Archive Monthly Archives: December 2019
Jane Pauley, Mae Jemison and more to visit Chesapeake in 2020 speaker series
This excerpt is from the Virginian Pilot.
A new organization has been formed in Chesapeake to offer its residents various points of view, awareness, learned discourse, diversity and even entertainment.
The nonprofit Chesapeake Forum is now up and running and will present three nationally and internationally known speakers for its inaugural series.
On Jan. 29, the series kicks off with Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Jane Pauley, host of “CBS Sunday Morning.”
Subsequent dates will present entrepreneur and astronaut Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, on March 3, followed by Irish tenor, recording artist, and inspirational speaker Ronan Tynan, also a record holding Paralympic athlete, on May 14.
The Shopper: The Chesapeake Forum Story
This excerpt is from the December 2019 issue of The Shopper.
One year ago, a small group of twelve Chesapeake citizens from across the city gathered to consider one question. In a world of diverse opinions, at a time when public discussions are often bitterly divisive, what does it take to bring a community together?
Dr. Becky Adams, a career educator and Chesapeake’s 2016 First Citizen, was at that meeting. “We wanted to create a space where people could experience community together—despite their political differences,” she recalls. “We wanted to explore ways in which we could expand the cultural offerings in our city.”
This dedicated group decided to form a non-profit organization—The Chesapeake Forum—which would bring high-quality speakers to Chesapeake to speak on a wide range of topics. Those speakers would include scientists, artists, historians, judges, financiers, humorists, philosophers, journalists, and leaders from all fields. At the same time, when selecting speakers, the Forum would neither engage in promoting politicians, positions, candidates, or parties.
This last point is crucial for Becky, who currently serves as the Forum’s president. “We want the Chesapeake Forum to be completely non-partisan,” she insists. “We are offering the citizens of Chesapeake opportunities to hear people from all walks of life speak.”