Hello and welcome to That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today's episode is all about the middle part of our official Parks department's name – I'm talking of course about the arts! Live theater, community performances and the future of one of Auburn's most beloved downtown gathering places.

Today I'm joined by two people who help make so much of that work happen: Allison Hyde, the City of Auburn's Arts Supervisor, and Jim Kleinbeck, our Theater Program Coordinator.

Allison helps lead the City's arts programming, from public art and gallery exhibitions to events, performances and opportunities that connect residents with creativity throughout Auburn. And Jim works closely with our theater programs, performers, directors, volunteers and audiences to help bring live productions to life. Not to mention the summer camps with Auburn's youngest thespians.

And of course, this is such a fun time to have this conversation, because there is a lot happening.

BRAVO is currently preparing for Auburn Community Jr. Players' production of Disney's Newsies Jr., with performances coming up Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. at Auburn Riverside Theater.

We're also looking ahead to the new Auburn Avenue Theater project downtown. For so many years, the Auburn Avenue Theater was a place where people laughed, listened, watched films, performed, gathered and made memories. After the original theater was damaged and ultimately came down, we've been busy working and building toward something very meaningful: a new theater that honors that history while giving Auburn a modern performing arts space for the future.

This project is about more than just a building, of course. It's about downtown, about local artists, about families, about young performers getting their first chance on stage, and about creating a place where our community can come together again. And it should be opening sometime next year!

Listen to the full episode and consider liking and subscribing!

Hello and welcome to That's So Auburn! I'm Nancy Backus, Mayor of the City of Auburn, and today's episode is about government relations, which, I know, may sound like a very official title. But really, it's about relationships and advocacy, problem-solving, and making sure Auburn's voice is heard in the rooms where decisions are being made.

Today I'm joined by Megan Utemei, the City of Auburn's Government Relations Policy Advisor. Megan works closely with me, our City Council, city leadership, regional partners, state legislators, federal offices and community organizations to help advance Auburn's priorities. Megan began at the City just over two months ago and she stepped into a brand new role at our city.

And it couldn't have come at a better time, because the work she does matters. Whether we're talking about transportation, public safety, housing, infrastructure, economic development, or funding for major city projects, Megan's role is to help connect Auburn's needs with the people and resources that can help move them forward.

Megan brings 10 years of experience working on federal and regional issues. A major part of her career was spent working with U.S. Senator Patty Murray's office in both Washington, D.C. and Seattle, where she helped secure federal funding and support for local elected officials, community-based organizations and stakeholders across King County.

She has also worked on immigration issues as a congressional liaison to the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. Megan earned her Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, focusing on policy implementation at the federal, state and local levels through leadership. And outside of work, Megan was born and raised on the islands of Guam and Palau, and enjoys karaoke, reading, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

We welcome Matthew Colpitts back to the show to talk about emergencies (again)! Matthew and his team are hard at work prepping for the summer season, which includes smoke and wildfires, drought conditions, and oh yeah, this little thing called the World Cup... With games scheduled to start in June through July in our region, we're expecting signficant traffic impact, yes even all the way down here in Auburn.

Matthew Colpitts brings more than 20 years of experience in emergency services, emergency management, safety, security, and leadership. His work has included emergency planning, incident response, preparedness training, community safety, and crisis recovery.

Matthew earned his doctorate from Fielding Graduate University, where his research focused on emergency management in educational institutions. He is also a Certified Protection Professional through ASIS and holds TEEX's Infrastructure Protection Certificate, FEMA's HSEEP certificate, FEMA's Professional Development Series certificate, and several advanced incident command and emergency management certifications.

In addition to his professional work, Matthew has been active in local and community organizations, including service, civic, and arts-focused groups. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, learning new things, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Dungeons & Dragons. He is also a proud first-generation college graduate from rural Maine and, at home, is part of an adorable family that includes a cat named Mrs. Scraggles.