Greg Mortenson In The News

I just received the following email about Greg Mortenson, who will be addressing The Richmond Forum next season.

(March 27, 2009 12:48 PM EDT)

Just thought you might like to know that Greg has been selected as "World News with Charles Gibson's" "Person of the Week." He will be profiled on the broadcast tonight.

It's certainly been an exciting week for Greg. On Monday he was in Islamabad to receive the Sitara-e-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan), the country's highest civilian award, for his courage and humanitarian efforts to promote education and literacy in rural areas of the country for the last fifteen years.

Check him out on ABC tonight!

On The Phone With Pollan And Nestle

I just got off of a phone call with Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle in which we discussed their upcoming appearance at The Richmond Forum on April 18th. Both are very excited about the event and are clearly looking forward to taking the stage together. And given the way that the growing "Food Revolution" is all over the news, the timing of this program could not be more perfect.

Since our call took place at 8:30 this morning, I knew that Michael Pollan must not be on campus at UC Berkeley today. It turns out, he's in DC. Yesterday he visited with the White House chef and today he's headed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to meet with Secretary Tom Vilsack. In recent interviews, Pollan has been pretty clear in his concern about the appointment of Vilsack to this post saying, "There's not a lot there to get hopeful about." But in our call this morning, Pollan clearly indicated a more positive attitude, saying Vilsack is turning out to be a "big surprise." After his meetings in DC, Pollan indicated that he would be ready to report to The Richmond Forum audience on the "state of the movement" and the "potential for reform."

On program night, Marion Nestle will take the stage first and speak from a "hard science" standpoint—nutrition, food safety, labeling, etc. Pollan will then approach the subject from a political and agricultural standpoint. Then the two will address questions collected from the audience during intermission.

This is really going to be a great evening and we look forward to seeing you there!

Condoleezza Rice Loves Led Zeppelin?

Watch Condoleezza Rice on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night. The former Secretary of State will be addressing The Richmond Forum next season on April 10, 2010.

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

What a Night with Terry & Howie!

This had to be one of the most fun Forum programs I've attended. Football legends Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long kept everyone in the Landmark Theater laughing uproariously for two hours straight! Sharing stories about topics as wide ranging as their favorite game moments to underwear to Holy Water, it was absolutely impossible to predict where their dialogue would go next.

As easy as it was to be thoroughly entertained by Terry and Howie's banter and storytelling, program moderator Ben Hamlin did a great job circling the conversation around throughout the evening and drawing out the guys' opinions on important topics and current issues in football.

My cheeks may be sore from laughing so much last night, but my brain is feeling the effects of the program, too. You didn't need to be a football expert to be completely engaged and entertained by this program, and in fact, not knowing a lot about football history may have made the program even more interesting for me. There are a number of topics that were discussed last night that I want to learn more about and talk over with some of my friends who are more knowledgeable about the game and its history, such as:

-When Terry Bradshaw started playing football, he made $25,000 a year and got a $100,000 signing bonus that he spread out over 10 years. Additionally, at that time, all the players worked some type of job during the off-season. Terry worked at jobs as varied as used car salesman to fishing guide to working on a pipeline, then took the field again each year to make sports history. How did football go from there to Albert Haynesworth's recent $100 million dollar contract with the Redskins?

-I learned that there are many, many former NFL players who are suffering from injuries they sustained during their careers, yet they can't afford surgeries they need. Terry and Howie shared that just between the two of them, they have had 20 surgeries for football-related injuries...and those are only the surgeries after they retired! While they are in the position that getting the medical care they need is not an issue, both men made the case that more has to be done to help other former players--by the leagues, the players' union, and people like themselves who are in a position to contribute--so these former players can get the medical care they need.

-A member of the audience asked a question about the Rooney Rule, which I need to look up and learn more about. The question led both Terry and Howie to talk a bit about the depth of coaching talent in football and the importance of moving past the "good old boy" network where the same coach might bounce from team to team for years, even if he doesn't have a great record, a practice which doesn't leave enough opportunity for new talent to rise up.


And, interspersed with hilarious tangents and stories, there were many more game-related issues discussed and expanded on by Terry and Howie. The rapport you see between these two on Fox on game days is definitely genuine, and it was a real treat to see two friends have so much fun on The Forum stage, and to get to go along for the wild ride!

We'd like to hear what you thought of the program. You can share your comments here on the blog, start a topic on the Online Forum, or see what fans are saying on our Facebook. Thanks for your support!

Forum Executive Director Interviewed for Comcast Local Edition

The Richmond Forum's Executive Director, Bill Chapman, was recently interviewed by Antoinette Essa for Comcast Local Edition about the exciting upcoming 2009-1010 season. The interview will begin airing on the local segment of CNN Headline News later this month, but you can preview it here!

How To Get Tickets To Forum Programs

Demand for tickets for our upcoming March and April programs has been very high, but there are some ways to increase your chances of being able to get tickets for these Forum events.

The March 21st program featuring legendary athletes Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long is sold-out right now, but because subscribers can donate tickets they cannot use back to The Richmond Forum, our available ticket inventory does fluctuate, and often a call into the office at (804) 330-3993, particularly the few days just prior to a program, will be worthwhile as we will have a few tickets available for sale on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets for the April 18th program In Search of Real Food, featuring best-selling authors on food and nutrition, Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle, will go on sale beginning at 9am March 30th. To receive an e-mail notification about ticket availability, be sure to join our email list, or you can call the office at (804) 330-3993 to request to be added to the email list, or to inquire about ticket availability after March 30th.

We recently announced our fantastic 2009-2010 season line-up of speakers. If you are a current subscriber, don't forget to renew your subscription prior to the March 31st renewal deadline. If you are not yet a subscriber, but would like to be, join our e-mail list or call the office at (804) 330-3993. New subscriptions will become available beginning on May 1st.

We always do our best to make sure every seat in the Landmark Theater is filled on program nights, and we want as many people to be able to join us as possible. If you are a subscriber and you know you can't use tickets for an upcoming program, please consider donating your tickets back to The Forum so someone can attend in your place. Thank you!

Robbin Thompson to Provide Music for March 21st Program With Terry Bradshaw & Howie Long

Virginia recording artist Robbin Thompson will provide the musical entertainment before Terry and Howie take the stage on March 21st, as well as during intermission. Robbin has played in bands with Bruce Springsteen ("Steel Mill"), written songs with the likes of Eagles' bassist Timothy B. Schmit and Phil Vassar, won The American Song Festival twice and The International Songwriting Contest in 2007. He has also toured around the world, most recently Denmark and Sweden. His music has also been heard in commercials and films, as well as campaigns to fight human trafficking in Southeast Asia.

We look forward to welcoming Robbin back to the stage of The Richmond Forum. His performance will begin at 7:25 p.m., so plan to get there a little early!

The Krueger Fund Helps The Richmond Forum Extend Its Mission Into Schools

An exciting program for area students was recently funded in part by The Ralph F. Krueger, Jr. Memorial Fund. The Krueger Fund, which is funded solely by donations from Richmond Forum subscribers, supports and advances the mission of The Richmond Forum to bring leaders from the world stage to our stage in Richmond to expand horizons, stimulate conversation and inspire our community, with a particular emphasis on helping to bring educational, inspirational speakers together with students throughout the greater Richmond community.

On Thursday, February 12, Meadowbrook High School hosted the 2009 International Baccalaureate Forum. Thanks to a grant from the Krueger Fund, Meadowbrook invited Morehouse College graduate and Harvard law student, Darrell Bennett, Jr., to be the keynote speaker for the evening.

An IB program graduate himself, at the age of 19 Mr. Bennett authored a book entitled Daring to Be Different: 25 Tips for a Life of Success. Citing examples from his own life and lessons he learned from his parents about the keys to being a successful person, Mr. Bennett's presentation highlighted how IB helps students develop the skills they need to be successful in college and beyond. Mr. Bennet also spoke at the IB World Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, his comments can be viewed on YouTube.

The feedback we've heard from students and teachers at Meadowbrook has been fantastic, and The Forum was thrilled to be able to support this program through the Krueger Fund!

Get Your Questions in Early for Terry and Howie!

What would you like to ask Terry Bradshaw and Howie Long when they come to The Richmond Forum on March 21st?

Something about their early careers in the NFL? Or about their experiences in Hollywood? (Did you know Terry has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?) Or would you like to ask Terry a question about his singing career? Or would you rather ask something related to the issues facing professional football today?

As always, we'll be collecting audience questions at intermission, but you can also get your question in early. Just post it here as a comment or email it.