Events

TOPIC: North Carolina’s Energy Future -- An Independent Perspective on Duke Energy’s Transition to Zero-Carbon SPEAKER: John Gaertner, Climate Consultant Duke Energy, community stakeholders, and the NC Utilities Commission engaged in 2023 to produce the latest Carbon Plan and Integrated Resource Plan for energy generation through the year 2050. This energy transition is complex and […]

TOPIC: Shakespeare is Playing You SPEAKER: Dave Collins, Professor of English, Emeritus Shakespeare's language, Early Modern English, can be confusing for people who haven't spent a lot of time with the Bard. Best advice? Don't worry about understanding every word. Enjoy yourself and focus on the big picture. Sometimes understanding depends on knowing about ideas […]

TOPIC: Catawba History 101: History and Traditions of the Catawba Nation SPEAKER: Kassidy Plyler, Cultural Programs Docent/Exhibit Coordinator, Catawba Cultural Center Catawba History 101 explores the rich 6,000-year history of the Catawba Nation BIOGRAPHY Kassidy Plyler is an enrolled citizen of the Catawba Nation, born January 24th, 1992, and raised in Rock Hill, South Carolina. […]

All members old and new are invited to attend in person or via Zoom, our New Member Orientation meeting. Learn more about the organization including how to meet people, join events and how you can help the organization – the best way to meet new people! In person meeting is in Room 106 in PUMC.

TOPIC: Responsible Citizens—The Lifeblood of America SPEAKER: Major General, United States Marine Corps (Ret.) In his world renowned speech to the French at the Sorbonne on April 23, 1910, T. Roosevelt opined: A democratic republic such as ours—an effort to realize in its full sense government by, of, and for the people—represents the most gigantic […]

TOPIC: The Complicated, Immersive Worlds of Whitfield Lovell SPEAKER: Dr. Jen Edwards, Mint Museum of Art Chief curator and curator of contemporary art New York-based artists Whitfield Lovell creates meticulous portrait drawings and immersive installations that envelope the viewer’s every sensory response. Fresh soil, a tumbler of bourbon, cicadas humming, a gospel chorus swelling in […]

TOPIC: The Rural-Urban Divide and the 2024 Election  SPEAKER: Chelsea Kaufman, Assistant Professor, Wingate University Chelsea provide an overview of how political attitudes and voting behaviors have varied across rural and urban areas over the last several election cycles and discuss what this might mean for 2024, especially in "swing states" like NC. BIOGRAPHY Chelsea […]

All members old and new are invited to attend in person or via Zoom, our New Member Orientation meeting. Learn more about the organization including how to meet people, join events and how you can help the organization – the best way to meet new people! In person meeting is in Room 106 in PUMC.

GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)  SPEAKER: Dmitry Vovchuk, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative This presentation will provide an overview of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as we approach the Alliance's 75th Anniversary. The discussion will cover NATO's mission, capabilities, relevance, enlargement, and future. […]

TOPIC: Artificial Intelligence for Defense and National Security SPEAKER:  Tate Nurkin, OTH Intelligence Group, Atlantic Council, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments AI and other emerging technologies are shaping the future of conflict--both kinetic and non-kinetic--and military capabilities. As a result, most modern militaries are prioritizing the development, adoption, and integration of AI-enabled capabilities and […]

TOPIC: Inherit the Land; Jim Crow Meets Miss Maggie's Will SPEAKER: Gene Stowe, Author Two antebellum white spinster sisters in Marvin, NC, raised a black man and then his daughter as their own beginning in Reconstruction. The women left them their 800 acre homeplace, a will upheld against all odds by two White juries in […]

All members old and new are invited to attend in person or via Zoom, our New Member Orientation meeting. Learn more about the organization including how to meet people, join events and how you can help the organization – the best way to meet new people! In person meeting is in Room 106 in PUMC.

TOPIC: Unveiling the Skies: Preview of Sullenberger Aviation Museum SPEAKER:  Kayla Adams, Director of Education, and Misty Sweat, VP of Education and Programming, Sullenberger Aviation Museum Join us for a sneak peek into the upcoming Sullenberger Aviation Museum, set to open its doors this summer in the growing city of Charlotte, NC. See a preview […]

GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: Understanding Indonesia SPEAKER:  Dr. Kevin Fogg, Associate Director, Carolina Asia Center, UNC-Chapel Hill Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country, has more Muslims than any other country on earth, is a center for global biodiversity, and is the biggest player in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations--and yet it is not […]

TOPIC: Policing in 2024 SPEAKER: David Robinson, Deputy Chief, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Deputy Chief Robinson will provide insights into the security and public-order issues facing Charlotte this year and beyond and the plans of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department to meet those challenges. NOTE: Location change. This presentation will be at Temple Beth El.  Directions […]

All members old and new are invited to attend in person or via Zoom, our New Member Orientation meeting. Learn more about the organization including how to meet people, join events and how you can help the organization – the best way to meet new people! In person meeting is in Room 106 in PUMC.

TOPIC: Earthquakes -- Alot of Shaking Going On SPEAKER:  Kenneth Taylor, North Carolina Geological Survey; N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) Travel over several of time in the eastern half of our country to see the number and severity of earthquakes in the Eastern and Central Part of the US. BIOGRAPHY Born in North […]

TOPIC: Outsmart the Outbreak: Winning the War Against Future Infectious Disease Threats with Dr. Katie Passaretti SPEAKER:  Dr. Katie Passaretti, Vice President, Chief Epidemiologist for Atrium Health Review factors contributing to emerging pathogens, past and more recent pandemic successes and failures, and what we can do better when facing the inevitable next infectious disease threat. […]

GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: Why Disengagement from the Middle East is Harder than You Think SPEAKER: Professor Sylvie Toska, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Davidson College The presentation will discuss past and present US interests in the Middle East, and examine reasons why US disengagement from the region is, and will continue to be, difficult. It […]

TOPIC: Copyright Law SPEAKER: Matthew Asbell, Partner, Lippes Mathias NOTE: This presentation will be via Zoom at Wolfe Hall. As AI takes over our lives, how are we impacted regarding using materials we may have copied from an online source? Join us for this fascinating topic to make sure you are following the law correctly. With extensive knowledge and […]

All members old and new are invited to attend in person or via Zoom, our New Member Orientation meeting. Learn more about the organization including how to meet people, join events and how you can help the organization – the best way to meet new people! In person meeting is in Room 106 in PUMC.

TOPIC: Healthcare Financing for Medicare/Medicaid  SPEAKER: Brad Wilson, CEO Emeritus, BlueCross BlueShield of NC Brad will discuss the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, it’s implementation and potential impacts and what President Biden and President Trump are saying about their respective positions are/may be on the Act and other important healthcare issues. BIOGRAPHY Brad Wilson served as CEO […]

GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: Affordable Housing SPEAKER:  Tom Hanchett, Community Historian Community historian Dr. Tom Hanchett is completing a book for UNC Press on the history of one of America's most pressing issues: affordable housing. He’ll share some of his Charlotte research, from public housing in the 1930s to today — and looks forward to your […]

GREAT DECISIONS TOPIC: Climate Change and Competition SPEAKER:  Mark Kelso, Queens University Professor Kelso will discuss how the politics of climate change will impact economics, especially competition among businesses and countries. BIOGRAPHY Dr. Mark Kelso is currently Professor of Political Science at Queens University of Charlotte and the 2017 winner of the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching […]

TOPIC: The Search for Life Beyond Earth SPEAKER:  Rachel Smith, Head, Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Lab, Curator of Meteorites, Professor, Physics & Astronomy. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences/Appalachian State University. Astronomer Dr. Rachel Smith will use new planetarium software called OpenSpace to journey from Earth to our neighboring planets, to far beyond the solar […]

TOPIC: Overall Budget on Housing & Homelessness SPEAKER:  Dimple Ajmera, Charlotte City Council At Large member Council member Dimple Ajmera will address and share the overall budget regarding housing and homelessness. BIOGRAPHY Dimple Ajmera, City Council At Large, is proud to be living the American dream. With little means, her parents immigrated to the U.S. […]

TOPIC: "Capital L" leadership: The Story of the Duke Mansion and the role of civic leadership in a thriving community. SPEAKER: Peter Blair, President/CEO, The Lynnwood Foundation, Duke Mansion and Lee Institute Duke Mansion is a rare jewel nestled in the crown of the Queen City, a splendid setting for corporate and civic gatherings, milestone […]

TOPIC: Attracting International Companies to Charlotte SPEAKER: Ljubomir (L.J.) Stambuk, President & CEO, World Affairs Council of Charlotte Ljubomir (L.J.) Stambuk joined the World Affairs Council of Charlotte as Executive Director in 2006. Through his dynamic leadership and systematic approach to development and asset building, Stambuk rebuilt the Council’s branding and standing in the community […]

TOPIC: Medical Myths - What You Don't Know Just Might Kill You SPEAKER: Kevin J. Soden, MD MPH In this fun interactive lecture, you will explore some of the truths and falsehoods of various medical myths. Some of which your parents, teachers and friends taught you. You will test your knowledge on a variety of […]

TOPIC: Who's Afraid of Opera  SPEAKER: James Meena, Artistic Director & Principal Conductor Mr. Meena will provide an overview of the opera art form and Opera Carolina's 75-year history of service to Greater Charlotte. A guest performance may be provided. BIOGRAPHY Entering his 25th season with Opera Carolina, Mo. James Meena’s tenure with Charlotte’s 75-year […]

TOPIC: Music Therapy: The science, the singing and everything in between. SPEAKER: Meg Johnson, Music Therapy Program Director and Clinical Coordinator, Queens University The presentation will provide an overview of the field of music therapy: the academic foundations, the education of students and therapists, the places we work and how we do what we do. […]