The Older Dominion Partnership: How Virginia Is Preparing to Ride the Age Wave

John Martin

John Martin

John W. Martin, CEO of the Southeastern Institute of Research, spoke at the April 8, 2009 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia on the Older Dominion Partnership (ODP), an initiative by business, government, foundations and non-profits to help Virginia prepare for the coming boomer age wave.

The ODP is a public/private initiative created to raise awareness and advance preparation efforts across the Commonwealth of Virginia for the coming "age wave" of older adults – when aging Boomers double the population of citizens ages 65 and older as there are today. Through John’s vision, Virginia’s ODP has ushered in a new model in age wave planning where leaders in academic, nonprofit, state government, philanthropic communities, and business all join together to plan for their community’s shared destiny.

The ODP conducted strategic research among residents and business leaders to help create a planning roadmap for the ODP. Subsequently, six ODP workgroups were established: community readiness, civic engagement, aging services communications support, healthcare access and long-term care, workforce readiness, and a shared statewide research database work group that supports all of the ODP work groups and offers a matrix of age wave preparedness performance indicators.

In addition to co-founding the Boomer Project, the nation’s authority on marketing to today’s Boomer consumer, John Martin is president and CEO of SIR Research, a 44-year-old marketing research firm that has conducted over 13,000 studies for organizations like Media General, AARP, Liberty Mutual, Lincoln Financial, American Chemical Society, the Public Relations Society of America, Johnson & Johnson, and the American SPCA.

John speaks to audiences across the country about age wave preparation, as well as generational issues and understanding today’s Boomers. He also co-authored the award-winning business book, Boomer Consumer, published in 2007.

Over the last five years, the Boomer Project has established itself as the leading authority on generational marketing. Boomer Project findings have been shared on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, CBS Sunday Morning, CNBC, MSNBC, NPR’s "Marketplace" and recent cover stories about older Boomers by BusinessWeek and Newsweek, as well as articles in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Hundreds of organizations from financial services firms, healthcare associations, consumer products companies, retailers, and governmental agencies have hired the Boomer Project to speak at conferences, events, and training sessions.

Following the presentation questions were taken from the audience. Today’s program was moderated by SSV Secretary Bill Davis.

The Changing Face of Virginia Politics

Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson, is executive director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. He is a 1972 graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in government and foreign affairs. After serving as news director of WCHV radio, he joined The Daily Progress in August 1976 and has held a number of positions with the newspaper. He began his career covering police and local court hearings and has covered state and local politics and government. He was named city editor in 1982 and later special projects editor in 1992 when he wrote a series about racial disparities and justice in local courts.

In addition to his newspaper work, Bob hosted a weekly political call-in show on WINA radio in Charlottesville for seven years. He has also hosted a public radio talk show since 2001 on WVTF-FM in Roanoke and Charlottesville. He has been a regular contributor and guest on public radio station WAMU’s Virginia Politics Hour in Washington.

Bob is the winner of several Virginia Press Association awards, the 1993 Virginia Bar Association Award in the Field of Law and Justice and the 1993 Southern Journalism Award for investigative reporting.

Mr. Gibson spoke at a Senior Statesmen of Virginia meeting on March 11, 2009. Following his presentation questions were taken from the audience. Today’s program was moderated by SSV President Marvin Hilton.

Martha Jefferson Hospital: The Old and the New

James E. Haden, president and chief executive officer of Martha Jefferson Health Services, was the featured speaker at the February 11, 2009 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia.

James E. Haden was named president and CEO of Martha Jefferson Health Services in 1993. Mr Haden received his master’s degree in Public Health/Health Services Management from UCLA in 1971. He completed his administrative residency at Scripps Hospital in LaJolla, California, and received the 1988 Alumni of the Year Award from the UCLA Health Services Management Alumni Association. Mr. Haden served as president and CEO of Queen of the Valley Health Services in West Covina, California, from 1986 – 1993. Prior to that, he served as chief operating officer of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, from 1978 to 1986. Mr Haden served as associate administrator at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, from 1976 – 1978. In 1992, Mr. Haden was chairperson of the California Association of Catholic Hospitals and was a member of the Hospital Council of Southern California from 1988 – 1993.

Mr. Haden served as a board member on the Federal Reserve Board of Richmond from 1998 – 2003, serving on its Executive Committee from 2002 – 2003. He is a former board member of the Charlottesville United Way, the Piedmont Virginia Community College Foundation and Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Haden served as a preceptor at the UCLA Health Services Management Program from 1981 – 1987 and currently serves as a preceptor for VCU’s Masters Program in Health Care Administration. In 2003 Mr. Haden was the recipient of the American Heart Association, Charlottesville Chapter, Billy Gitchell Award. In 2006 he was the recipient of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Blue Ridge Chapter Silver Hope Award. Mr. Haden is the 2008 recipient of the Beta Kappa Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, UVa School of Nursing Community Service Award. Mr. Haden is married to Sue Haden. They have three children.

Susan Greenbaum at WNRN

Susan Greenbaum
Susan Greenbaum

Susan Greenbaum dropped by WNRN’s Acoustic Sunrise this morning. She was interviewed by Anne Williams and played a few songs from Carole King’s “Tapestry” as well as an original. Susan is playing Sunday night at Gravity Lounge, playing “Tapestry” in its entirety. Videos from this interview available at youtube.com/WNRNradio.



Piedmont Council of the Arts holds Creative Conversation on “Marketing Charlottesville as a Creative Community”

Maggie Guggenheimer (standing) leads the PCA's second Creative Conversation
Source: Piedmont Council of the Arts

Is Charlottesville doing enough to market itself as a regional destination for patrons of the arts? What else can be done to ensure that the visual, performing and literary arts not only survive, but thrive? Those are just a couple of the questions explored during the second Creative Conversation organized by the Piedmont Council of the Arts.

Representatives of various groups were invited to Charlottesville’s CitySpace meeting room on the Downtown Mall to discuss the topic “Marketing Charlottesville as a Creative Community.” The event was held on January 13, 2009 in the City Space Meeting Room at the Charlottesville Community Design Center. We’ve condensed the two hour discussion into a 45 minute podcast.

The participants were:



Wake-Up Call: Jefferson-Madison Regional Library and The Big Read

On February 1, 2009, Host Rick Moore talks with John Halliday and Krista Farrell, the director and assistant director of Jefferson-Madison Regional Library about how the public library is affected by the changing technological landscape. They also discuss this year’s selection for The Big Read, “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston.



The Financial Crisis – Which Inning Are We In?

Professor Edwin T. Burton of the University of Virginia Economics Department spoke on the current economic crisis at a Senior Statesmen of Virginia forum on January 14, 2008. Professor Burton is a well known economic expert who is a frequent guest on WINA. He is the former head of the Virginia Retirement System and is the author of the Burton Finance Blog.

Burton received his B.A. in Economics from Rice University in 1964 and his Ph.D. in Economics from Northwestern University in 1971. He is currently professor of economics at the University of Virginia, a post he has held since 1998. He is also currently a trustee of Virginia Retirement System. His past positions include head of Investment Banking and Municipal Finance at Interstate Johnson Lane from 1994 to 1995, president of Rothschild Financial Services, Inc. from 1987 to 1994, senior vice President of Smith Barney from 1975 to 1984 and assistant and associate professor of economics at Cornell University from 1969 to 1979.

The topic of today’s presentation is “The Financial Crisis – Which Inning Are We In?”. Bill Davis, SSV board member and secretary, moderated today’s program.

Left of Center: How Tom Perriello Won

On November 4, 2008, Democrat Tom Perriello achieved what almost no one thought he could do. He defeated Republican incumbent Virgil Goode by only 745 votes. What were the factors that led to Perriello’s victory? Well, on January 5, 2009, the group Left of Center sponsored a panel discussion to explore that question, and to look ahead to what it means for Democrats in the 5th District.

  • 1:00 – Introduction from Brevy Cannon of Left of Center
  • 2:45 – Presentation by Brian Bills, Perriello’s personal assistant during the campaign
  • 20:17 – Presentation by Kellie Palmer, who worked on a voter registration campaign in the rural southside
  • 33:00 – Presentation by Rachel Klarman
  • 43:00 – Comments from Will Goldsmith, News Editor at C-Ville Weekly
  • 50:00 – Comments from Lindsay Barnes, Reporter from the Hook
  • 56:00 – Comments from Fred Hudson, Chairman of the 5th District Democratic Party
  • 1:10:30 – Question and answer period begins



Live Arts Presents Sweeney Todd

Ray Nedzel climbed into the balcony of Live Arts to hear some wonderful singing in the production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Then he had conversions with Lydia Horan, who plays Mrs. Lovett; John Gibson, the director; Ken Ferguson, who is in the ensemble; and Doug Schneider, who plays Sweeney. But lucky for you he recorded it all in a Sweeney Todd Podcast — A ToddCast. Listen here.

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a Musical Thriller.
Dec. 12 to Jan 10
www.LiveArts.org
434-977-4177