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A Quiet Crisis

There were many signs of trouble in late spring of 2001. LTV Steel had just gone through bankruptcy - again. Cleveland’s last downtown department store was closing. The region’s largest multi-national corporation, TRW, was leaving town. No major downtown construction project was on the boards. Regional growth was lagging behind the national average. The so-called “brain drain” was sapping the region of its best and brightest young minds. And nobody wanted to talk about it.

This was the backdrop for A Quiet Crisis, a series initiated by The Plain Dealer, Ohio’s largest daily newspaper and ideastream, the multimedia content organization just formed by the merger of Cleveland’s public radio and television stations. For three years this innovative multiple-media series focused the attention of Northeast Ohio on the region’s most serious challenge - an economic decline that was unraveling the “comeback” renaissance of the 90’s and threatening the vitality of the region.

Through 14 round table discussions of community leaders that were broadcast on WVIZ/PBS and 90.3 WCPN, radio call-ins, in-depth reports on radio and television, newspaper articles, columns and editorials, the ambitious multimedia campaign highlighted the region’s problems and also offered solutions in ways that energized and empowered individuals and organizations to action and change.

Leveraging Lake Erie

Thursday, September 16, 2004

13 trillion gallons of water. Plenty of fish, Zebra mussels and some say… gold. From the time it was discovered by Moses Cleaveland in the 18th century the lake has had a major impact on the economy of our city, and our region. And as many sought ways to stimulate and reinvigorate Northeast Ohio’s sluggish economy -- some looked north, towards Lake Erie. As our single natural resource many argued we were not using it enough, in responsible ways, as a powerful economic catalyst. How can we better leverage Lake Erie -- not just to improve the quality of life in our region but to create jobs? Stimulate commerce? Attract new people and business? These were just some of the questions asked in this special episode of  A Quiet Crisis

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Manufacturing

Thursday, May 27, 2004

Ohio lost more than 150,000 manufacturing jobs since the year 2000. In 2004 many were wondering if Northeast Ohio would ever regain its stature as a manufacturing powerhouse. Would the manufacturing jobs that disappeared ever return? There was a time when manufacturing jobs were plentiful and industrial activity was a major force driving our regional economy. What led to the changes in this once dominant industry? Seven leaders from Northeast Ohio’s manufacturing sector evaluated what happened, what these changes meant to our region and what could be done to regain Northeast Ohio’s prominence as a giant in manufacturing.

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A Look Back… A Look Ahead

Thursday, January 29, 2004

This episode of  A Quiet Crisis celebrated the start of our third year producing the project. The very first episode premiered in June of 2001 and featured a rousing conversation among panelists representing business, academia, banking and philanthropy. In this episode, we decided to take a look back at that first show to remember some of what was said about our sluggish economy. We also assembled a new panel and considered some tough questions like: Just how much progress have we made in reinvigorating our economy? And… where do we go from here?

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Big Bets

Thursday, October 2, 2003

The debate over whether to build a new convention center was far from over when this episode of  A Quiet Crisis aired in 2003. But, we asked, is that the only major project that will have any real impact on our local economy? Were there any other so called “Big Bets” that needed to be considered?  A Quiet Crisis: Big Bets addressed the continued debate over whether or not to build a new convention center; and explored other “Big Bet” development projects.

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The Convention Center

Thursday, June 12, 2003

Big bets. That's how some local leaders were referring to high profile; big-money public projects intended to revitalize Northeast Ohio's economy. In the summer of 2003 there was a big bet on the table called “a new convention center.” Business leaders and developers suggested a variety of different sites and plans. Which one was the best? And, how much would it cost to build? And could it stimulate economic growth for Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio? These questions and more were discussed in this tenth installment of  A Quiet Crisis.

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Young Leaders

Thursday, April 24, 2003

We focused on young leadership in Northeast Ohio. Who were they? Where were they coming from - inside established local big business, or outside the state? How were they different from current and past leaders in Northeast Ohio? How will their style, talents and interests change Northeast Ohio in years to come? What did they think of current leadership? Just how important was leadership in the new century -- more or less than 50 or 100 years ago? Were Northeast Ohio's emerging young leaders different from other cities? We talked to a panel of young leaders to get some answers.

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Universities & Their Cities

Thursday, March 6, 2003

Many agreed that tomorrow's universities must serve as catalysts for vitality, in their home cities and throughout their regions. But, how does this happen? What resources are needed? Innovative partnerships university presidents forge with their cities and regions were discussed. The collaborations were creating cohesion and alliance between these institutions of higher education and their cities, and a greater appreciation for the enormous benefits that these relationships can bring to all concerned.

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3rd Frontier

Wednesday, November 20, 2002

A round table of panelists debated issues concerning economic development in Northeast Ohio. Topics included: the role of higher education in economic development, in terms of both workforce development and research; incentives Ohio can offer to entice and retain major employers; and the Third Frontier program and what Northeast Ohio industries it might impact.

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Success Stories

Thursday, September 5, 2002

A revealing portrayal of five successful entrepreneurs -- examining how their business acumen and experience in Northeast Ohio have defined their success, and how they've continued to maintain it through these difficult economic times.

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Arts & the Economy

Thursday, May 23, 2002

This installment focused on the importance of Cleveland arts, artists and cultural organizations as an asset to our region's economic development. Contributions that artists, art and cultural organizations made in the strengthening of our regional economy were examined.

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Endowed Chairs

Thursday, April 4, 2002

What are endowed chairs and how many did Northeast Ohio actually have? How do they work? And how can they stimulate the regional economy? The panelists discussed how new and innovative ideas -- which are often the by-product of endowed chairs at local colleges and universities -- are transferred or commercialized from a campus setting to promising business enterprises in the local community.

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Leadership

Thursday, January 31, 2002

Featured six prominent leaders from Northeast Ohio gathered to explore the critical link between local leadership and economic prosperity.

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Higher Education & Economic Development

Friday, July 27, 2001

This installment focused on the role of higher education in our regional economic development. Participants included heads of major colleges in Ohio.

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Regional Economic Development

Friday, June 15, 2001

How does economic development directly affect your life? Does it have a real impact on your job, family, neighborhood and general livelihood? This first installment of the series explored these topics as well as revealed how individuals can influence productive regional economic development projects and encourage broad community involvement.

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