Is it possible to create economic mobility for all members of our community? Can we bring equity into vital issues like transportation and housing?     In this episode of the Thriving Voices podcast, Andrew talks with Chuck Bean, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) to discuss how COG prioritizes and plans for important issues like the environment, transportation and public safety for the Metropolitan Washington area.  Chuck Bean is an executive and civic leader with more than 25 years of experience in government, nonprofits, and philanthropy. Since 2012, Bean has served as Executive Director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), one of the country’s prominent regional councils and metropolitan planning organizations. COG is an independent, nonprofit association that brings area leaders together to address major regional issues, including economic development, land-use, human services, public safety, and environmental and transportation planning. Its membership is comprised of 300 elected officials from 24 local governments, the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, and U.S.  In this episode, Andrew and Chuck Discuss:  What is the purpose of the Council of Governments  A brief history of population and economic growth history in the Arlington area  How transportation planning can increase economic mobility for all  The Malaise and Mojo of the Arlington area  Why rapid growth effects homelessness  What factors do economic mobility depend on    What Chuck thinks it takes for a community to thrive fully?   The inclusion of everybody in opportunity  How do you help your community to thrive?   Volunteering and being active in the public sphere    More About Chuck Bean and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments  Bean previously served as President of the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington and the Director of the Community Capacity Fund. Bean earned his Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.  Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) website: https://www.mwcog.org/  Twitter: @Chuck4theRegion    Connect with Andrew Schneider   [email protected]   To learn more about Arlington Thrive, visit arlingtonthrive.org   Follow Arlington Thrive on   Facebook   Linkedin   Instagram  

Are you barely able to cover the cost of your childcare? Do you provide childcare services and find that you can barely keep your business open? Childcare as an industry in America is woefully under-invested in.  In the inaugural episode of the Thriving Voices podcast, Andrew talks with Michelle McCready, Deputy Executive Officer at Childcare Aware of America to discuss how we can affect change in Childcare Policy.  Michelle McCready. M.P.P., currently serves as the Deputy Executive Officer at Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA). In this role, Michelle works in partnership with the executive team to oversee and manage all aspects of operations, set comprehensive goals and metrics for performance and growth, and establish policies that promote CCAoA’s culture and mission. Michelle joined CCAoA at the beginning of 2011.  In this episode, Andrew and Michelle discuss:  How Childcare Aware is affecting change in Childcare policy  The intentions behind childcare policy advocacy  How you can use your story and voice to impact policy change  What are the primary intractable barriers in childcare  Why is childcare a fundamental public good  How history has played a role in childcare inequities  What communities are getting childcare policy right  What Michelle thinks it takes for a community to thrive fully?  Understand the needs, barriers, the wants of each family member and knit together this whole neighborhood, whole community approach in supporting those.  How do you help your community to thrive?  Your voice matters.  Find what you are passionate about and get involved   More About Michelle McCready and Childcare Aware of America  She formerly served as the Chief of Policy at CCAoA and provided vision, leadership, and management of policy and evaluation division, including federal policy, state initiatives, and advocacy. She partnered with board members, executives, staff, national and local coalition partners, and the community to make sound policy decisions that help children and families. She successfully executed the national advocacy movement, Child Care Works, which led to the attainment of the 2016 MarCom Award. She also secured several core contracts and grants for the organization such as: emergency preparedness, health and wellness, multiple state advocacy initiatives and increased federal training and technical assistance work. In addition to her leadership in developing a policy agenda that promotes CCAoA’s mission and vision, Michelle also helped develop CCAoA’s signature research reports on state child care data and the cost of child care in the United States. She is a key policy contributor to Huffington Post Politics, CNBC, and Exchange Magazine.  She has more than a decade of leadership experience on several presidential and congressional campaign efforts. Most notably, Michelle staffed various campaigns and efforts in Virginia with Organizing for America during the first three years of the Obama Administration, was the Field Director for Representative Gerald Connolly (D-VA), and for the past six years has implemented CCAoA’s policy and legislative agenda. Michelle has considerable experience working on early learning and child care policies, including the re-authorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) of 2014, Labor-HHS appropriations, Head Start/Early Head Start, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS), state and local advocacy campaigns, the Affordable Care Act, Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response, and children’s health initiatives.  Michelle earned her master’s degree in public policy at George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree in social welfare and policy at University of Wisconsin – Madison. Her studies included considerable qualitative and quantitative research experience, focusing on a range of topics including policy analysis, race and equity disparity, conflict resolution and negotiation, and advocacy. She holds leadership roles as the Executive lead for CCAoA’s Public Policy Committee, the Public Policy Committee for Generations United, and on the Early Childhood Advisory Committee to the Arlington County School Board.  https://www.childcareaware.org/  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  Linkedin  Connect with Andrew Schneider  [email protected]  To learn more about Arlington Thrive, visit arlingtonthrive.org  Follow Arlington Thrive on  Facebook  Linkedin  Instagram 

How can you stand up against the inequities of institutional and systemic racism in your community and the world at large?  In the inaugural episode of the Thriving Voices podcast, Andrew talks with Alicia Jones McLeod, Executive Director of Challenging Racism, to discuss how Challenging Racism provides the tools and resources necessary to those who want to disrupt racism in their communities.  Ms. Jones McLeod comes to Challenging Racism from the Ellicott City Partnership where she led a “Main Street” organization responsible for marketing the area as a destination for shopping and dining. Prior to that she founded the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, which continues to raise the profile of black-owned businesses. Her tenure at each of her employers has been marked by the implementation of innovative ideas designed to raise the organization’s profile and draw new supporters to the work.  In this episode, Andrew and Alicia discuss:  How COVID impacted Challenging Racism's programs  What types of experiences helped Alicia to prepare for her Executive Director position  How to recognize your privilege and use it for good  The number one thing Alicia has learned since being at Challenging Racism  What Alicia has learned about her community and racism  How to balance self-care versus the care for your community  How power dynamics affect equity  What Alicia thinks it takes for a community to thrive fully?  Compassionate Leadership  A clear plan of action  How do you help your community to thrive?  Offer what you are passionate about  Find an organization that you can apply that passion to  More About Alicia Jones McLeod and Challenging Racism   Ms. Jones McLeod is a resident of Pikesville, Maryland and brings deep relationships on the Maryland side of the river to Challenging Racism’s work. She has a B.S. in Marketing from Kean University, New Jersey, and is in a Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Delaware with a concentration in non-profit management. She and her partner are the parents of three children, Richard (27), Alyssa (21) and Amanda (20).  www.challengingracism.org  Connect with Andrew Schneider  [email protected]  To learn more about Arlington Thrive, visit arlingtonthrive.org  Follow Arlington Thrive on: Facebook  Linkedin  Instagram 

On November 4th, Arlington Thrive launches our new podcast, Thriving Voices.  Join host Andrew Schneider, Executive Director of Arlington Thrive, as he talks with experts, community leaders, and folks living and working in our community to discuss how we can work together to make our community more just, equitable, and where all have homes, are financially stable, and thrive. Learn more at Arlingtonthrive.org or send us ideas for a topic or speakers at [email protected]