Diversity Here In Mesa Today: Conversations in Community Leadership

The group, gathered together this morning on the stage at The Piper Theater and brought here by the ASU Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions, was the most diverse and actively engaged assembly your MesaZona blogger has ever seen in one place after living here in Downtown Mesa for over five years. Around 8 round tables from 09-11:30 a.m. this morning, the conversations multiplied from table-to-table then in an open forum of ideas

Dale Larsen, the Director of Community Relations, for Watts College can certainly be congratulated for bringing these people to the Mesa Arts Center here in downtown today. We spoke just briefly for a short time before the wrap-up when the opportunity arose.
The only city employee in plain sight on a Friday when city government is usually closed, was Cindy Orenstein, City of Mesa's Director of Arts & Culture. Councilmember Jennifer Duff [who represents downtown on the Mesa City Council] or other city leaders were simply not seen at this community leadership conversation. Mike Hutchinson, the Executive VP of the PHXEast Valley Partnership, was there, along with attorney Phil Austin sitting at a different table. Former Mesa City Councilmember Ryan Winkle, who's expanded his focus, was there also in what looked like more than 100 people.

While more than 2.5 hours might seem to a long time to hear-and-talk-and-listen and make multiple conversations, the host and interlocutor, seen gesturing in just one of many images taken at the interactive event, kept everything going smoothly, taking the time to circulate all around.

A more dynamic event I haven't seen here in Downtown Mesa - everyone covered more topics and subject-areas than imaginable.
There are a lot of players emerging from this diverse who are more than ready, willing, and able to find community solutions for all the issues we see here in Mesa.
How that all works out got off to a good start this morning.
The task ahead is to see if we can all
Work Together.
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More details later . . .