New Holden Public Policy Forum/FOCUS St. Louis Program Dedicated to Downtown Issues

The Holden Public Policy Forum @ Webster University is teaming up with FOCUS St. Louis, the region’s citizens league, to offer a new speaker series dedicated to downtown issues. “FOCUS on Downtown with the Holden Public Policy Forum” aims to get people to come downtown more often; foster a dialogue about downtown misconceptions, challenges and solutions; and realize the area’s importance to the health of the entire St. Louis area.

Members of the local media will serve as guest speakers for the program. They include McGraw Milhaven (KTRS-AM), Carol Daniel (KMOX-AM), Mike Owens (KSDK-TV) and Jo Mannies (St. Louis Beacon). Topics to be discussed include revitalization, infrastructure and safety, among others.

“These individuals are the ones on the ground who have been reporting and investigating these issues, unlike policy makers and elected officials whose terms come and go,” said Holden Public Policy Forum founder and former Mo. Gov. Bob Holden. “While each speaker will address the same general issues, what will make each program different is their own personal experience and take on each issue.”

All programs are free and open to the public, and local Missouri wines will be available for sample after each program. The schedule for the events is as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m.

McGraw Milhaven

The Old Post Office

815 Olive St.

St. Louis, MO 63101

Thursday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m.

Carol Daniel

Left Bank Books

321 N. 10th St.

St. Louis, MO 63101

Thursday, March 4, 6 p.m.

Mike Owens

Mosaic Restaurant

1001 Washington Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63101

Thursday, April 8, 6 p.m.

Jo Mannies

The California Room at The Pacific Grille

1000 Washington Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63101

The Holden Public Policy Forum at Webster University is a bi-partisan speaker series, created by former Mo. Gov. Bob Holden and Webster University to bring public policy leaders to St. Louis to discuss key national and international issues. For more information about the Holden Public Policy Forum, visit www.webster.edu/HoldenPPF.

FOCUS St. Louis is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization. The mission of FOCUS St. Louis is to create a thriving, cooperative region by engaging citizens to participate in active leadership roles and to influence positive community exchange.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is a worldwide institution committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Founded in 1915, Webster offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five schools and colleges, and a global network of more than 100 campuses. Since opening its first campus overseas in Geneva in 1978, Webster has become a recognized leader and innovator in global education, with an international presence that now includes campuses in London; Vienna; Amsterdam and Leiden, the Netherlands; Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu, China; and Bangkok and Cha-am, Thailand. Webster also has educational partnerships with universities in Mexico and Japan.

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