Convener: Mary Ellen Rudolph
Tour Organizers: Carol Leimas and Helen Aronstein

The PUBLIC PROGRAMS and TOURS presented to WCC members and broader community are the public face of the organization. It is through these programs that the WCC fulfills the “educational” aspect of its mission of shaping public policy through education, advocacy and citizen participation. In conjunction with the WCC’s Civic and Public Policy committees, the Public Programs Committee plans and organizes programs, forums and conferences that highlight the diversity of the public policy issues on WCC’s agenda and that call new issues to the attention of members and the broader community.

Speakers include representatives from prominent organizations in the public, nonprofit and private sectors including public and elected officials, policy analysts, journalists, experts from academia, and authors of books on policy issues. They speak without fees as they see the WCC as an organization whose voice is respected by policy makers and civic leaders.

Recent programs include:
• Age-Friendly Cities: A Global Inititative Comes to New York City
• The Tragedy of Human Trafficking: Slave Trade in the 21st Century
• Poverty: The Forgotten Cause
• Changing Health Care 2008: Information Leading to Action (3-Part Series)
• How Will the Coming Fiscal Crisis Affect NYC Public School Children?
• Self-Help Among Immigrant Women
• Are You a Feminist? An Intergenerational Perspective; An Intercultural Dialogue; A Male Perspective (3-Part Series)
• Justice & Dignity: The Impact of Race & Law on American Society
• Whatever Happened to Good Government? The Role of Government v Privatization
• Straight Talk About Taxes: How Tax Policy Penalizes women and Limits Social Services
• Global Warming & Climate Change: Is New York City Up to the Challenge?
• Meeting New York City’s Long-Term Transportation Needs

Recent presentations by elected officials include:
• Hon. Carolyn Maloney, Member of Congress
• Hon. Liz Krueger, New York State Senator
• Hon. Richard Gottfried, Chair, New York State Assembly Health Committee
• Hon. Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council
• Hon. Rosie Mendez, Chair, New York City Council Subcommittee on Public Housing
• Hon. Guillermo Linares, Commissioner, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs
• Hon. Katherine Oliver, Commissioner, Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting
• Hon. Scott M. Stringer, Manhattan Borough President

TOURS
WCC’s docent-led tours enable WCC members and guests to experience the historic, cultural, artistic and fun treasures in New York City.

Recent tours sponsored by the WCC include:
• Mums and Moore: New York Botanical Garden
• New York's Hidden Harbor
• Backstage at the Metropolitan Opera
• Van Gogh and Expressionism: The Neue Gallery
• Bloomberg Tower
• Seventh Regiment Armory
• A Summer’s Day on Ellis Island
• A Brooklyn Adventure: The Many Faces of Williamsburg