News

Smart Growth Initiative at this week’s Thursday Morning Roundtable

The March 3 session of Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR) will feature Paul Beyer, director of Smart Growth Planning at the New York State Department of State.

Various New York state agencies are involved with the Smart Growth initiative, which is committed to working with localities to use smart, sensible planning to create livable communities, protect our natural resources and promote economic growth. Smart Growth bolsters and complements the state’s overall sustainability agenda.

In his position as director, Beyer oversees the governor’s Smart Growth cabinet, a group of state agencies committed to promoting Smart Growth on the state and local levels in New York. His experience in land use and Smart Growth began when he worked in the New York State Assembly, where he focused on land use, environmental policy and public health policy. Beyer served on the planning board in the Town of Amherst for five years, where he helped develop the town’s comprehensive plan. He also served on the board of directors of Partners for a Livable Western New York, the premier Smart Growth advocacy group in the Buffalo area. Beyer has a law degree from the University at Buffalo.

TMR meets from 8:15-9:15 a.m. at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Rd. For further information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of community programs, (315) 443-4846.

Egypt’s regime change and prospects for democracy at Feb. 24 Thursday Morning Roundtable

The Feb. 24 session of Thursday Morning Roundtable (TMR) will feature Miriam Elman, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and one of the faculty research directors of international and intra-state conflicts at the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) at SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Elman will present “Beyond the Jasmine Revolution and Tahrir Square: Egypt’s Regime Change and the Prospects for Democracy in the Middle East.”

Elman is also the director of the Project on Democracy in the Middle East (DIME) at the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs and a member of the advisory board and steering committees for the Judaic Studies Program, the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT) and the Middle Eastern Studies Program.

She received a bachelor’s degree in international relations and English literature, and a master’s degree in international relations from the Hebrew International University of Jerusalem. She also earned a master’s degree in philosophy and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia University.

TMR meets from 8:15-9:15 a.m. at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Road. For further information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of community programs, (315) 443-4846 or visit http://www.yesu.syr.edu/community/tmr. The TMR program is broadcast on WCNY-FM, 91.3 on Sundays at 8 p.m. and at http://www.wcny.org/tmr.

For more information, contact Sandra Barrett, director of community programs, at (315) 443-4846 or visit http://www.yesu.syr.edu/community/tmr. The TMR program is broadcast on WCNY-FM 91.3 on Sundays at 7 p.m. and at http://www.wcny.org/tmr.

Syracuse VA manager to address health care at Feb. 17 IRP

Bill Hoffman, member services manager for the Syracuse VA Medical Center, will speak at the Thursday, Feb. 17, meeting of the Institute for Retired Professionals (IRP). Hoffman will discuss programs that are available to veterans, as well as soldiers returning from active military service. The program is free and open to the public. IRP meets from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Syracuse, 5833 E. Seneca Turnpike, Jamesville.

Hoffman oversees three departments, including the Veteran Service Center, centralized scheduling and transportation. Additionally, he serves as the outreach coordinator for the medical center and the network of facilities throughout Central New York. He serves on the Onondaga County Veterans Advisory Board and the Onondaga County Community College Veterans Advisory Committee. Prior to coming to the Syracuse VA, Hoffman worked for several private sector companies over an 18-year career in sales, marketing and consulting. He is a United States Air Force Veteran and a graduate of Empire State College.

For more information on this program, call University College at (315) 443-4846.