ChangeMakers

By: cityCURRENT Jeremy C. Park Andrew Bartolotta
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  • Summary

  • The ChangeMakers Podcast presented by cityCURRENT shares personal stories and insights from those who are giving back and making a difference so we can learn and do the same. We cover life lessons, business advice, passion, and purpose. Share the ways you're making a difference using #changemakers.
    e.g. Copyright 2018-2024: cityCURRENT
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Episodes
  • Mike Pohlman of Pickering Firm, Inc. reflects on 45+ years of leadership and service in the community

    Mike Pohlman of Pickering Firm, Inc. reflects on 45+ years of leadership and service in the community
    Mar 28 2025

    Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Mike Pohlman, who has been a driving force at Pickering Firm, Inc. for more than 45 years, shaping the company's growth, culture and leadership. After graduating from Christian Brothers College (now Christian Brothers University) in 1979 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he joined Pickering and quickly established himself as a leader. From his early days as an energy engineer to his transition into project management, Mike developed a deep understanding of the industry and a leadership style rooted in collaboration, humility, and purpose. His influence helped guide Pickering through transformative milestones, including its transition to an employee-owned firm and a renewed commitment to the company’s core values of Service and Good Work.

    As CEO since 2002, Mike has led the firm through significant expansion and record-breaking growth while fostering an environment where employees and clients thrive. Known for his dedication to both the business and the people who make it possible, he has always viewed Pickering as more than just a company—it’s a second home. Outside the office, Mike enjoys golf, Memphis basketball, and spending time with his wife, Catherine, their four children, and six grandchildren. As he prepares for his retirement in June 2025, his legacy of leadership, integrity, and vision will continue to shape Pickering for years to come.

    During the interview, Mike talks about his family's move from Cincinnati, Ohio to Memphis, Tennessee in 1962 and how they've been deeply rooted in the Mid-South ever since. He shares some of the traditions and lessons learned growing up as one of seven boys, and talks about how those experiences have shaped and continue to shape him personally and professionally. Mike discusses how he got into engineering and why he chose to start his career with Pickering Firm right out of college. He talks about his early years at Pickering Firm and how the company has grown over the years, how his career evolved through different leadership roles and positions to eventually become President and CEO, and where the company now stands as he gets ready to transition into retirement. Mike shares a number of leadership lessons and talks about the importance of community engagement and giving back, and how that focus on making a difference will continue, as he continues to serve on a number of boards. It's an interview that touches on the importance of family, faith, community service and the rare experiences of building a 45+ year legacy of leadership at one company with a heart for coaching and serving people.

    To learn more about Pickering Firm, Inc. visit https://www.pickeringfirm.com.

    The ChangeMakers Podcast is produced by cityCURRENT and powered by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services.

    Be inspired by more positive media by following cityCURRENT here: www.cityCURRENT.com
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    51 mins
  • Why Community Support is Essential for Survivor Recovery with Kathy Mull - Executive Director of The Cocoon

    Why Community Support is Essential for Survivor Recovery with Kathy Mull - Executive Director of The Cocoon
    Mar 7 2025
    This episode of the ChangeMakers podcast, produced by CityCURRENT and powered by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services, features an insightful conversation with Kathy Mull, the Executive Director of The Cocoon, a comprehensive domestic and sexual violence agency located in Wood County, Ohio. Hosted by Jeremy C. Park, the episode delves into the critical issues of domestic and intimate partner relationship violence, highlighting the work of The Cocoon and its innovative programs like Champions of Change.Kathy Mull's Journey and Inspiration:Kathy Mull shares her background growing up in a small town in Ohio, which instilled in her the importance of community care but also exposed her to hidden struggles within families.Despite initial reservations about social work, influenced by her mother's psychology background and her own observations of unhealthy relationships among her peers in high school, Kathy was drawn to the profession as a way to support survivors of violence.She emphasizes that her understanding of social work evolved beyond child protective services to encompass a broad spectrum of support for individuals in need.Kathy defines a social worker as someone who walks alongside individuals during difficult times, opens doors, provides support in a safe space, and fosters community.She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Toledo and a Master of Social Work from Eastern Michigan and has over 22 years of experience serving survivors.Kathy is one of a small number of individuals who completed the Advocacy Learning Center course through Praxis International, underscoring her specialized training and expertise in supporting survivors.The Cocoon: Providing Safety, Healing, and Justice:Established in 2005, The Cocoon provides shelter and advocacy services to survivors of various forms of violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sex trafficking, stalking, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, The Cocoon serves Wood County, a largely rural area where resources for survivors were limited before its establishment.The impetus for The Cocoon's creation was heightened by four domestic violence homicides in the community, which underscored the need for local support.The Cocoon offers 24/7 support, 365 days a year, always at no cost to the survivor.The organization's mission is to provide safety, healing, and justice for survivors and all those affected by abuse, while also engaging in educational outreach.Kathy notes the significant increase in demand for services during the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased isolation and other factors, and highlights that the healing process for survivors is now often longer and more intensive.The Cocoon serves an average of 850 to 900 survivors a year locally.Champions of Change: Engaging the Workplace:Champions of Change is an innovative program developed by The Cocoon to partner with local businesses and organizations to support employees experiencing or at risk of domestic and sexual violence.The program aims to expand the safety net for survivors and prevent violence by creating safe workplaces and providing resources and education to employees.Recognizing that employees often confide in coworkers or supervisors before seeking formal help, the program equips workplaces to offer initial support and connect individuals with resources.The program also addresses the issue of survivors losing their jobs due to the impact of abuse on their work performance or abusers interfering at the workplace.Champions of Change provides businesses with workshops and resources to educate stakeholders and employees, fostering a corporate culture that does not tolerate violence.Kathy highlights the importance of a partnership approach, tailoring the program to the specific needs and culture of each organization.The program emphasizes proactive engagement rather than solely reacting to identified problems, sending a message that the company cares about its employees' well-being.A key aspect of the program involves training leadership and HR personnel first to equip them with the tools and language to support employees who disclose abuse.Kathy shares red flags that employers can be aware of, such as changes in work performance, increased absenteeism, implausible excuses, lateness, eagerness to leave work, changes in demeanor, and visible signs of physical abuse.The program provides employers with strategies for intervention and problem-solving to support affected employees while maintaining business productivity.Lessons Learned and the Impact of the Work:Kathy emphasizes that every organization is different, necessitating a tailored approach to partnership.Overcoming employer reluctance by framing the program as proactive support rather than an admission of problems is crucial.The transformative impact of the program on workplace culture and the lives of survivors has been significant, exemplified...
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    52 mins
  • How Authenticity, Consistency, and Proximity Create Opportunity to Transform Lives with Monnie Bush - Founder & CEO, V1CTORY PROJECT

    How Authenticity, Consistency, and Proximity Create Opportunity to Transform Lives with Monnie Bush - Founder & CEO, V1CTORY PROJECT
    Feb 5 2025

    During the interview, Monnie talks about how growing up in Dayton, Ohio, and spending summers working on a family farm in Kentucky, picking tobacco and baling hay, helped form a work ethic that continues to drive success today. He talks about father's service and his family's legacy of service and how that led him to serve in the US Marine Corps, then seek to serve locally as a police officer. After a distinguished 15-year career in law enforcement, Monnie was recognized with prestigious state and local awards, including multi Officer of the Year and Medals of Valor. Monnie shares how an accident and injury led him to pivot and become a Vice President of a private investigations firm, spearheading nationwide investigations into corporate espionage, fraud, and internal theft, but then how his faith and heart led him to launch V1CTORY PROJECT to help the very youth and families he got to know while in law enforcement, but didn't have the ability to effectively serve and support. He talks candidly about the challenges of being a police officer and yet the importance of the role and power of relationships to support the community. He then talks in-depth about V1CTORY PROJECT, the early days and the growth to now being able to serve and support one hundred youth across two campuses.

    Monnie shares the V1CTORY PROJECT model and some of the valuable lessons learned along they way serving disengaged youth, and giving them something to believe in, to fight for and want to be part of and attend. He shares how accountability is a love language and how Authenticity, Consistency, and Proximity create Opportunity. Monnie also talks about how this work has impacted his own family, as a husband to Kelly and father of four sons. It's an important conversation centered on how we can more effectively engage our youth, live out our faith, uplift our community, and create lasting, positive change.

    Visit https://victoryproject.org/ to learn more about V1CTORY PROJECT.

    The ChangeMakers Podcast is produced by cityCURRENT and powered by Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services.

    Be inspired by more positive media by following cityCURRENT here: www.cityCURRENT.com
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    54 mins
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