The BMW Center for German and European Studies in collaboration with the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative invite you to a roundtable discussion with:
John Austin
Director, Michigan Economic Center
Geraldine Gardner
Executive Director at Centralina Council of Governments (CCOG)
Dale Medearis
Senior Environmental Planner, Northern Virginia Regional Commission
Friday, February 21, 2020
McGhee Library, Intercultural Center (ICC) 301
Discussion - 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Reception - 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Cities and regions on both sides of the Atlantic have been engaged in the transatlantic exchange of best policy practices for decades. These rich and varied interactions have sparked important initiatives that go to the heart of the quality of life for ordinary citizens leading ordinary lives in Europe and the United States: urban sustainability; transportation; social integration of immigrants; and the revitalization of older industrial regions, to name just a few. And perhaps most remarkably, these subnational initiatives develop and prosper without the assistance, coordination, or even knowledge of national governments — representing a hidden dimension of the transatlantic relationship. This roundtable brings together three established experts in the field, to discuss how these transnational transatlantic networks arise, what they have been able to accomplish, and where this all could be heading in an era of increasing tensions at the summit of the transatlantic relationship.
John Austin recently completed 16 years of elected service on the Michigan State Board of Education, serving 6 years as President. Austin directs the Michigan Economic Center, a center for ideas and network-building to advance Michigan’s economic transformation. He also serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and the Upjohn Institute where he leads these organizations efforts to support economic transformation in the American Midwest. Mr. Austin also Lectures on the Economy at the University of Michigan.
Geraldine Gardner has extensive experience convening diverse leaders for outcome-oriented discussions on critical topics facing cities and regions. Gardner spent the last six years at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, building an international program for leading urban and regional practitioners and thought leaders from government, philanthropy and the private sector. Prior to this post, she served as Associate Director of the Office of Planning for the Government of the District of Columbia.
Dale Medearis is a senior environmental planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. In that capacity, he co-leads the NVRC’s regional climate mitigation and energy programs and manages NVRC’s international environmental partnerships. Prior to working for NVRC, Medearis spent approximately 20 years at the Office of International Affairs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, as the program manager for western Europe and urban environmental programs. He has also served as the program manager for the U.S. National Park Service’s Potomac American Heritage River Initiative.
