feed03.fireside.fm Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:21:19 -0600 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Big Towns https://bigtowns.fireside.fm Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:13:52 -0600 You’ve heard of middle America. Big Towns is a conversation for mid-sized America: places too big to be small towns and too small to be big cities. A two-day summit in Lafayette, Louisiana, Big Towns brings together leaders from around the country, hosting conversations with big thinkers about mid-sized city stuff like housing, healthcare, work and quality of life. We help mid-sized cities find ideas that fit. en-us © 2025 The Current Media Inc. episodic Where mid-sized cities find ideas that fit The Current Media Inc. You’ve heard of middle America. Big Towns is a conversation for mid-sized America: places too big to be small towns and too small to be big cities. A two-day summit in Lafayette, Louisiana, Big Towns brings together leaders from around the country, hosting conversations with big thinkers about mid-sized city stuff like housing, healthcare, work and quality of life. We help mid-sized cities find ideas that fit. no mid-sized cities, American cities, economic development, workforce development The Current Media Inc. johannadivine@gmail.com Episode 3: Zoning, Banks and Goat Rodeos: What it takes to lead a Big Town https://bigtowns.fireside.fm/3 accafa2f-b45e-453e-9cbb-64a9207c2bfe Thu, 17 Jul 2025 15:30:00 -0500 The Current Media Inc. full 1 The Current Media Inc. The third and final part of our conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly (including audience Q&A) was recorded April 24, 2025 at Big Towns in Lafayette, Louisiana. 20:46 no In this third and final part of our Big Towns conversation between Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and journalist Dean Baquet, we take more audience questions about the economic challenges faced by Chattanooga and how they're making progress. Kelly discusses the impact of losing Chattanooga's manufacturing base, which led to diversification efforts starting in the 1990s. He talks about the importance of local control and the differences between council-manager and strong mayor forms of city government. Kelly talks community banks, the need for more localized capital, challenges around affordable housing and how zoning reform is a double-edged sword. This final part of our Big Towns conversation emphasizes the need for creative local leadership to solve the problems that confound most mid-sized cities. Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly. bigtowns, mid-sized, city, chattanooga, mayor, economy, housing, journalism, leadership, zoning, capital In this third and final part of our Big Towns conversation between Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and journalist Dean Baquet, we take more audience questions about the economic challenges faced by Chattanooga and how they're making progress. Kelly discusses the impact of losing Chattanooga's manufacturing base, which led to diversification efforts starting in the 1990s. He talks about the importance of local control and the differences between council-manager and strong mayor forms of city government. Kelly talks community banks, the need for more localized capital, challenges around affordable housing and how zoning reform is a double-edged sword. This final part of our Big Towns conversation emphasizes the need for creative local leadership to solve the problems that confound most mid-sized cities.

Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly.

]]> In this third and final part of our Big Towns conversation between Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and journalist Dean Baquet, we take more audience questions about the economic challenges faced by Chattanooga and how they're making progress. Kelly discusses the impact of losing Chattanooga's manufacturing base, which led to diversification efforts starting in the 1990s. He talks about the importance of local control and the differences between council-manager and strong mayor forms of city government. Kelly talks community banks, the need for more localized capital, challenges around affordable housing and how zoning reform is a double-edged sword. This final part of our Big Towns conversation emphasizes the need for creative local leadership to solve the problems that confound most mid-sized cities.

Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly.

]]> https://fireside.fm/player/v2/ylB_MTlE+ZfH-OH9g ]]> Johanna Divine Christiaan Mader Dean Baquet Mayor Tim Kelly Episode 2: It’s About Agency: Turning Coca-Cola into water https://bigtowns.fireside.fm/2 9ef957e2-f254-44a5-8869-117b6e7b72fc Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:00:00 -0500 The Current Media Inc. full 1 The Current Media Inc. The second of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly, Episode 2 was recorded April 24, 2025 at Big Towns in Lafayette, Louisiana. 21:45 no This is the second of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly at the Big Towns summit in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this episode, Dean Baquet and Mayor Kelly dive deeper into Tim's lightbulb moment re: executive vs. legislative leadership, why early childhood development is a really big deal and how the Coca-Cola legacy continues to shape Chattanooga's economy. Produced by The Current. (c) 2025 The Current Media Inc. Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly. Chattanooga housing, early childhood development, public health, efficient government, philanthropy, community foundation, neighborhood services, tourism, local food movement, eviction prevention, federal support, leadership, organizational management, economic challenges. This is the second of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly at the Big Towns summit in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this episode, Dean Baquet and Mayor Kelly dive deeper into Tim's lightbulb moment re: executive vs. legislative leadership, why early childhood development is a really big deal and how the Coca-Cola legacy continues to shape Chattanooga's economy. Produced by The Current. (c) 2025 The Current Media Inc.

Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly.

]]> This is the second of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly at the Big Towns summit in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this episode, Dean Baquet and Mayor Kelly dive deeper into Tim's lightbulb moment re: executive vs. legislative leadership, why early childhood development is a really big deal and how the Coca-Cola legacy continues to shape Chattanooga's economy. Produced by The Current. (c) 2025 The Current Media Inc.

Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly.

]]> https://fireside.fm/player/v2/ylB_MTlE+MGcPTfnL ]]> Johanna Divine Christiaan Mader Dean Baquet Mayor Tim Kelly Episode 1: Eye on the Sparrow: Why divided economies fail https://bigtowns.fireside.fm/1 0eb80680-178d-4d86-8e64-e0ec3a075724 Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:00:00 -0500 The Current Media Inc. full 1 The Current Media Inc. The first of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly, Episode 1 was recorded April 24, 2025 at Big Towns in Lafayette, Louisiana. 22:20 no This is the first of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly at the Big Towns summit in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this episode, The Current's Executive Editor Christiaan Mader introduces Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly and Dean invites Mayor Kelly to riff on why the local stuff matters (a lot), what precipitated his choice to run for mayor and how the One Chattanooga plan is addressing the city's one big intractable problem. Produced by The Current. (c) 2025 The Current Media Inc. Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly. Big Towns Summit, mid-sized cities, housing, economic development, civic engagement, arts and culture, Lafayette Louisiana, Chattanooga Tennessee, fiber optics, Mayor Tim Kelly, Dean Baquet, localism, infrastructure dollars, racial inequality, workforce development. This is the first of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly at the Big Towns summit in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this episode, The Current's Executive Editor Christiaan Mader introduces Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly and Dean invites Mayor Kelly to riff on why the local stuff matters (a lot), what precipitated his choice to run for mayor and how the One Chattanooga plan is addressing the city's one big intractable problem. Produced by The Current. (c) 2025 The Current Media Inc.

Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly.

]]> This is the first of a three-part conversation between Dean Baquet and Chattanooga, Tennessee Mayor Tim Kelly at the Big Towns summit in Lafayette, Louisiana. In this episode, The Current's Executive Editor Christiaan Mader introduces Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly and Dean invites Mayor Kelly to riff on why the local stuff matters (a lot), what precipitated his choice to run for mayor and how the One Chattanooga plan is addressing the city's one big intractable problem. Produced by The Current. (c) 2025 The Current Media Inc.

Special Guests: Dean Baquet and Mayor Tim Kelly.

]]> https://fireside.fm/player/v2/ylB_MTlE+_94kg4kg ]]> Johanna Divine Christiaan Mader Dean Baquet Mayor Tim Kelly