Watershed Partnerships Louis Smith

Megan Remark is the leader of one of America’s most successful hospitals and – not by coincidence – a cooperative collaborator who is not preoccupied with who gets the credit for success.  In this episode, Remark explains why the murder of George Floyd has had a more significant impact on her and her organization than COVID-19 – and how her hospital is approaching the hard work of dismantling racism.  

Remark’s success in leading her organization comes from a willingness to pursue health care on the patient’s terms, and an understanding that the key determinants of health lie outside the walls of the clinic or hospital – in the community.  She is a leader of the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, a collaboration of colleges and hospitals – ‘Eds and Meds’ – that is pursuing equity and shared prosperity through hiring more local residents, spending procurement dollars on more local businesses, and promoting transit with students and employees.  

As you will hear, this partnership has moved hundreds of college students, mostly black, indigenous or other people of color, into part-time employment in their fields of study, boosting their income and moving them on a pathway to permanent employment in health care.  These Eds and Meds have also committed to buying more of the produce for their food service operations from local immigrant growers, and are figuring out how to deliver their collective group purchasing power to local small businesses.  
As Remark notes, none of these achievements are something that just one college or hospital would be able to accomplish alone.  
More about Megan Remark: https://www.healthpartners.com/about/leadership/megan-remark/ 
More about the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership:  https://www.centralcorridoranchorpartnership.org/ 

Seitu Jones is a prolific public artist and truly integrative, visionary leader.  In this episode, we’ll discover the sources of his passion for creative expression and leading social change.  From the Civil Rights movement of the late 60s, to founding one of the largest urban organic farms in the country, to inclusive watershed management, Jones’ gifts for collaboration reveal an extraordinary capacity to see new connections. 
Seitu Jones's web site:  https://seitujonesstudio.com/ 
Learn more about Capitol Region Watershed District’s Inclusion Policy https://www.capitolregionwd.org/about-crwd/diversity/ and Artist in Residence program. https://www.capitolregionwd.org/watershed-artist-in-residence/ 
Learn more about Frogtown Farm https://www.frogtownfarm.org/our-story 

Paul Pribbenow is a social ethics scholar, President of Augsburg University, and leader in a global movement of ‘anchor institutions’ seeking empowering relationships with their neighbors. In this episode, we’ll learn how a campus tragedy prompted Pribbenow to double down on Augsburg’s community relationships in Cedar Riverside – one of the Midwest’s most diverse and densely populated zip codes.

Pribbenow leads the Cedar Riverside Partnership, a collaboration of leaders from local government, community organizations, a major health care provider, and a real estate developer. As partners, they have achieved some impressive, tangible outcomes for the Cedar Riverside community in employment pathways, community safety and placemaking.

More about Paul Pribbenow: https://www.augsburg.edu/president/ 
And his Notes for the Reflective Practitioner:  https://www.augsburg.edu/president/notes/

More about the Cedar Riverside Partnership: http://www.cedarriversidepartnership.org/

Your introduction to this podcast - exploring breakthrough collaborations to build great communities.

Whether you are pursuing a public-private partnership or considering cooperation with your competitors, Watershed Partnerships will bring you useful stories of breakthrough collaborations to build great communities. Our in-depth conversations with seasoned leaders in community organizations and anchor institutions – working in healthcare, local government, higher education, and natural resources management -- will reveal why it is smart to align assets and share credit with your competitors to get great things done. 

Host Louis Smith has counseled watersheds and strategic partnerships for thirty years.  Join us to explore successful collaborations in water resources management, workforce development, equity and racial justice, and place-making infrastructure.  Each episode will always offer three take-aways to consider in your work.