Category: Speeches and Presentations

These are speeches and presentations put on by people in the Charlottesville area. Some of them may be mere excerpts, some of them may be complete.

Posted on

The Financial Crisis: Not a Perfect Storm

Dr. Richard F. DeMong speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville Wednesday.

What role did the human factor play leading to the financial crisis? What are the difficulties of regulating shadow banks? In this podcast you’ll learn how the financial system goes awry when risk goes to zero. You’ll also learn the meaning of “moral hazard” and how it played a role in the financial crises of 2008.

Dr. Richard F. DeMong is the Virginia Bankers Association Professor Emeritus at the McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia. Dr. DeMong received a bachelor’s degree from California State University at Long Beach, an MBA from the College of William and Mary, and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado. He is the author of numerous articles on subprime lending, managerial finance, investments, small business, and banking in leading finance and banking journals. Colonel DeMong is a retired United States Air Force pilot.

Dr. DeMong spoke at the Wednesday, January 9, 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 Tom Boyd.

Posted on

Central Virginia Railroads in the 19th Century

Rick Britton speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 27, 2012, Rick Britton presented the fourth and final lecture in our series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

The date is June 27, 1850 when the very first train rolled into Charlottesville, says Britton, in this fascinating podcast. Rail passengers of time could travel from Richmond, VA to Charlottesville in just 12 hours, says Britton. Listen as he tells the story of the early railroads of central Virginia, and of Claudius Crozet, the brilliant engineer who created the world’s longest tunnel through the Blue Ridge mountains.

Britton, an award-winning historian and Charlottesville-based author, lecturer, and cartographer organized the series in conjunction with the Senior Center in Charlottesville.

This is the fourth and final part of this series. Click here listen all four parts.

Posted on

Charlottesville’s First 250 Years

Steven Meeks speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville Wednesday.

What does the Pony Express, Miss America, the Philadelphia Quakers Major League baseball team, Chicago’s Iroquois Theater and Tsing Kiang Pu, China, have in common with Charlottesville? In this podcast, Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society President Steven Meeks recaps some of Charlottesville’s fascinating history from its first 250 years.

Steven G. Meeks was born and raised in Albemarle County and Charlottesville. For most of his adult life he has either worked or volunteered as a public servant, striving always to make his community a better place to live and work. He has written extensively about local history including Crozet, A Pictorial History and is currently working on a book chronicling Charlottesville’s first 250 years. He is also working on publishing Sheridan’s James River Campaign of 1865 through Central Virginia. Mr. Meeks offers lectures on the history of central Virginia and oversees the operation of the Hatton Ferry, the nation’s last hand-poled river ferry.

More recently, Mr Meeks has demonstrated his interest, competence, and knowledge of historic preservation through the work he has done and continues to do on historic buildings in the Scottsville Historic District. Since 1990 he has held an elected position as Director of the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District. His current affiliations include being President and Chief Executive of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, a member of the Albemarle County Historic Preservation Committee, Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee, Co-Chair of Charlottesville’s Celebrate 250th Committee, Co-Chair of the Albemarle Charlottesville Sesquicentennial Committee and the Scottsville Architectural Review. He just recently obtained a Certificate in Museum Management. He has also served on the boards of the Albemarle County Fair, the Virginia Association of Fairs, the Scottsville Museum, Albemarle County’s Road Naming Committee, the Scottsville Planning Commission, and the Biscuit Run State Park Advisory Committee.

Mr. Meeks spoke at the Wednesday, November 14, 2012 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 Charles Smith.

Posted on

Edward Coles: Albemarle Emancipator

Bruce Carveth speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 20, 2012, Bruce Carveth presented the third lecture in our series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

Carveth tells the story of Edward Coles, an Albemarle County native, who, on April 14, 1819, freed his slaves. The freeing of slaves by ones will was rare, freeing slaves while their master still lived was almost unheard of according to Carveth. Listen as he recounts the amazing events of Cole’s life.

Bruce Carveth is a writer, editor, database developer and independent scholar currently living in Charlottesville, Virginia. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Mr. Carveth moved to Central Virginia in 1983. He discovered the little known story of Edward Coles in 1998 then joined forces with his writing partner Kurt Leichtle to publish Crusade Against Slavery: Edward Coles, Pioneer of Freedom in 2011.

Mr. Carveth has an MA in applied social and community psychology from the University of Guelph in Ontario, and a masters degree in urban and regional planning from Virginia Tech.

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

This is the third of a four part Thursday series. Click here listen all four parts of this series.

Posted on

“Talking Walls: Murals Now” Panel Discussion

On September 21, 2012, the Piedmont Council for the Arts co-sponsored “Talking Walls: Murals Now”, a panel discussion about murals. The event was presented in conjunction with the Piedmont Environmental Council’s September fundraising exhibition “Painters of the Piedmont” at Chroma Projects.

The panel talk featured accomplished muralists Lincoln Perry, Craig McPherson, William Woodward (PEC guest curator for “Painters of the Piedmont”), and Ross McDermott of the Charlottesville Mural Project (CMP) speaking of the inspiration, protocols, obstacles, technical processes and the meaningful impact of mural painting in public spaces.

Charlottesville is particularly familiar with Lincoln Perry for his soft hued paintings of figures in enigmatic circumstances, and most recently for his epic mural, “The Students Progress,” a visual treatise on academic life that encompasses much of the lobby of Cabell Hall at the University of Virginia. Perry also was commissioned to execute a large mural for the lobby of the Met Life building in St. Louis, MO.

Craig McPherson spent almost seven years creating one of the most ambitious sequential mural projects in New York City. Commissioned by the American Express Company, McPherson’s two mural cycles, “Twilight: The Waterways and Bridges of Manhattan” and “Harbors of the World” were both displayed in American Express’s corporate headquarters at the World Financial Center, which miraculously survived the 9/11 tragedy.

William Woodward is recognized for many significant commissions, including a mural at the Lincoln National Monument in Washington, D.C. Woodward has several decades of experience in creating narrative realism. His most recent commission is the mural, “Thomas Jefferson at Monticello” in the new Visitors’ Center.

Ross McDermott is the Director of the CMP. Launched in 2011 as a program of The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative, past murals organized by the CMP include local photographer Will Kerner’s portraits of people affected by mountain top removal at the corner of Water and Second Streets, “Hands Together,” a mural by Avery Lawrence at the IX Project, and a mural on The Bridge PAI by Australian artist Reko Rennie and American artist Frank Buffalo Hyde in partnership with the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection.

Posted on

Virginia Architecture in the Mid 19th Century

Ed Lay speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 13, 2012, Ed Lay presented the second lecture in our series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

Mr. Lay explains how classical forms of architecture, a form which originated in Greece, became known as the “National Style” in the mid 1800s in America. Ed points out that in the American deep south the practice of surrounding homes with Greek-style columns was popular until the Civil War. He continues with specific examples of buildings embodying this form, many of which can still be found in the Charlottesville area. Following his presentation, Mr. Lay answered questions from the audience.

Mr. Lay is the Cary D. Langhorne Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Virginia. A veritable font of architectural knowledge on the Old Dominion, Professor Lay has also taught abroad in Edinburgh and Vicenza.

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

This is the second of a four part Thursday series. Click here listen all four parts of this series.

Posted on

Slavery in 19th Century Virginia

Beth Taylor speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville

On Thursday, September 6, 2012, Beth Taylor presented the first lecture in a new series entitled “Virginia History 301: The Old Dominion in Antebellum Times.”

In this podcast, you will learn about how the practice of slavery became institutionalized in the American South. According to Taylor, field slaves worked 19 hour days sometimes in extreme temperatures. A slave’s working life could begin as early as age 6. By age 12, they were considered to be adults and assigned an adult’s work load. Taylor wraps up with the 1831 story of Nat Turner’s Rebellion, the bloodiest slave revolt in American history.

Ms. Taylor has served as director of interpretation at Jefferson’s Monticello and as director of education at James Madison’s Montpelier. She is also a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

Taylor’s first book, A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons was a New York Times best seller and a National Book Award nominee. She has appeared on The Daily Show, with Jon Stewart.

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

This is the first of a four part Thursday series. Click here listen all four parts of this series.

Posted on

WriterHouse: Writing the Cross-Genre Novel with Alma Katsu

What happens when your novel doesn’t fit in one genre? What are the perils–and opportunities–of writing a book that defies categorization? Is there a marketplace for cross-genre books? On June 14, 2012, Alma Katsu, author of The Taker Trilogy (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster), talked with mystery author Meredith Cole about fundamentals of storytelling, breaking the rules, and winning over readers of all stripes.

Alma Katsu is the author of The Taker and The Reckoning. The Taker was selected by the American Library Association/Booklist as one of the top ten debut novels of 2011, and translation rights have sold in a dozen languages. She is a graduate (MA) of the Johns Hopkins writing program and an alumna of the Squaw Valley Writers Conference.

 

Posted on

WriterHouse: From Blog Posts to One-Woman Show

On Wednesday, June 13, 2012, playwright DeeDee Stewart and WriterHouse member Elizabeth Derby discussed Stewart’s journey from blog posts about her southern childhood to the international premiere of her one-woman show “Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She talked about the process of turning scenes from her life into a sold-out show.

Posted on

What Impact Will the Two New County Shopping Malls Have On Us?

Chris Engel and Mark Graham speaking at the Senior Center in Charlottesville on Wednesday.

New malls are springing up everywhere in both the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Listen as Chris Engel and Mark Graham speak to the effect of these new developments on City and County planning.

Mr. Engel and Graham spoke at the Wednesday, October 10, 2012 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 secretary Bill Davis.

Chris Engel

Chris Engel, CEcD is the director of economic development for the City of Charlottesville. He has a bachelor’s degree in geography from Mary Washington College and a master’s degree in planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and is a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) where he is a certified economic developer (CEcD). An active civic leader, his current leadership roles include: Chair of the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau, and board positions with the Thomas Jefferson Partnership for Economic Development and Charlottesville Business Innovation Council. He has also been a Junior Achievement instructor and Comfort Zone Camp volunteer.

Chris has been instrumental in the development and implementation of Charlottesville’s economic development programs, including BusinessFirst, a personal-visit business retention program, the Shop Charlottesville initiative and the Charlottesville Technology Incubator. He was recently recognized with the 2010 CBIC Leadership Award for his work chairing the Tech Tour, an innovative workforce development initiative that connects students to career opportunities in the technology sector.

Prior to his current position in economic development, Chris worked for the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and as a cartographer and GIS Analyst for private sector firms in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Mark Graham

Mark B. Graham, P.E., has been the Director of Community Development for Albemarle County since that department was created in 2004 and was instrumental in making it a “one stop shop” for all development permitting and oversight by the County. He brings a somewhat unique set of skills to this position having worked in both the private and public sector, combined with a back ground that includes both an MBA and almost thirty years as a licensed professional engineer. As the Director of Community Development, Mark has been directly involved with most of the large projects approved in the County since 2000, including: Hollymead Town Center, Stonefield (Albemarle Place), Avon / 5th Street (Wegmans), Biscuit Run, Cascadia, Rivanna Village, and many others.

Prior to working for Albemarle County, Mark worked in private industry as a professional engineer and managed development projects in Northern Virginia and Tennessee. His experience also includes working for Arlington County, Virginia as an environmental programs manager and the Texas Department of Highways (now Texas Department of Transportation) as a construction engineer. He has been registered as a Professional Engineer in Virginia since 1984.

Mark holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters of Business Administration from Virginia Tech.

Posted on

WriterHouse: Does This Play Make my Brown Look Gay? Writing at the Intersection of Race and Sexuality

On March 10, 2012, playwright Enrique Urueta discussed his experience writing in the context of race and sexuality.

Enrique Urueta is a queer Colombian-American playwright from South Boston, VA whose award-winning plays Learn to Be Latina, The Danger of Bleeding Brown, and Forever Never Comes have been presented across the country.

Posted on

What’s Next for Health Reform?

Carolyn Engelhard speaking before the September 2012 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia

On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court handed down its historic ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), with the sole exception that Congress cannot penalize states that decline to expand Medicaid. What does the court’s decision mean for the ACA’s economic viability and the potential to provide health coverage for most Americans? What are the challenges facing President Obama’s signature health care legislation and how might the presidential election affect the fate of the ACA?

Carolyn Long Engelhard is a health policy analyst at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where she also directs the Health Policy Program in the Department of Public Health Sciences. Ms. Engelhard’s academic activities include studying and monitoring changes in health policy at the federal and state governmental levels and teaching in both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. In 2007, Ms. Engelhard co-authored a book looking at the myths surrounding the U.S. health care system. In 2009, Ms. Engelhard completed a project in conjunction with the nonpartisan Urban Institute examining the use of public policies to reduce obesity. More recently, Ms. Engelhard co-authored an article in the New England Journal of Medicine examining health insurance premium rating regulation under the new health care reform bill, and completed a textbook chapter examining the effect of the new law on health care organizations.

Ms. Engelhard spoke at the Wednesday, September 12, 2012 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 Vice President Bob McGrath.