Jeff Seward summarizes key results of the 2014 midterm elections, analyzes their significance, and makes predictions about their implications for the rest of Obama's second term and for the 2016 presidential election. Seward, an associate professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Pacific University, has been a popular speaker at HGP. He teaches comparative politics, political philosophy, political economy, and courses on Latin America. Prior to his academic career, he was a reporter and documentary film producer.
Dr. Derenda Schubert tells us about Bridge Meadows, a unique and innovative solution to the current foster care crisis. Located in North Portland, Bridge Meadows is a three-generation housing community consisting of homes for adoptive families and apartments for elders 55 and older who act as surrogate grandparents and as mentors to the children who live there. Dr. Schubert is a psychologist with experience in counseling children and in creating and managing programs in foster care, mental health, and developmental disabilities.
Doug Matheson conducts a rotating oral reading (involving audience participants) of his essay titled "An Appeal from the Heart." Doug grew up a missionary kid in India, and was educated in Christian schools until graduate school. Despite a loving Christian indoctrination he came to realize that, when beliefs and evidence are in contradiction, personal honesty requires that we impose the evidence on our beliefs, instead of attempting to impose our beliefs on the evidence.
Kyle Diesner presents an overview of how the City of Portland addresses climate change. This includes the history of efforts to date, plus a preview of the Draft 2015 Climate Action Plan. He provides an in-depth exploration of Multnomah County’s impact on global carbon emissions. Diesner is a Policy Analyst for the City of Portland Bureau of Planning. He has been working on sustainability initiatives at the City of Portland since 2003.