Columbia is changing.

What is changing? How is it changing? Why does it matter?

Evolution is a natural and necessary part of any community. CA is a resource to help you understand those changes and engage in the processes that make an impact.

The Change in Columbia Speaker Series will explore a variety of topics that matter to you and strategies we can all use to adapt to change and stay involved. These events will feature experts from CA and other entities/organizations. You will also experience interactive sessions and feedback opportunities.

Upcoming Events

The next Change in Columbia Speaker Series event will be held in November 2023. Check back for more details, coming soon!

Past Events

How Serving Your Community Serves Your Business

Our third Change in Columbia Speaker Series event (August 3, 2023) explored the connections between serving business and community. Our expert panel shared real-life experience and advice on adapting to our ever-changing economy. A recording of the panel can be accessed by clicking the image or button to the right.

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A Fresh Approach to Wellbeing

Our second Change in Columbia Speaker Series event (February 27, 2023) offered a fresh approach on what it means to be well. Our expert panel challenged traditional ideas of wellness and helped us shift our perspective. A recording of the panel can be accessed by clicking the image of the button to the right.

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Our Built Community

Our first Change in Columbia Speaker Series event (July 26, 2022) covered topics around how Columbia’s built environment has evolved, how we balance preservation and development and how to get involved in the decision-making process. A recording of the panel discussion can be accessed by clicking the image or button to the right.

We received so many questions to our panel of experts that we were not able to answer them all in the time allotted for our panelists. We are in the process of reviewing these questions and identify key themes that we can help explain! See below for video content.

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A Legacy of Speaker Series

While the Change in Columbia Speaker Series is a new concept, we continue to be inspired by the work of the late Jane Dembner. Dembner served as CA’s director of Planning & Community Affairs and launched the Community Building Speaker Series program in 2010. We are excited to honor her legacy and passion for building a sense of community in this way.

Click the icons below to watch the past speaker series sessions or click here to access the YouTube playlist of all past Community Building Speaker Series events.

Jane Dembner