Public Forum: Richard Young
Wed, Sep 27
|West Fargo
Join us for an evening of conversation with Richard Young of CivicLex to jump start the initiatives of Civic West within the West Fargo community.
Time & Location
Sep 27, 2023, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
West Fargo, 601 26th Ave E, West Fargo, ND 58078, USA
Guests
About the event
Join us at Rustad Recreation Center on Wednesday, September 27th for an evening of conversation with civic-minded residents excited about contributing to an improved quality of life in West Fargo.
Schedule of Events:
- 6:30 pm - Partner Social - stop by the booths and visit with community organizations who represent different ways of engaging with the public, promoting civic engagement, community building and continued learning.
- 7:00 pm - Richard Young Address - Young will speak on behalf of the successful model of CivicLex of Lexington, KY on creating an ecosystem of resident-driven activity to improve the quality of life in Lexington.
- 8:00 pm - Civic West Session - hear from the co-chairs of CivicWest, Kathi Schwan and Lana Rakow, on the vision for Civic West with a community feedback and discussion opportunity.
Who is Richard Young and CivicLex?
Richard Young is the founder and executive director of CivicLex, a civic health and media organization in Lexington, Kentucky. CivicLex has been recognized as a solution for rebuilding American Democracy for the 21st Century by the Library of Congress and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Young, who grew up in Lexington, lives in Fayette County, Kentucky. He began his career in music, as a double bass player who got his education at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio, then as an administrator of several music programs, including the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington and Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras.
Young then turned to civic and community development, including serving as director of North Limestone Community Development Corporation and as a founding steering committee member and steward for the Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange.
He founded CivicLex in 2018. Its website (CivicLex) says, “We help residents understand local government, help local government connect with residents, and are building a community in which everyone can meaningfully participate in the decisions that shape where they live.” Since 2014, Young’s work has been featured on or in NextCity, PBS NewsHour, Foreign Affairs, On Point, Wall Street Journal, CityLab, PEW Charitable Trusts, and more. He has been a Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a NextCity Vanguard, and a member of the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Emerging Leaders Council.
Young enjoys cooking, gardening, playing music, and spending time with his dog Oliver.
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