas recently completed a new book, Sheridan’s James River Campaign of 1865 Through Central Virginia.

The lecture series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

Click here listen all six parts of this series.

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Moving Dirt: The Evolution of Fieldworks

Dale Floyd speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

On March 7, 2013, Dale Floyd presented the first lecture in a new six part CPN Thursday series entitled The Civil War Through Different Lenses (2013).

Henry Halleck defined fieldworks as “the art of disposing the ground in such a manner as to enable a small number of troops to resist a larger army the longest time possible.” According to Floyd, creating such fortifications was often difficult work. “To the scarcity of entrenching tools, many of the men were obliged to use their sabre bayonets, tin plates, and in some cases merely their hands to scrape up the dirt for the breastworks.” says Floyd in this podcast.

Dale Floyd studied at Ohio University and the University at Dayton. He has written nine books on military history. Mr. Floyd has been an archivist at the National Archives, and an historian with the US Army Core of Engineers and the National Park Service.

The lecture series was organized by award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer Rick Britton in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

Click here listen all six parts of this series.

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Delegate David Toscano Reports on the 2013 General Assembly

Delegate Toscano speaking at the Senior Center Wednesday.

Delegate David Toscano provided his perspective on the issues that came before the 2013 Virginia legislature at the Wednesday meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. Delegates Steve Landes, Rob Bell and Matt Fariss were also invited to speak but were unable to attend.

Delegate David Toscano is serving his fourth term in the Virginia General Assembly. He represents the 57th District (Charlottesville and part of Albemarle County) in the House of Delegates and, since 2011, has served as House Democratic Leader.

David is a member of the Courts of Justice; Transportation; and Science & Technology committees. He also a member of the Disability Commission and has served on the special Joint Subcommittee to Study Land Use Tools in the Commonwealth and the Joint Committee to study Math, Science, and Engineering. He is also a member of the United Way Board. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters has named David a “Legislative Hero” five consecutive years for his work on environmental issues.

An attorney with Buck, Toscano & Tereskerz, Ltd., David specializes in family law, real estate transactions, and estate planning.

Delegate Toscano spoke at the Wednesday, April 10, 2013 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. The meeting was held at the Senior Center in Charlottesville. Following the presentation, questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV board member Bill Davis.