MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A local community organization invites the public to attend an upcoming informational session featuring panelists sharing insights about topics such as housing, economic development and voting rights in an effort to improve community engagement locally.
The Horizon Group, a nonpartisan organization founded by former Murfreesboro City Councilman and Vice Mayor Ron Washington, is hosting the Community Engagement Collaborative starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 22, in the Washington Theatre at Patterson Park Community Center, 521 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Horizon Group volunteer Gloria Bonner, longtime educator and dean emeritus of education from Middle Tennessee State University, will moderate the panel, which will feature representatives from the Murfreesboro Planning Department, Murfreesboro Housing Authority, Rutherford County Property Assessor’s Office, MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center and Rutherford County Election Commission.
The event, which carries the theme “We All Rise When We Lift Others Up,” is free and open to the public. Audience members will be allowed to submit questions for the panel for a Q&A session following the presentations.
“The purpose of the Horizon Group is to develop and support projects that promote personal growth and civic engagement across our community,” said Washington, who served on the City Council from 2000-2016 and is a retired executive from Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corp.
“It’s clear that our community is very prosperous, growing and thriving in many areas. But it’s also clear that a certain amount of apathy has developed about how decisions are being made by our elected leaders, governmental agencies and business community that affect many citizens, from infrastructure to housing to voting rights.
“The best way to combat that apathy is information and engagement, so we hope the community will take advantage of this opportunity to hear from those with deep expertise and insight about these topics.”
The event is cosponsored by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department.
