Whitburn Center

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We are living in a divided society where political and cultural differences are dictating where we live, how we live, how we interact with one another, and how we view our fellow citizens. Politics has become a blood sport where winning takes precedent over governing; where political debates are arenas for personal attacks where the messenger, rather than the idea, are fair game for attack. How did we get here, and how do return to a place where we can govern effectively?

This talk lays out a positive path forward where engagement and local government can act to heal our politics – through a humanity-based framework built on human needs, and providing a practical pathway founded on trust, competence, and empathy.

Michael Ford is a Professor of Public Administration and Director of the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He has published over 40 peer reviewed articles on public and nonprofit governance, and one peer reviewed book on education policy.

In addition to his role at UW Oshkosh, he served as an elected member of the Oshkosh Common Council, as a member of the Oshkosh Plan Commission, and as President of the Midwest Public Affairs Conference. He writes monthly columns for the Public Administration Times and the Oshkosh Herald. His work has been featured in a variety of media, including the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Associated Press, and Wisconsin Public Radio.

He holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Marquette University, a Masters of Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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The Whitburn Center is happy to be partnering with the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust in sponsoring two de-escalation trainings hosted by the Winnebago County Conflict Resolution Center. The trainings, to be held in Green Bay and Milwaukee, are an action item stemming from five listening sessions the Whitburn Center held across the state of Wisconsin over the summer. The goal of this project, generously supported by the Carter Center and Kohl Philanthropies, is to reduce the risk of political violence in Wisconsin through increased civic engagement.   

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Leaders from Oshkosh’s public and private K-12 schools came together for an informative panel discussion on Wisconsin’s private school choice program. Participants included Bryan Davis, Superintendent of the Oshkosh Area School District, John Dinegan, President of Lourdes Academy, and Bradley Dunn, Head of School of Valley Christian School; Michael Ford, Associate Professor of Public Administration at UW Oshkosh served as the panel moderator. The discussion provided insight into how the voucher program works, its impact on both public and private schools in Oshkosh, and its impact on local property taxes.

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Considering the impact of the many federal government mandates for widespread use of EVs, join the discussion with our panel of professionals on how EVs will impact businesses and residents in Wisconsin.

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Whitburn Center staff will be presenting the results of a survey, conducted in partnership with the Wisconsin State Fire Chiefs Association, on the state of the Fire Service in Wisconsin. Discussion will follow featuring three Wisconsin fire chiefs: Michael Stanley, Oshkosh; Matthew Fennig, Lake County Fire Rescue; and Nate Melby, Town of Campbell.