Event Recap - Report on Capricia Marshall Event, December 3, 2020

Report on Capricia Marshall Event, December 3, 2020

Capricia Marshall joined Club members on Thursday, December 3 for an hour of discussion about her professional life in the White House, the State Department and around the world. Born in Cleveland to parents of Mexican and Croatian heritage, she graduated from CWRU School of Law and joined the Bill Clinton for President campaign in 1992. Shortly she was indispensable to Hillary Clinton, became White House Social Secretary and then U.S. Chief of Protocol when Hillary was Secretary of State.

Having been tasked with assuring that State Dinners and international conferences for presidents went smoothly, Capricia said growing up with her Cleveland family had something to do with her diplomatic skills. “When I was young we had all sorts of people come to our home; I heard all manner of languages, and we ate all sorts of foods. That multi-cultural experience was great for the jobs I ended up in.”

She gave examples of how protocol helped shape decisions. When President Obama was to meet President Putin for the first time, Capricia called for a small rather than a cavernous room and one with a low ceiling, the better for President Obama to nudge Putin toward some policy refinements. She also related elucidating stories of how gifts can set the tone for international relationships and meetings, a notable one when President Obama met Queen Elizabeth for the first time. These, and other experiences, are spun out in her book Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy.

Asked how she handled the pressure of planning and delivering high-stakes encounters of world political and financial leaders, Capricia admitted to being “energized by the butterflies you feel in your stomach. I enjoy the planning, that is, setting the path along which these persons will go, one hopes with confidence and optimism,” she said.

Asked her impressions of soon-to-be-president Joe Biden, she related that he always wanted to be deeply briefed and fully prepared but that he also had a little rebellious streak. “He tended sometimes to go off-plan,” she said. “He was lots of fun. You never knew what to expect.”

Event Recap - Report from Cleveland with Justin Bibb, September 10, 2020

Report from Cleveland with Justin Bibb

The Club enjoyed a virtual meeting with Justin Bibb on September 10. Justin grew up in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Cleveland’s East Side. He earned a degree in urban studies from American University in Washington, completed a course from the London School of Economics with emphasis on social policy and economics and then worked for Gallup in Washington in the Global Cities Group before returning to live in downtown Cleveland in 2014, where he earned both a JD and MBA from Case Western Reserve University. Justin is now Chief Strategy Officer of Urbanova, a leader in the “smart cities” movement, sits on the Board of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, and helps run a nonprofit he founded, Cleveland Can’t Wait. As a Cleveland activist, he was well positioned to report on developments and aspirations in Cleveland. 

Justin noted Cleveland problems: half of its children living in poverty, exceptionally high degree of racial segregation, and the worst city in the country to be an African American woman. He said that he believed the city has to face and overcome these systemic obstacles before it can truly restore itself economically. He noted that the city and region is poised for significant power shifts: a mayor’s race next year; a county executive race in 2022; a replacement for Joe Roman at Greater Cleveland Partnership; and other private and public CEO changes. 

Justin was a witness to the May 30 disturbances downtown. He was dismayed by the property destruction but heartened by the peaceful congregation of people of all colors and creeds marching together for reform, and noted that people came together in solidarity the next day to help clean up the damage. He observed that unlike some other cities, Cleveland has since remained calm. 

To some questions, Justin replied that:

  • he would like to see Burke Lakefront Airport converted for pleasant public lakeside use.

  • investment funds need to go to more than the five neighborhoods that recently have tended to receive them.

  • the city needs to increase political awareness and participation – turnout in the last mayoral election was 20%.

  • to build better communities “we are going to have to have honest conversation and work intentionally with small acts of service and love that together will lead to policy change.”

  • the RTA has new leadership (India L. Birdsong, the organization’s first black female CEO) and its meetings are being live-streamed for viewing by the public.

  • owing to the fact that the majority of Ohio’s GDP is produced in cities, he hopes the state legislature can shape a more effective urban agenda.

Justin’s employer, Urbanova, works to rejuvenate cities using technology, infrastructure and education. He is the founder of Cleveland Can’t Wait, which promotes civic technology and entrepreneurship in Cleveland. Justin suggests you learn about it and sign up for its newsletter at www.clevelandcantwait.org.

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