Unraveling Recovery: How Cutting Medicaid Threatens Ohioans in Crisis
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
Release Date: 06/02/2025
Haitian Refugees and the Future of Immigration in Central Ohio
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
Tucked into neighborhoods across Central Ohio are thousands of Haitian refugees and their families who’ve built lives, businesses, and communities—many under a federal designation called Temporary Protected Status (TPS). With that protection set to expire on February 3, their futures hang in the balance. This conversation dives into the shifting terrain of U.S. immigration policy and how it’s playing out in real time across Central Ohio. We unpack the legal pathways available to immigrants and refugees, the challenges of navigating a system marked by long backlogs and limited resources,...
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Black Men in Central Ohio: Realities, Resilience, and the Road Ahead
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
What does it mean to be a Black man in Central Ohio in 2026? In Central Ohio, Black men face a unique and often underexamined set of challenges — and opportunities — shaped by generations of systemic inequities and the evolving dynamics of a rapidly growing region. Black men continue to be disproportionately affected by disparities in health, education, income, and incarceration. We explore the realities of navigating mental health stigma, economic exclusion, and more — while spotlighting the resilience, innovation, and leadership that define the community. Featuring: Jason Jenkins,...
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Annual Blue Chip Economic Forecast
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
What will power Central Ohio’s economy in 2026—and what’s keeping business leaders up at night? With changing tariffs, reduced immigration, and transformative tech like AI reshaping industries, the economic road ahead is anything but clear. Yet Central Ohio continues to outperform much of the Midwest—thanks to population growth, public investment, and a rapidly diversifying economy. What trends will define the year ahead for our region’s employers, workers, and entrepreneurs? And what are the risks no one’s talking about yet? Featuring the release of the 2026 Regionomics Columbus...
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Annual State of Downtown: Building a Safer, Stronger Downtown
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
Downtown Columbus is changing rapidly, and local leaders are working to build a safer, more vibrant, and more connected urban core. We bring together experts from public safety, urban development, and community strategy to explore what it will take to strengthen the heart of the city. From new safety initiatives to long-term planning and partnership models, the conversation highlights how a thriving downtown Columbus drives Central Ohio's regional success. Featuring: Greg Davies, CEO, Downtown Columbus, Inc. Robin Davis, Executive Director, Safer Downtown Smith Weir, Deputy Chief of the...
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Urban Power: How Cities Are Driving Ohio’s Growth
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
In a rare joint appearance, the mayors of Columbus, Findlay, Lima, and Toledo—Andrew J. Ginther, Christina Muryn, Sharetta Smith, and Wade Kapszukiewicz—take the stage for a powerful conversation on the future of urban leadership in Ohio. Together, these four leaders represent more than a million Ohioans—nearly 10% of the state’s population. From economic growth and urban development to transit, public safety, and civic engagement, they share strategies for building stronger, more connected, and more resilient cities. Featuring: Andrew J. Ginther, Mayor, City of Columbus Christina...
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Creative Capital: How the Arts Power Community Infrastructure
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
The arts are more than inspiration—they’re critical infrastructure. Across Central Ohio, cultural organizations are using shared data and collaborative evaluation to show how the arts drive workforce readiness, economic development, public health, and community well-being. This forum spotlights the Central Ohio Arts Impact Initiative and a growing movement to position the arts as essential to the region’s social and economic infrastructure. This week, we hear from arts leaders, data experts, and civic partners on how creative work is delivering measurable outcomes that align with Central...
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Why Children’s Mental Health Is a Workforce Issue
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
Children’s mental health isn’t just a family issue—it’s a workplace issue. When kids struggle, parents and caregivers face missed work and mounting stress, creating ripple effects across their lives. This week we explore the link between children’s mental health and workplace performance, and the roles Central Ohio employers, healthcare leaders, and advocates are playing in breaking the cycle of stress for families. Featuring: Anna Ankenbauer, Senior Director, Global Giving, Engagement, Learning & Development, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Nina Day, Community Mental Health...
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The State of Small Business
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
Small businesses are the backbone of Central Ohio’s economy—creating jobs, fueling innovation, and shaping the future of our communities. Despite inflation, labor shortages, and tariffs, many small business owners report feeling optimistic about the future. This week we explore why. Featuring: Stuart Hoffman, Senior Economic Advisor, PNC Financial Services Group Tim Kehoe, Director, Economic and Community Development Institute's Veterans Business Outreach Center of Ohio Ariana Ulloa-Olavarrieta, Small Business Coordinator, City of Columbus Walter Eguez, Founder, Tortilla Street Food ...
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Amped Up: Columbus Wants Its Music Moment
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
Columbus has rhythm, talent, and venues—but can it build a music industry that rivals Nashville, Austin, or Chicago? We explore Columbus' $1.3 BILLION local music economy and what it'll take to elevate it to national prominence. From local legends to industry insiders, we stagedive into strategy, investment, and how the city can turn homegrown talent into household names. Featuring: Bruce Garfield, Executive Director, Music Means Business Inc. Amy Holihan, Deputy Director, Music Columbus Natalie Jackson, Co-Founder, Natalie’s Grandview Rashad Thomas, CEO, Elev8tor Music The...
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Will Nonprofits Lead or Be Led?
The Columbus Metropolitan Club
In a time marked by policy uncertainty, economic volatility, and social fragmentation, the nonprofit sector faces a critical strategic question: will it lead systemic change, or be passively led by external forces? This forum invites a candid, future-focused conversation about the role of nonprofits in navigating — and shaping — what comes next. Drawing on insights from leadership theory, recent research, and provocative findings from the Philanthropy Roundtable, we’ll examine if nonprofits can increase their resilience and impact by reducing dependency on government funding and...
info_outlineIs Ohio headed for a crisis in health coverage, especially for mental health and addiction services? More than a decade ago, Ohio’s Medicaid expansion was a game changer, extending coverage to over 700,000 Ohioans and providing a lifeline to thousands of Ohioans in need of mental health and addiction treatment services.
Expansion worked: uninsured rates dropped, medical debt decreased, health improved, and emergency room visits went down. In just four years, 630,000 Ohioans received treatment for mental illness or substance use disorder, a victory in the fight against opioid addiction. In 2024, forty percent of adults covered by expansion had a primary mental health and/or substance use disorder diagnosis.
These gains may now be in jeopardy: Governor DeWine’s new proposed biennial budget includes a so-called “kill-switch” provision that would automatically end mental health and addiction services provided through the expansion if federal Medicaid funding is reduced.
With key leaders and policy experts, we’ll unpack the impact Medicaid has had on health outcomes in Ohio and the consequences facing patients in recovery if the state’s landmark care expansion is abandoned.
Featuring:
Oyauma Garrison, President & CEO, Maryhaven, Inc.
Rachelle Martin; Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness of Franklin County
Amy Bush Stevens, Amy Bush Stevens Consulting, LLC, Consultant to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio
The host is Greg Moody, Director of Professional Development, The John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University
The presenting sponsors of the CMC Optimal Health Series are Nationwide Children’s Hospital, OhioHealth, and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
This forum was sponsored by Maryhaven.
The presenting sponsor of the CMC livestream was The Center for Human Kindness at the Columbus Foundation. CMC’s livestream partner was The Columbus Dispatch.
This forum was also supported by The Ellis.
This forum was recorded before a live audience at The Ellis in Columbus’ historic Italian Village on June 4, 2025.