Episode 91 Dr. Betsy Boze - ”Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home”

Academic and Higher Education Administrator Dr. Betsy Boze sits down with Jeffrey Goodman, Director of Marketing and Development for the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana, to answer the following questions:

 

0:25 1. Betsy, you are one of our great local success stories. Graduating from Byrd High School, you went on to become (to name but a couple of the prestigious positions you’ve held), the president of the College of the Bahamas and CEO and Dean of Kent State University at Stark. 

 

Through our discussion today, I want to learn about you but I also want to lean on you to get your perspective on a number of things Shreveport-Bossier related.

 

Let’s start today with a fun fact that most people probably don’t know. In 1970, you were responsible for the first recorded flying of the Earth Day flag. Tell me about this.

 

2:49 2. As I said I want to lean on you for your perspective, as someone who has lived in eight countries what do you think is holding us back from becoming one of the next, great medium-sized cities in America?

 

4:54 3. What gives you hope that we’re headed in the right direction as a community?

 

6:45 4. Not too different from my second question. But if someone came to you and said, you can have any three new additions to the Shreveport-Bossier community if your children and any children they may have will commit to stay and live in Shreveport-Bossier, what would those three additions or changes be?

 

9:26 5. Two major themes of this podcast are who are we as a community and why do so many people in this community struggle with Shreveport-Bossier as their city and home. I’d love to hear your perspective on both of these questions.

 

What is our identity in Shreveport-Bossier, in your opinion?

 

11:56 6. To what do you attribute the prevailing negative self-image we often find among the people who live here?

 

15:07 7. Is there anything else you would like to share or talk about?