Earlier this year, the WBUR program “On Point” discussed poverty in the United States. The guests and their key points are outlined below. It’s remarkable that the points made so compellingly by sociologist Mark Robert Rank were outlined in a book published in 2004 and have received so little public discussion since. A key such point is that the majority of adults in the US will experience poverty as defined by the Federal Poverty Level during their lifetimes. This has important implications for any work designed to address poverty or upward mobility, as poverty is not experienced by a fixed group of people who need to work their way out of the situation. Rather, it is experienced widely.
Recently, the Greater Green Bay Chamber completed the fifth chapter of its Member Book Club. This edition focused on the book, The Golden Age of Brown County Enterprise: Their CEOs, Strategies and Teams, written by Phil Hauck. Phil was gracious enough to lead this three-week read and discussion. Hauck, the author, former reporter at The Wall Street Journal, Vistage CEO Group facilitator, and current leader of Envision Greater Green Bay board, provided great insight and perspective on the content of his book and on the highly successful corporate generation highlighted in his work.
Participants in the book club included CEOs and senior leadership positions within organizations across Greater Green Bay. The feedback received from the participants was strong and the book was very well received. Truly a must read, Hauck’s book is available for purchase here, with all proceeds to charity.
Ryan Good would love to see that headline someday. For now, the president and CEO of Foundations Health and Wholeness is focused on intentionality: “Think intentionally, act intentionally, and be good intentionally.” That’s Ryan’s motto in both his personal and professional life. And, if he has anything to say about it, wholistic mental health services – including openness to personal spirituality – will characterize counseling and mental health support in our area in future years.
What can we do in Brown County to improve the quality of life for everyone and promote greater happiness in our community? What can we learn from them that we might adopt in our community? A brief look at the trajectory of the Southeast Asian country of Bhutan, that of Nordic countries, and the United Nations (UN) sponsored World Happiness Report might give us some clues. As we will see below, the south-central Asian country of Bhutan was instrumental in creating the World Happiness Report in 2012, while Nordic countries have consistently been considered the happiest.
Originally published December 15, 2020 Alex Fegnani
“Often times, when attending introductory talks or workshops on futures studies, foresight, or scenario planning (from now, futures & foresight for short), I’ve noticed that the speaker would attempt to endear the audience to futures & foresight by stating upfront that, in its simplest form, this field of inquiry is something that human beings already do every day, not dissimilar to thinking about possible future career options, or about different times to do grocery shopping the next day. I also noticed that such attempts would often have a counterproductive effect. Unless this issue is deliberately clarified, the audience would leave the room thinking that futures & foresight is nothing special, as it is just what they have already been doing in their minds, perhaps with the addition of an extra dose of mental effort. This is particularly the case for managers who have been considering different “scenarios” when strategizing…..”
Steve McCarthy, Executive Director, Envision Lynn Gerlach, Communication Consultant, Envision
The United States is in the early stages of a great, decades-long transformation. Across the US, nearly half our entire population will likely experience a decline in the environment: prolonged droughts, increasing temperatures, more wildfires, increased flooding due to rising sea levels, more intense hurricanes, pressures on agriculture, and species declines, to name a few. Climate Change Will Force a New American Migration — ProPublica
In the Greater Green Bay Area, however, the scenario might be substantially different. Current models suggest that Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region will experience a more moderate, possibly even positive impact, such as an extension of the growing season. Why? It’s largely about the water! Our proximity to the Great Lakes can moderate climate impact, and sustainable access to water will be key to maintaining population levels and quality of life. As all of humanity adapts to the changing climate – with differing levels of success – we might find that the Greater Green Bay area is physically positioned to adapt well, even thrive in the face of climate change. New Climate Maps Show a Transformed United States | ProPublica
What does this mean for the future of Green Bay? There’s a good chance people currently living in increasingly distressed parts of the country, such as the desert southwest, will migrate to the Upper Midwest for a safer, more temperate climate and a stable life. With its abundant natural resources and committed community leaders, Green Bay’s star is on the rise. Envision Greater Green Bay and many of the growing number of local leaders trained in strategic foresight are watching now for signals about how climate migration will affect our growth plans.
Click here for the May 2022 Horizons Newsletter by Envision. Meet winter 2022 Strategic Foresight Workshop members, read Workshop graduate Brendan Bruss’ reflection on life after the COVID lockdown and Foresight training, catch a recap of Envision’s 2022 World Futures Day, and learn from Envision Board members as they help unpack the 2020 US Census and foresight tools.
As they watch the war in Ukraine develop, futurists are considering worldwide impacts. What possible futures do the signals point to? Even if you’re not terribly interested in the details of the ongoing war, you will be fascinated by the application of many of the tools we have learned in Strategic Foresight training in this comprehensive presentation. You’ll see practical application of Four Futures, Scenarios, Trends, Causal Layered Analysis and more. This is an intriguing display of the scope and power of the skills and tools you’ve learned, should you continue to sharpen and apply them.
Sixteen local leaders, representing a Catholic parish, the Greater Green Bay Chamber, the City of Green Bay, NEW North, nonprofits and a business group, made their final presentations to the Envision Board of Directors on April 8. Two new Envision board members also completed training along with Envision’s new Executive Director, Steve McCarthy.
Keep an eye on the results of the 2020 Census as they are published – and think about how they might affect Green Bay. For example, more and more articles document U.S. workers moving from high cost, high problem areas to lower cost, low problem areas. Why can’t Green Bay be one of them? The idea of making major moves from the East or West Coast to Green Bay certainly isn’t a trend (yet!), but the logic behind such moves makes our community a possible destination.
