Lunch with Limerick – “Bipartisanship Happens”: How Western Governors Set an Example for the Nation’s Leaders

Featuring Executive Director of the Western Governors’ Association, Jim Ogsbury

In 2020, reasons for gloom over the state of American governance are in over-supply. People looking for a remedy for that despair may wonder where to turn. On September 25, when Patty Limerick interviewed Jim Ogsbury, the Executive Director of the Western Governors Association (WGA), the Center offered one such remedy. In a time of intense polarization and divisiveness, the Western Governors Association has charted a distinctive course in confronting serious problems and steering clear of the traps set by antagonism, grandstanding, and acrimony. In the words of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, “the states are the laboratories of democracy,” and Mr. Ogsbury has been an influential figure in those arenas of experimentation. Qualities and practices prized by the Center of the American West— robust humor and lively story-telling were featured elements of Jim Ogsbury’s comments and reflections, since they have been central to the commitment to problem-solving shared by the Western Governors, who, true to their home region, turn out to be colorful characters!

Lunch with Limerick is a one-hour virtual lunch-time series where Patty Limerick interviews a range of guests on current issues and a variety of topics relevant to the West and beyond

We will work with ADA Compliance to attempt to fulfill any disability requests for ASL interpreting and/or real-time captioning for these events. Such requests should be made at least seven days in advance of the event. Requests received less than 48 hours prior to the event cannot be guaranteed.

To make a request, please email admin@centerwest.org or adacoordinator@colorado.edu.