Town Hall: Pardons as an Economic Strategy

On May 8th, 2020, The Economy League of Greater Philadelphia hosted a virtual town hall to discuss a decade of data proving pardons as an economic strategy. The Economy League staff was joined by a panel of experts, including Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, Earl Buford of Partner4Work, Ryan Hancock of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, and Dr. Nikia Owens of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. All the panelists offered unique insight into the issue, leading to a robust and engaging discussion. Watch a recording of the town hall and view the presentation PowerPoint slides below.

PANELISTS

• John Fetterman; Lieutenant Governor, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

• Earl Buford; CEO, Partner4Work

• Ryan Allen Hancock; Of Counsel, Willig, Williams & Davidson; and Co-Founder, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity

• Dr. Keith Leaphart; Chair of the Board of Directors, The Lenfest Foundation

• Dr. Nikia Owens; Managing Director of Financial Empowerment, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey

MODERATORS

• Ellen Spolar; Pardons as an Economic Investment Strategy, Primary Author

• Mohona Siddique; Pardons as an Economic Investment Strategy, Co-Author

See the PowerPoint presentation from the virtual town hall here.