Tag Archive for: 614

This is the tenth of an ongoing series of assignments that I had for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This was a very meaningful project for me, as I too was adopted, but I had found a forever family when I was only months old.  Many of the children I documented in this series were not so fortunate, spending years in a system that passed them from one home to another until DTFA stepped in and helped them find a stable home life and loving forever family.


Maci Kean came through the The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and with over 100,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, organizations like the Foundation can play a crucial role in placing kids, especially considering 20,000 children in foster care will never be adopted. Older children and those with special needs often face difficulty finding adoptive homes. A recent survey taken by The Foundation revealed that 80 percent of Americans considering adoption would look at kids foster care.

Maci lost her father when she was two, and her mother at 11, both to addiction. Growing up, her life was anything but stable. Continuous drug use and domestic violence marred her life for years. A high fever took her hearing as a toddler, leaving her deaf. School was an additional source of stress for Maci, where she was constantly bullied. She missed days of school at a time, as her mother was rarely awake to put her on the bus—much less feed her breakfast or get her dressed. Placed in the temporary custody of her aunt while her mother served a jail sentence for drug-related charges, Maci’s life began to unravel. Life with her aunt lacked the love she had known from her mother, and she quickly began acting out as a result. After Maci’s mother completed her sentence, she went into a half-way home where she died of a drug overdose. Suddenly, Maci’s temporary placement with her aunt became long term, and the grief over the loss of her mother created a downward spiral—and compensating negative behaviors—that her aunt was not willing to work through.

When Maci was 15, her aunt released her into the foster system, a move that only increased her feelings of isolation. She was placed in a strict group home that provided the basics for life: food, shelter, and medical care. According to her adoptive mother Gigi, what it didn’t have was more important. “Even though she had safety and medical care, she didn’t have love. If these children don’t learn to function in a family with love, they will be forever impacted,” she told Reader’s Digest. Maci’s adoptive father, Chris, adds, “It was a top-notch group home, but group homes are made to address the needs of all the children—not as individuals. At an emotional level, they cannot meet the bonding needs of each child.” There are many things adoptive parents wish others knew, because the process of adoption is so complex.

A junior in high school, Maci was quickly nearing what is called “aging out” of the system; when children turn 18, they are no longer considered to be adoptable by the state. Maci had already given up hope of being adopted, and redid her paperwork to reflect her dashed hope: Maci changed her permanency plan to include only foster care, not adoption.

Maci didn’t know it at the time, but her future mother was already in her life on a daily basis. Gigi Kean worked at Maci’s high school office. “We all knew her story,” she says. “I never saw her as a pity case—I always saw her as this fiery, bright, and intelligent girl. I was ignorant about foster children, I never even considered that she might want parents, or to be adopted. I admired her strength, and talked to her whenever I could.”

It was only when Maci showed Gigi her Forever Family video—she made the video with the help of the Dave Thomas Foundation to assist her in being placed—that Gigi understood the depth of Maci’s yearning for a real family. “She told me, “I just need to be realistic, no one wants to adopt me. Who would want me?,” Gigi recalls. It was then that the wheels in Gigi’s mind began to turn, and adopting Maci was all she could think about. After speaking to her husband Chris, the plan to adopt Maci was officially set in motion, and it was only a matter of time before they became a family of five. The Keans’ two biological children, Carolyn and Christopher, were completely on board with gaining a new sister.

Initially, Maci was hesitant to trust that her dream of having a family would come true, but on June 8th, only six weeks before turning 18, she officially took the last name Kean, and was adopted. Maci’s new mother is quick to point out that adopting a child at any age is important. ” A child’s need for love, acceptance, and the knowledge they will never be given up is the same at 7 or 17,” she explains. “Age or special needs should never be a deterrent, people just need to understand that these children come with trauma, and love is the most healing thing you can offer,” she says.


A video of her life’s story can be found on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6mU9hQbC1E


The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Kean family, Chris (dad), Giggi (mom), Maci, Carolyn and Christopher photographed Sunday, March 25, 2018 at their Miami home. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)


Considering adoption?  Please check out this guide

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the Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium sponsored by the Ohio Museums Association.

The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Ohio Statehood Day Awards Luncheon photographed Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at the Ohio Statehouse. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

The Ohio Museums Association was proud to be a partner for Statehood Day 2018.

Fellow history advocates gathered at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus for the annual Statehood Day advocacy event on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

They met with state legislators, networked with fellow history professionals and found out which local history organizations were awarded Ohio History Fund grants to support their local, regional and statewide projects, programs and events related to the state’s history.

This year’s event featured Christopher W. Wilson, Director, Experience and Program Design and Director, Program in African-American History and Culture at the National Museum of American History, as the keynote speaker at lunchtime. Attendees were encouraged to schedule a meeting that morning with their state representative and/or state senator to discuss public policy issues relating to history and historic preservation.

The Ohio History Connection also announced its 2018 History Fund grant awards, funded through income tax donations from Ohioans. Licking County elected leaders were recognized with the Ohio History Leadership Award, presented annually to elected officials who have “gone above and beyond” in promoting Ohio history.

Statehood Day was sponsored by Ohio History ConnectionHeritage Ohio, the Ohio Archaeological Council, the Ohio Local History AllianceOhio Humanities, the Ohio Historical Records Advisory BoardPreservation Ohio, the Ohio Travel Association, the Ohio Museums Association, the Ohio Academy of History, the Ohio Council for Social Studies and the Society of Ohio Archivists.

Product images for Ares Gear Aegis Belts photographed Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

 

Product images for Ares Gear photographed Wednesday, February 21, 2018. (James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Product images for Ares Gear photographed Wednesday, February 21, 2018. (James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Product images for Ares Gear photographed Wednesday, February 21, 2018. (James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Product images for Ares Gear photographed Wednesday, February 21, 2018. (James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Product images for Ares Gear photographed Wednesday, February 21, 2018. (James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

OWU Students participate with Erin Fletcher, Director of The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan University Campus.

The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Richard M. Ross Museum of Art photographed Tuesday, February 20, 2018 on the Ohio Wesleyan Campus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

 

The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection.

The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT) Opening Ceremony photographed Saturday, February 17, 2018 at the Ohio History Connection. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

The Ohio History Connection (OHC) in partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library, the Somali Community Association of Ohio, Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (ETSS), the Iraqi Association of Ohio and the Bhutanese Nepali Community Center (BNCC) launched a two-year IMLS: Activating Community Opportunities Using Museums/Libraries as Assets Grant entitled the Emerging New American Community Team (ENACT). The goal of the project is to connect aspiring Central Ohio New American leaders with established community resources and fundamental civic education in order to build a base of knowledge that empowers them to become advocates for the Central Ohio New American community and in doing so, increase their sense of belonging in the larger Central Ohio community.

The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace.

 

The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The Komen Columbus Spare Nothing for the Cure event photographed Sunday, February 11, 2018 at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center.

 

The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) The opening preview of the Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories Exhibit photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at the Ohio History Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

 

During the 40-year period of the Great Migration (1900s–1940s) African Americans moved from the South to the North to escape Jim Crow era infringements and pursue greater political, economic and social opportunities. In Columbus, each decade witnessed growth in the size of its black population, resulting in changing demographics throughout the city.

In 1940, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), with the United States Housing Authority (USHA), developed 426 dwelling units in 33 buildings to provide decent housing for blacks in Columbus, Ohio, replacing an area known as the “Blackberry Patch” on the East Side. The development was named for pastor and activist, Rev. James P. Poindexter. Its residents would be proud, aspiring and secure in bright and modern abodes. Many who forged paths north to Columbus during the Great Migration would find their dreams realized at Poindexter Village.

Over the next 70 years the Near East Side was affected by construction of the Interstate Highway system, urban flight and housing and employment opportunities offered by integration. Within Poindexter Village, conditions deteriorated. Despite capital improvements, minor repairs were generally halted, security became problematic and the homes of Poindexter were targeted for demolition and redevelopment.

The exhibit Poindexter Village: A Portrait in Stories at the Ohio History Center is funded in part by the Gordon Chandler Memorial Fund of The Columbus Foundation.

 

Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus.

Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366) Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Students and faculty of the KIPP Columbus Schools photographed Thursday, February 8, 2018 at KIPP Columbus. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The New Albany Community Foundation’s The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Three Generals – General Michael Hayden, Former Director of the CIA and The National Security Agency, General Stanley A. McChrystal, Former Commander of U.S. and International Forces in Afghanistan and General Peter Pace, USMC, Retired and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (2005-2007), in a panel discussion moderated by CNN’s Dr. Fareed Zakaria,  photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center in New Albany, Ohio.

 

Jack Kessler speaks with patrons before the start of the Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Jack Kessler speaks with patrons before the start of the Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Three Generals.

Les Wexner introduces the Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Les Wexner introduces the Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace.

Les Wexner introduces the Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

Les Wexner introduces the Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace.

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The Jefferson Series Presents an evening with Generals Michael Hayden, Stanley A. McChrystal, and Peter Pace photographed Thursday, February 1, 2018 at the McCoy Center. (© James D. DeCamp | http://JamesDeCamp.com | 614-367-6366)

The New Albany Community Foundation convened onstage together for the first time General Michael Hayden, General Stanley McChrystal and General Peter Pace for a national security panel discussion moderated by CNN’s Dr. Fareed Zakaria. With more than 100 years of service and 12 stars among them, the conversation provided rare insight into American foreign policy, national security and global affairs.

The event, which sold out in record time, also hosted over 100 veterans, active-duty service men and women and ROTC, seated onstage, to hear the Generals captivate the audience with a stimulating, provocative conversation based on their collective experience and insights.

The evening’s discussion was timely as well, as central Ohio and the nation look forward to the opening of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum this summer on the Scioto peninsula in downtown Columbus. As one of the evening’s sponsors, NVMM will recognize the sacrifices of those who serve or have served as well as veterans’ families.

Zakaria skillfully guided the Generals through topics such as the United States’ role in the midst of shifting global politics, Russia’s intentions and interference in the 2016 Presidential election, China’s rise, President Trump’s handling of North Korea, the Iran nuclear deal and more. Zakaria encouraged the audience and the speakers to treat the discussion as if it were a National Security Council meeting, providing context to the discussion.

While all three Generals expressed both concern and optimism across the many topics, they also stressed the need for citizen action and engagement. Said McChrystal, “If the United States, and I paraphrase, is to die, we commit national suicide. That was Abraham Lincoln, in 1838, and he was predicting things we ought to look in the mirror about right now.”

 

Michael Vincent Hayden is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Hayden currently co-chairs the Bipartisan Policy Center‘s Electric Grid Cyber Security Initiative. In 2017, Hayden became a national security analyst for CNN.

He was Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) from 1999 to 2005. During his tenure as director, he oversaw the controversial NSA surveillance of technological communications between persons in the United States and alleged foreign terroristgroups, which resulted in the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy.

On April 21, 2005, then Lt. Gen Hayden, was confirmed by the United States Senate as the first Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence and awarded his fourth star-making him “the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the armed forces”. He served in this position under DNI John Negroponte until May 26, 2006.

On May 8, 2006, Hayden was nominated for the position of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency following the May 5 resignation of Porter J. Goss, and on May 23 the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence voted 12–3 to send the nomination to the Senate floor. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 26 by a vote of 78–15. On May 30, 2006, and again the following day at the CIA lobby with President George W. Bush in attendance, Hayden was sworn in as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Hayden speaking at the National Security Law Journal symposium on cybersecurity April 2, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

On July 1, 2008, Hayden retired from the Air Force after over 41 years of service and continued to serve as Director of the CIA until February 12, 2009. He received an honorary doctorate from The Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. in 2009. He is currently a principal at the Chertoff Group, a security consultancy co-founded by former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. Hayden also serves as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at George Mason University‘s Schar School of Policy and Government. He was elected to the Board of Directors of Motorola Solutions effective January 4, 2011.

Stanley Allen McChrystal is a retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the mid-2000s. His last assignment was as Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009 and as Commander of JSOC from 2003 to 2008, where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, but also criticized for his alleged role in the cover-up of the Pat Tillman friendly fire incident. McChrystal was reportedly known for saying and thinking what other military leaders were afraid to; this was one of the reasons cited for his appointment to lead all forces in Afghanistan. He held the post from June 15, 2009, to June 23, 2010.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates described McChrystal as “perhaps the finest warrior and leader of men in combat I ever met.” But following unflattering remarks about Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials attributed to McChrystal and his aides in a Rolling Stone article, McChrystal was recalled to Washington, D.C., where President Barack Obama accepted his resignation as commander in Afghanistan. His command of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan was assumed by the deputy commander, British Army General Sir Nicholas Parker, pending the confirmation of a replacement. Obama named General David Petraeus as McChrystal’s replacement; Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate and officially assumed command on June 30. Days after being relieved of his duties in Afghanistan, McChrystal announced his retirement. Since 2010, he has taught courses in international relations at Yale University as a Senior Fellow of the University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs.

Peter Pace is a United States Marine Corps general who served as the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pace was the first Marine officer appointed as chairman, and the first Marine officer to be appointed to three different four-star assignments; the others as the 6th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2001, to August 12, 2005, and as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Southern Command from September 8, 2000, to September 30, 2001. Appointed chairman by President George W. Bush, Pace succeeded U.S. Air Force General Richard Myers on September 30, 2005.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced on June 8, 2007, that he would advise the President to not renominate Pace for a second term. Pace retired from the Marine Corps and stepped down as chairman on October 1, 2007. He was replaced by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Mullen.

Fareed Rafiq Zakaria is an American journalist and author. He is the host of CNN‘s Fareed Zakaria GPS and writes a weekly column for The Washington Post. He has been a columnist for Newsweek, editor of Newsweek International, and an editor at large of Time.

The 2017 Skylight Financial Awards Banquet photographed Friday, January 12, 2018 at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris for Siders Photography.

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