President Barack Obama at The Richmond Forum

November 18, 2017

President Bar ack Obama An Evening with the 44th President of the United States

Tonight’s Lead Patron

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Tonight’s Producer Patrons

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Learn about our vision to drive the future of business through the power of creativity. www.business.vcu.edu/creativity

Simulcast Room Sponsor

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An Evening with the 44th President of the United States November 18, 2017

Opening program

Opening remarks Bill Chapman Executive Director The Richmond Forum

National Anthem

VCU Jazz Combo Anne O’Byrne

Welcome and introduction

Aaron M. Reid Senior, Lloyd C. Bird High School

Presentation

President Barack Obama

Moderated Q&A

President Obama with Mr. Chapman

Tonight’s presentation may not be recorded or photographed by any means for any purpose.

Please turn off all electronic devices during the program.

tonight 's progr a m

President Bar ack Obam a

Now more than ever, business needs creativity.

At the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, we’re creating a whole new generation of thought leaders by infusing our top business program with the creative energy that put VCU on the international stage. And because we’re part of a dynamic city of forward-thinking partners, we’re able to put our talents to use every day.

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an equal opportunity/affirmative action university

Few presidents have walked a more improbable path to the White House. Born in Hawaii to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya, Barack Obama was raised with help from his grandparents, whose generosity of spirit reflected their Midwestern roots. The homespun values they instilled in him, paired with his innate sense of optimism, compelled Obama to devote his life to giving every child, regardless of his or her background, the same chance America gave him.

After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants. That experience honed his belief in the power of uniting ordinary people around a politics of purpose—in the hard work of citizenship—to bring about positive change. In law school, he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He then returned to Illinois to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago and begin a career in public service, winning seats in the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate.

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States, winning more votes than any candidate in history. He took office at a moment of crisis unlike any America had seen in decades—a nation at war, a planet in peril, the American Dream itself threatened by the worst economic calamity since the Great Depression. And yet, despite all manner of political obstruction, Obama’s leadership helped rescue the economy, revitalize the American auto industry, reform the health care system to cover another twenty

million Americans, and put the country on a firm course to a clean energy future—all while overseeing the longest stretch of job creation in American history. On the world stage, Obama’s belief in America’s indispensable leadership and strong, principled diplomacy helped wind down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, decimate al Qaeda and eliminate the world’s most wanted terrorists, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program, open up a new chapter with the people of Cuba, and unite humanity in coordinated action to combat a changing climate.

In times of great challenge and change, President Obama’s leadership ushered in a stronger economy, a more equal society, a nation more secure at home and more respected around the world. The Obama years were ones in which more people not only began to see themselves in the changing face of America, but to see America the way he always has—as the only place on Earth where so many of our stories could even be possible.

Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters: Malia, 19; and Sasha, 16.

Source: Obama.org

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The VCU Jazz Combo includes Alfredo Santiago (alto sax/flute), Chet Frierson (tenor sax/clarinet), Hamed Barbarji (trumpet), Ayinde Williams (piano), Alex Kehayas (bass), Bryan Connolly (drums), and Antonio García, Director of Jazz Studies (trombone). Members are of Russian, Greek, African American, Lebanese, Puerto Rican, and Western European descent and represent a variety of faiths. Their rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key is arranged by García.

The VCU Jazz Studies Program provides

its students outstanding opportunities to pursue jazz performance and writing. Alumni have performed with Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Abbey Lincoln, Ray Charles, Count Basie Orchestra, Mandy Moore, k.d. lang, Bon Iver, and Foxygen; have appeared on Saturday Night Live, Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and David Letterman; have composed film, TV, and videogame scores; and are superb educators, composers, and performers throughout the world. Visit jazz.vcu.edu or email Prof. García at ajgarcia@vcu.edu.

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For guiding us with surety through uncertain times, thank you, President Barack Obama. Your resilience, courage and unwavering leadership have been an inspiration to us all.

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Early Organizing 1985 Barack Obama began his political career by organizing community actors to promote positive 1988 Harvard University Obama attended Harvard Law School from social change. He was Executive Director of the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1991. He was the Developing Communities Project in the elected as the first African American president Roseland community area of Chicago’s South of the Harvard Law Review. This gained him Side. Obama helped set up a job training national attention and a publishing contract program, a college-prep tutoring program, and offer to write a book on race relations. This a tenants’ rights organization in the Altgeld book evolved into what would become his Gardens housing projects. According to him, this memoir, Dreams from My Father (1995). time was “the best education [he] ever had.”

Meeting Michelle Robinson 1989 In the summer of 1989, a young Barack Obama took an internship at Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin. There, he was paired with an advisor, Michelle Robinson, who was tasked to show him around.

Barack didn’t pledge riches, only a life that would be interesting. On that promise he delivered. –Michelle Obama

Mrs. Obama 1992 The University of Chicago On October 3, 1992, Michelle Robinson Obama joined the Law School faculty and Barack Obama were married after of the University of Chicago in 1992, dating for three years. teaching constitutional law. Mrs. Obama worked in administrative roles at the University and at its medical center.

ba r ack oba m a c a r eer timeline

Bar ack Obam a Career Timeline

b a r ack ob a m a c a r eer t i m el ine (c on t ’d)

Illinois Project Vote! 1992 Also in 1992, Obama became the director of Illinois Project Vote!, an organization 1996 Illinois State Senate In 1996, Obama was elected to the Illinois focused on registering minority voters.

State Senate, filling the seat vacated by Huge turnout among African Americans Alice J. Palmer. He became a leading “forever altered Chicago’s electoral legislator on a wide range of issues, passing landscape,” and a 31-year-old lawyer nearly 300 bills aimed at helping children, became a rising political star. the elderly, labor unions, and the poor.

DNC Keynote Address 2004 I stand here knowing Illinois state senator Barack Obama that my story is part gave the keynote speech at the 2004 of the larger American Democratic National Convention in story, that I owe a debt Boston, Massachusetts. The speech to all of those who came in the middle of Obama’s U.S. came before me, and Senate campaign and after a landslide that, in no other country victory in the March 2004 primary on earth, is my story election. It elevated his status in the even possible.

Democratic Party and positioned him for –Illinois state senator Barack Obama potential Presidential candidacy.

July 27, 2004

2005 United States Senate In November 2004, a few months after his DNC speech, Obama was elected to the United States Senate.

As a senator, Obama cosponsored bills on immigration reform, dismantling weapons of mass destruction, financial transparency, campaign finance, and job protection for families of veterans, among others.

b a r ack ob a m a c a r eer t i m el ine (c on t ’d)

Presidential Campaigns On February 10, 2007, Senator Obama formally announced his candidacy for President. “This campaign can’t only be about me. It must be about us—it must be about what we can do together.” His experience in community organizing and public engagement rallied crowds around the country behind his message of togetherness: “Yes We Can.” Then, on a chilly November night in front of an estimated crowd of 240,000 people in Grant Park, Chicago, Obama gave his historic victory speech. The movement had elected him as the first African American President of the United States.

President Barack Obama served his first term from 2009 to 2013. In November 2012, he was re-elected to a second term. Obama left office on January 20, 2017.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

–President-Elect Barack Obama November 4, 2008 Grant Park, Chicago Steve Jurvetson

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Accomplishments of the Obama White House (2009-2017) Adapted from the Obama Foundation at Obama.org.

Affordable Care Act: The ACA provided the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history and aimed to reduce premium costs for tens of millions of families and small business owners who had been priced out of coverage. Under the plan, 95% of Americans were insured. It set up a new competitive health insurance market and it brought greater accountability to health care by providing rules designed to keep premiums down and prevent insurance industry abuses and denial of care.

In the six years following the enactment of the ACA, nearly 18 million Americans gained health coverage, and the nation’s uninsured rate shrunk to the lowest ever recorded. Under the ACA, 137 million Americans with private health coverage, including 55 million women and 28 million children, were guaranteed preventive services coverage with no out-ofpocket costs.

Courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library

Al Qaeda: The U.S. launched a targeted operation against a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.

Auto and Financial Sectors: The financial crisis put an additional strain on the U.S. automobile and banking industries. The Obama Administration required that Chrysler and General Motors adopt viable restructuring plans in exchange for temporary federal loan support. These companies fully exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in 2014, repaying the taxpayer money committed by the Obama Administration.

To revitalize and stabilize America’s banking system, the Treasury invested $245 billion across five bank programs. The industry recovered $275 billion, and crucial lending markets for student and auto loans, other forms of consumer credit, housing, and small business were launched.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Since its creation following the financial crisis, this new independent watchdog has established safer national mortgage standards to better determine a borrower’s ability to repay over the long term, launched new transparency requirements that clearly spell out interest rates and payments, and subjected credit reporting agencies, debt collection agencies, and payday lenders to federal supervision for the first time.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is signed into law on March 23, 2010.

the oba m a a dministr ation

The Obama Administration: A to Z

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10%

9.8% 9.1%

8.0%

7.8%

6.6%

6%

5.7% 4.9%

4%

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

4.8% 2017

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. unemployment rates from 2009 to 2017.

Cuba Relations: On December 17, 2014, President Obama announced that he was rejecting the Cold War-era policy of the past.

He re-opened U.S. relations with Cuba, ending a failed policy of over 50 years by re-establishing diplomatic relations and facilitating greater travel, commerce, and people-to-people ties.

Ebola: The Obama Administration developed a comprehensive, intergovernmental strategy to combat outbreaks of the flu (H1N1), Ebola, and other infectious diseases. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa grew into the deadliest the world had ever seen. The U.S. led a worldwide response to the Ebola outbreak while strengthening our preparedness here at home. Cases went down 80 percent from peak levels.

Iran Nuclear Deal: The Administration secured a landmark multilateral deal to roll back the Iranian nuclear program and verify that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon.

ISIL: In 2014, President Obama announced the formation of a broad international coalition to defeat ISIL. Since then, the U.S. has coordinated with 66 international partners to counter ISIL with a focus on liberating ISIL-controlled territory in Iraq and Syria. The mission was aimed at striking ISIL at its core, degrading its networks, and constraining its prospects for expansion.

Jobs: The Obama Administration worked with 300+ businesses to adopt recruiting and hiring practices to expand job opportunities for Americans who have been unemployed for six months or longer, and released grants that have trained nearly 5,000 long-term unemployed people for jobs in the past two years. The long-term unemployment rate was cut in half, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the total drop in unemployment from January 2014 to November 2016.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: It empowers workers to recover wages lost to discrimination by extending the time period for parties to bring pay discrimination claims, and took other steps helping to shrink the gender pay gap.

Net Neutrality: President Obama supported the FCC’s “net neutrality” decision to adopt the strongest rules possible to ensure Internet Service Providers (ISPs) cannot become gatekeepers to online content or create paid fast lanes for access to services.

Paris Agreement: The administration led a global effort to reach agreement among 196 countries to take action on climate change. The Paris Agreement calls for strong transparency— ensuring countries adhere to emissions reduction goals, and setting the world on a course to cut carbon pollution and other greenhouse gases.

t he ob a m a a dm inist r at ion (c on t ’d)

8%

8.3%

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The Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Following the economic crisis of 2008-2010, the Administration produced the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Stimulus Package, to boost household incomes and reduce poverty by supporting existing jobs and creating new ones, and to encourage consumer spending.

Tax Cuts: The Obama Administration made permanent tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans as part of the bipartisan fiscal cliff agreement in President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visit students in Brooklyn, NY in 2013.

January 2013, while allowing tax cuts to expire for those with the highest incomes to reduce deficits by more than $800 billion over the next ten years. They also implemented tax cuts for small businesses.

Trans-Pacific Partnership: The Obama Administration negotiated and concluded the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-country agreement representing nearly 40 percent of global economic output, to increase American trade with the fastest growing region in the world, based on an open, transparent, and level playing field.

Veterans: The Returning Heroes Tax Credit provides businesses that hire unemployed veterans with a maximum credit of $5,600 per veteran, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit offers businesses that hire veterans with serviceconnected disabilities with a maximum credit of $9,600 per veteran. These tax credits were included in the American Jobs Act and were signed into law in 2011.

Courtesy Barack Obama Presidential Library

t he ob a m a a dm inist r at ion (c on t ’d)

“Race to the Top”: The Administration pushed reform in higher education standards and invested $4 billion towards improved teachers and leaders to turn around lowperforming schools. Following these reforms, the high school graduation rate reached its highest level ever recorded, dropout rates fell sharply for low-income and minority students, and since 2008, college enrollment for African Americans and Hispanics has increased by more than one million students.

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the nationa l a nthem at the r ichmond forum

The National Anthem at The Richmond Forum Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, every Richmond Forum program has opened with our national anthem. (Prior to that, “America the Beautiful” had been the norm.)

This will be my tenth season standing just offstage as the anthem is performed and—when the key is right—listening and watching as you join in. This is the moment when months of preparation and anticipation come to an end and the result of the work of many people is about to be realized. It’s also the moment when I reflect on the freedom that we enjoy to assemble to express ideas and debate difficult issues in a public forum. What we do here can’t happen everywhere. But it can happen in America.

I’ve had the honor to share this moment with an amazing list of speakers. I remember being distinctly aware that a former U.S. president’s arm was touching mine as George W. Bush and I stood side by side, hand to

heart, in the darkened wing. Through some act of transference, that night, the anthem took on a weight I had not previously felt.

More than national pride, I felt tremendous responsibility—the responsibility that falls on our presidents to make wrenching decisions for the protection of our nation, and the responsibility that falls on each of us to continue the hard work of perfecting our union for all of its citizens. When we stand together, it should not be in rote performance or blind patriotism.

Rather, we should stand together in continual recommitment to our national values and ideals.

Recently, on Facebook, we asked what those few minutes at the start of each program mean to you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, some of which we’ve included here.

Bill Chapman Executive Director

Soprano Anne O’Byrne will perform the national anthem this evening.

They remind me of those who came before me, who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we all enjoy, to which no other country can compare! I feel great pride to be an American. –Tom I love my country. I do not care as much for our anthem and have no feeling one way or another about singing it before the Forum programs. I appreciate the way that those conducting the current protests are doing so with dignity and persistence—but recognize that many find it problematic or even offensive. –LA It is problematic. I don’t sing because my lack of talent would ruin it. But, as a white guy, I am not in love with the unsung lyrics about slaves; just omitting them does not make it right. I can think of a Woody Guthrie song that would be perfect. –Jack When I teach a yoga class I begin by having everyone close their eyes, take a few conscious breaths, and pay attention to their internal world. It is an act of intentionality: to be aware of how the world affects us, to be present in our bodies and get out of the push and pull of our thoughts. In almost exactly the same way, the national anthem is an intentional moment to remind us of who we are and of our ideals as a nation.

Particularly in light of the sometimes controversial nature of the programs, singing the anthem together is an acknowledgement that we are—left, middle, or right—all Americans and all participants in this great and enlightened...and continuing experiment. I appreciate that we take that time to do it and would miss it if it did not continue. –Kevin Honestly, for me, it has just become something we do by rote at the beginning of every event we attend.

–Melissa I’m proud to both stand and sing our anthem. It is a reminder that we, as a nation, were not as secure in our freedom as we are today. –Dave It’s a reminder of the freedom we have to sing our anthem in public and those who sacrifice to maintain that freedom. Perhaps this current controversy is a good reminder of what our national anthem really stands for.

–Charlotte I wish we had an anthem that didn’t glamorize war. Why couldn’t “America the Beautiful” be our anthem? –JoAnn It makes me think of the sacrifice of many Americans before me who died for my right to live freely. I think it is such a special moment that doesn’t happen often, so I appreciate that the Forum includes this important moment for all of its audience to reflect on the blessings, freedoms, and opportunities that our country affords all of us. –Ashley I’d rather not sing it at The Forum. I am very patriotic, but it just doesn’t feel right in this setting. –Laurie Very stirring on every occasion that I’ve been privileged to attend. –Ty It means I stand up for my country and respect what it represents. –Stephan

t he n at ion a l a n t he m at t he r ich mond forum (c on t ’d)

What do these two minutes at the beginning of each Forum mean to you?

Here’s to a man who knows a few things about building, growing and protecting.

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Otis S. Jones Chair IBM Robert K. Beckler, Ph.D. Vice Chair Community Volunteer Mark O. Webb Treasurer Dominion Energy Jacquelyn E. Stone Secretary McGuireWoods

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Carroll D. Swenson Investment Committee Chair Wells Fargo

Kevin W. Barr Bon Secours Virginia HealthSource

Whitney K. Forstner Education Committee Chair Independent Consultant

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Production Team & Staff Production

Support

John Carter Hailey Stage Manager

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Boitnott Visual Communications HD Video Ryan Marasco Production Manager Boitnott Visual Communications Cream Studio Opening Video Carlos Chafin Composer In Your Ear Altria Theater

Audrey M. Booth Theater Manager Steve Sweet Technical Director Glenn Major Director of Operations

Henry Gonzalez VIP Ground Transportation First Class Service Josée Covington Air Travel Covington Travel P. Kevin Morley Photographer

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Staff

Carlos M. Brown, Jr. Henrico High School

Bill Chapman Executive Director / Producer bill@richmondforum.org Twitter: @forumbill

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Thomas Breeden Program & Communications Associate thomas@richmondforum.org The Richmond Forum 6968 Forest Hill Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23225 (804) 330-3993 www.richmondforum.org

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2017–2018 Patrons Lead Patron Altria Group Davenport & Company LLC Dominion Energy Genworth Financial Wells Fargo Host Patron Capital One Bank Hourigan Owens & Minor Troutman Sanders LLP Union Bank & Trust Producer Patron Boitnott Visual Communications Bon Secours Virginia Health System C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Foundation Covington Travel First Tennessee Bank IBM Longwood University PwC SingleStone TowneBank Richmond The Trust Company of Virginia Universal Corporation VCU Health VCU School of Business Foundation Virginia Cancer Institute Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Film Office Virginia State University Williams Mullen HD Simulcast Room Patron Virginia Lottery Educational Patron Dr. & Mrs. W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr. Trinity Episcopal School Wells Fargo Foundation Media Patron Community Idea Stations WCVE-WHTJ-WCVW-88.9FM Music Patron Moore Cadillac Company Transportation Patron WINN Transportation Municipalities County of Henrico

Sponsor Buckingham Greenery, Inc. Cherry Bekaert LLP Mr. & Mrs. Langdon T. Christian IV Comcast Spotlight Cream Studio Evolution Advisers The Fahrenheit Group Heritage Wealth Advisors HHHunt Hunton & Williams LLP Joint Logistics Managers, Inc. (JLMI) Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. Main Street Law Office Marks & Harrison McGuireWoods LLP MCV Foundation Montgomery Compliance Law PLLC Tissa & Bart Nasta NBC12 Padilla Plow & Hearth LLC Rainbow Station Randolph-Macon College University of Richmond WestRock Willis Towers Watson Workshop Digital Contributor 2nd Order Solutions Actuarial Benefits & Design ACG, Sandy Wiggins CEBCO INC. Commonwealth Retirement Advisors Cornerstone Realty Advisors EY GoHappy Hoover & Strong, Inc. In Your Ear J.P. Morgan Chris & Dave Klein Mary & Ted Linhart Markel Corporation Judy & Dave Pahren SMART Resources, Inc. Tredway Spratley & Janine Collins Westham Partners Friend Ralph & Judy Anderson B&B Printing Bob & Kate Beckler Anne & Roger Boevé The Brink’s Company Marge Connelly & Julie Christopher Endodontic Partners

Steven F. Glessner, MD & Virginia Schuster Paige & Philip Goodpasture Mr. & Mrs. William H. Goodwin, Jr. Thomas A. Grant Robert A. Mann The Martin Agency Mutual Assurance Mary Ellen Pauli & Timothy D. Smith M.H. Reinhart & Shirley Baker Lisa & Leon Roday Mary Beth & Jim Shannon Will & Lisa Sims Mr. & Mrs. James E. Ukrop VAMAC, Inc. Vanessa & James Wigand Supporter Dottie Amore & Andrea Amore-Clark Frazier & Brad Armstrong Sherrie & Gary Armstrong Ginger Bacon Betty & Tommy Baer Betsy Bampton Melody Barnes & Marland Buckner Scott Blackwell Dr. K.C. Blaisdell & Sherry Stauffer Scott & Winn Bleicher Karen & Joseph Brower James Buzzard Linda & Dale Cannady Jeff Chapman & Katrina Dozier Kevin & Sheila Clasbey Robert L. Clayton Kim Claytor Candace & Robert Cody Judy Collins & Joe Teefey Angela & Ted Cox Harold M. Cruse, DDS Mr. & Mrs. Clifford J. Culley Tanya & Brad Cummings Mr. & Mrs. James M. Daniel, Jr. Stuart & Beth Daniel Carol & Frank DePew Kevin & Rachel Druff Ken Dye & Sam Seeley Nita & Jack Enoch Mr. & Mrs. Ron Ferguson William R. Fields Whitney & Chris Forstner Steve & Susan Gaidos Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Giles Sallie Gilliam Marsha & Bill Ginther Maya & Stuart Glaser Nancy & Bruce Gottwald Mark & Linda Greer Dr. Ed Griggs

Blair & Bill Martin Candace & Patrick Martin R. Clayton & Dale S. Mays Jerry McKinney Mike & Benita Miller Kathy & Bill Monday Lindy Nevi, Asimina Fergusson & Sharon Miller Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Nichols Amy & David Nisenson Nyfeler Associates, LLC Jeff O’Flaherty Laurie Petronis & Jeff German W. Paul Pitts Mr. & Mrs. William Pridgen Susan Prizzia Rainbow Station Andi & Brian Redmond Tim Reid & Daphne Maxwell Reid Karen & Paul Reilly

Robert Rhodes Michael & Linda Rigsby Mr. & Mrs. N. Pendleton Rogers Lori & John Ross Rick & Carly Schofield Janie & Maurice Schwarz Joe Schwerer & Deborah Atkinson Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Shockley Leila & Kirk Spitzer Leslie Stack & Frank Rizzo Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Stallings Geoffrey & Carolyn Stiff Dr. Kenneth E. Stoner Claiborne Terry Bobby & Marilyn Thalhimer Melodie Thigpen & Paulette Moncol Linda Warren Dr. & Mrs. Douglas Wayne Siri & Kyle Wiggins Mr. & Mrs. Richard T. Wilson III

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Mr. & Mrs. A. William Hamill Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Harrison Michael Hayes Philip & Ellen Marie Hess Jon & Trish Hill Jay Holloway Kathleen Holman Robert & Susan Horne Bobbie Hunt Lana Ingram JoycePayne Partners Linda & Kerry Keenan Bruce Kelley Jay & Janet Kraft Jeffrey Lacker & Lisa Halberstadt Nancy F. Langston Drs. Bernice & Wiley Latham Raymond & Pamela Lepper John & Rhoda Mahoney Paul Manno

Trinity Episcopal School advocates service to one’s community as an important aspect of individual character development and the creation of a strong community. These Trinity students, selected from the School’s Honor Roll, serve as pages for The Richmond Forum this season. Through their service, the students facilitate an exchange of ideas that broadens our understanding of the trends and issues shaping our lives and our community.

Drew Acquaye Virginia Allen Jillian Allen Jade Alvarez Dominic Angeli John Archibald Ronald Bell Caroline Benedetti Lucy Bolin Sophie Bruns Seanpaul Coffey Felicity Davies Elizabeth Davis Sydney Dobzyniak Marina Eichenberger Alexandre Fernandez Brian Flood

Katesby Fuller Joseph Gaidos Wynne Gallahan Mathilde Gammino Grace Gomes Rose Goodpasture Nicholas Goradia Claire Gorey Owen Gorey Katherine Grotewiel Shraddha Harikumar Katherine Hayes Riley Hogge Paloma Hoover Chloe Jepson Anna Kelley Samuel Kemp

Lauren Kinslow Kailey Kinslow Jack Lauer Philip Layton Grace MacDougall Daniel Majikes Abigail Mayes Connor O’Brien Meredith Orne Gabriel Parker Davide Parmeggiani Daniel Pelkey Griffin Phillips Charles Purrington Lindsay Reedy Logan Roberts Hannah Rose

Jay Sabharwal Jake Samet Emma Seli Bryn Shannon Benjamin Slone Louis Smith Andrew Stevens Jordan Warren Jane Watt Morgan Williams Sofia Wolfe Emily Woomer Noah Yates

Elizabeth Kelley, Advisor Maria Bartz, Advisor

T

hanks to the generous support of Dr. & Mrs. Baxter W. Perkinson, Jr., students and faculty

from Trinity Episcopal School have the opportunity to attend The Richmond Forum in a special program designed to connect the classroom, the community and current events.

Trinity and The Forum are grateful to the Perkinsons for their continued support.

Coeducational • College Preparatory Grades 8-12 • Average Class Size: 14 Richmond’s First International Baccalaureate World School

3850 Pittaway Drive | Richmond, Virginia 23235 | (804) 272-5864 | www.trinityes.org |

@Trinity_RVA |

TrinityEpiscopalSchoolRVA

s t u de n t page s

Trinity Episcopal School Student Pages

pa s t spe a k er s

Thirty-two Seasons of The Richmond Forum

1987 January Ted Koppel February Hodding Carter, Paul Duke and Larry Speakes March Diane Sawyer with Brent Scowcroft April Charles Kuralt

1988 January Oprah Winfrey February Marvin Kalb, Jeane Kirkpatrick and Vladimir Pozner March George Will April Art Buchwald

1989 January Sam Donaldson February Henry Kissinger and John Chancellor March William Buckley and Charles Rangel April Dr. Carl Sagan

1990 January Paul Duke, Howard Fineman and Charles McDowell February Frank Carlucci, Bettina Gregory, George McGovern, William Proxmire and William Rusher

March Mike Wallace April Alistair Cooke 1 990–1991 October Chancellor Helmut Schmidt January Adm. William Crowe, Gen. Alexander Haig, Robert McFarlane and Edwin Newman February H. Ross Perot March Art Buchwald and Andy Rooney April James Burke, Dr. Frank Drake and James Lovell

1991–1992 October Barbara Walters January PM Margaret Thatcher February Larry King with Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf March Patricia Cornwell, Dr. Victor McKusick and Dr. Marc Micozzi April Mark Russell 1 992–1993 October Terry Anderson January Hiroki Kato and T. Boone Pickens February Dr. Joyce Brothers March Bill Cosby April Mikhail Gorbachev with Cokie Roberts 1 993–1994 November Lamar Alexander, Marvin Cetron, Sen. Warren Rudman with Chris Wallace January Louis Rukeyser with Frank Cappiello and Michael Holland February President George H. W. Bush March Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross April Bob Newhart 1994–1995 November Gen. Colin Powell January Walter Cronkite February Dave Barry March Tom Clancy April Jack Kemp and George Mitchell

1 995–1996 November PM Brian Mulroney and Ambassador Carla Hills January Neil Armstrong, Capt. Eugene Cernan, Dick Rutan

with David Hartman February Calvin Trillin March Charles Kuralt April David Gergen, Pierre Salinger, Sheila Tate, Bob Woodward with Ed Bradley

1996–1997 November Dick Cavett and Carl Reiner January Ray Brady with Paul A. Volcker February Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough March Andrew Lloyd Webber with David Frost April Marcia Clark, Philip K. Howard, Dr. Rodney Smolla, Kym Worthy with Prof. Arthur Miller

1997–1998 November Bill Moyers January Wynton Marsalis February PM Shimon Peres March Mary Tyler Moore April Peter Lynch 1 998–1999 November PM John Major January Robert Bennett and Dr. William Bennett with Tim Russert February Harry S. Dent and Lou Dobbs March Lily Tomlin April Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean-Michel Cousteau

1999–2000 November Julie Andrews January Todd Brewster and Peter Jennings February Ray Brady, Michael Connors and John Krubski March Archbishop Desmond Tutu April James Carville and Newt Gingrich

2000–2001 November Sen. John Glenn January Tom Brokaw February PM Benjamin Netanyahu March Frank McCourt April Dr. William Kelso 2 001–2002 November Hal Holbrook January Rabbi Marc Gellman and Msgr. Thomas Hartman February Dick Clark March Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough April Madeleine K. Albright and James A. Baker III

with Gwen Ifill 2 002–2003 November Ken Burns January Rudolph W. Giuliani February PM Benazir Bhutto and Queen Noor with Gwen Ifill March Louis Freeh April Sen. Fred Thompson

2011–2012 November Dr. Robert Ballard January Robert Gates February Quincy Jones with Tim Reid March Charles Krauthammer and Robert Reich

with John Donvan April Sir Ken Robinson and Rafe Esquith

2 004–2005 November Gen. Tommy Franks January Michael Beschloss and Walter Isaacson February Tim Russert March Fareed Zakaria April Frank Gehry

2012–2013 November Platon January Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner and Doris Kearns Goodwin with Tim Reid February President Bill Clinton March Capt. Mark Kelly with Gabrielle Giffords April Dr. Jane Goodall

2005–2006 November Robert Redford January Sherry Lansing February Gen. Colin Powell March Tom Wolfe April Rick Wagoner

2013–2014 November Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and

Maajid Nawaz with John Donvan January Dan Buettner February President George W. Bush March PM Gordon Brown April Steve Martin and Martin Short

2 006–2007 November Burt Rutan January Malcolm Gladwell and Alvin Toffler February B.B. King March Jim Lehrer April Dr. Jared Diamond

2014–2015 November Diana Nyad January Garry Trudeau March Ben Bernanke April Dr. Daniel Levitin and Rosanne Cash

May Gen. Keith Alexander and Robert Mueller

with John Donvan

2007–2008 November President Vicente Fox January Carly Fiorina February Michael Douglas March Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. April David Brooks 2008–2009 November PM Tony Blair January Reza Aslan and Jon Meacham February Smokey Robinson with Daphne Maxwell Reid March Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long April Marion Nestle and Michael Pollan 2009–2010 November Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson January Greg Mortenson March Steve Forbes

April Condoleezza Rice

May David Plouffe 2010–2011 November President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf January Laura Bush February Anderson Cooper March Dr. George Church April David Blaine

2015-2016 November Michael Sandel January Alan Alda February James Balog March PM Julia Gillard

April Russell Wilson and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 2016-2017 November Nate Parker January Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham with Steve Inskeep February Krista Tippett March Ehud Barak and Mohamed ElBaradei

with Robin Wright

April Ron Howard 2017-2018 November President Barack Obama January Glenn Close February Peter Diamandis March Ambassador Samantha Power

April Joe Scarborough and Newt Gingrich

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ONLINE

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As a courtesy to others, please do not use your devices during the program. Thank you!

pa s t spe a k er s

2 003–2004 November Cal Ripken, Jr. January Robert Shiller and Jeremy Siegel February Candice Bergen March PM Mary Robinson April Thomas L. Friedman

There’s a beauty to the rhythm of this thing called life.

It’s the music within you, the 4/4 beat that keeps you moving. And when that rhythm is interrupted, it’s our leadership at the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center that creates the path to healing and recovery. If we show people how to take care of their hearts through proper diet and exercise, then their hearts will take care of them. This is how we see the future of heart care, with prevention being our specialty.

Making life better, by design.

NEXT AT THE RICHMOND FORUM

January 20, 2018 T:9.125”

Glenn Close Human Characters Actress Glenn Close’s indelible characters, with all their human strengths and flaws, have dominated stage, screen, and television for more than 40 years, earning her critical acclaim, as well as Tonys, Emmys, and a host of Oscar nominations. Her disturbing role in Fatal Attraction has been called one of the greatest movie characters of all time. Close’s remarkable real life story is filled with its own cast of very human characters, from cult followers to family members struggling with mental illness. Today, she is a leading advocate for public conversations about mental illness—to replace stigma with empathy and understanding.

February 17, 2018

March 24, 2018

April 21, 2018

Peter Diam andis

Ambassador Sam antha Power

Joe Scarborough & Newt Gingrich

Future Tech: Exponential Change, Infinite Possibilities

Why America Can’t Afford to Look Away

Perspectives on the Party in Power

Live plants increase productivity by 12%.

Who doesn’t want that ROI?

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Entertain, enrich, engage For over 30 years, The Richmond Forum has been bringing the most influential, entertaining and educational speakers from around the world to our community to expand horizons, stimulate conversation and inspire our community. PwC is proud to support The Richmond Forum and its mission. www.pwc.com

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Back Page: Student Art

Zartakshtai Babai studies Art Education at VCU and plans to teach in Richmond after he graduates.

He shared his thoughts on painting this piece with us: My parents had an arranged marriage in Afghanistan and brought me to the U.S. when I was still very young. I came of age during Mr. Obama’s presidency. Observing his leadership and character has assisted me in discovering my own path in life—to bring art and leadership together for young people as a means of expression. –Zartakshtai Babai

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The effects of climate change can be seen up and down the coast. But what’s harder to see is how the planet’s fluctuating temperature impacts us farther inland. The plants I study on the barrier islands of Virginia can tell us what else to expect as the planet gradually gets warmer. My name is Lauren Wood, and deciphering the mysteries of plants to understand our changing planet is how I challenge the norm. VCU is where I make it real.

makeitreal.vcu.edu

an equal opportunity/affirmative action university

Planting expectations