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  • Pages
01 Welcome
02 In This Report
03 About APS
04 A Message from our Chairman
05 The Year in Review
06 Delivering the APS Experience
07 Civics Education Initiative
08 Evening at the Square
09 Engaging the Community
10 The APS Member Community
11 In Closing

Founded to make a difference.

About American Public Square at Jewell

Quick clicks: Our Story | Our Approach | Our Academic Partner

American Public Square at Jewell (APS) offers offer a modern-day “public square” experience – we create space for community members to convene and engage in civil, fact-based dialogue about today’s most challenging and polarizing issues.

We do this by:

  • Convening groups and creating space for respectful dialogue on important topics
  • Educating community members about why engaging in this way is important and how to do it well
  • Engaging diverse segments of our society to ensure that multiple perspectives are explored

Those who participate play an integral role in reconnecting American communities and creating a stronger nation equipped to deal with the social, economic and political issues of our time.


OUR STORY

Tired of the vitriol exhibited during a community wide disagreement about a coal plant, then city commissioner Allan Katz established The Village Square in Tallahassee to host civil conversations about shared challenges. Click here to read more


OUR APPROACH

To ensure conversations remain substantive, respectful and based on facts, APS uses “Civility Tools” during each program.

Click here to read more


OUR ACADEMIC PARTNER

William Jewell College is a private college in Liberty, Mo., with a long history of cultivating thought leaders and innovators who have pursued meaningful lives throughout the world.

Click here to read more

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board Chair: Ambassador Allan Katz

Secretary: Irv Belzer, Senior Counsel at Bryan Cave*

Treasurer: Bill Kort, Investment Advisor (Ret.)*

Rebecca Coulson, Program Officer - Hall Family Foundation

Mary Jorgenson, Community Volunteer

Ward Katz, Real Estate Advisor*

McClain Bryant Macklin, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives - Health Forward Foundation

Colleen Nelson, Executive Editor - The Sacramento Bee and Regional Editor - California at McClatchy*


Founding Co-Chairs: Peggy Dunn and Mary Bloch

Founding Board Member: Leo Morton

Other founding Board Members denoted by * above.

Greg Orman, Businessman, Entrepreneur, U.S. Political Reformer

Ann Regnier, Community Volunteer*

Paul Russell, Founder – ej4.com*

Joni Wickham, Co-founder - Wickham James Strategies*

Bill Pratt, Attorney - Kirkland & Ellis, LLP (Ret.)

Shaun Stallworth, Attorney - Holman Schiavone, LLC

Tom McDonnell, Executive, DST Systems (Ret.)

Sue Nerman, Kansas City Art Institute

“One of our focus areas at Health Forward is increasing community Power through civic engagement. American Public Square’s mission aligns well with this strategic focus, and it has been my pleasure to join the organization’s Board of Directors in 2022. It helps me stay plugged in to the extensive work the organization does to foster dialogue and engagement among community members in Kansas City and surrounding areas."

- McClain Bryant-Macklin

Appointed to the APS Board in 2022

“As a new board member, I have to say I am impressed with the work the organization is doing to create space for civil discussion and dialogue about all types of divisive issues. From the police budget to gun violence, abortion rights and race, APS is covering the challenging issues we face with civility, facts and perspective. I am honored to serve as a Board Member and grateful for APS’ commitment to improving public discourse when it is sorely needed.”

- Mary Jorgenson

Appointed to the APS Board in 2022

OUR STAFF

Allan Katz: Founder and CEO

Claire Bishop: Executive Director and COO

Alana Muller: Community Director

Cindy Johnston: Community Engagement Lead

Tricia Maxfield: Civics Education Initiative Program Manager

Robin Smith: Marketing and Communications

APS staff with 2022 Evening at the Square featured guest, Robert Costa

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