In 1976, a group of 13 visionary women wanted to create a space where people from all walks of life could gather, exchange ideas, and discuss the issues shaping the Columbus region. At a time when private lunch clubs and exclusive speaker forums were often gated by power and prestige, their idea challenged the status quo.
From this vision, the forward-thinking women formed the Columbus Metropolitan Club. Fifty years later, the organization continues to foster civic dialogue and connect people across the region.
“The Columbus Metropolitan Club provides opportunities for people to discuss community challenges openly, rather than behind closed doors,” said Columbus Foundation donor Mary Lazarus, one of the co-founders of the Columbus Metropolitan Club. “Columbus has an openness about it, a willingness to come together and solve problems. That’s a sign of a healthy community.”
In addition to hosting weekly forums for members and guests on topics impacting central Ohio, the Columbus Metropolitan Club has been a consistent partner in The Columbus Foundation’s Big Table. Launched in 2016, The Big Table® is an annual gathering designed to inspire civic engagement and social connection through community-focused conversations.
As the Columbus Metropolitan Club celebrates its 50th anniversary, The Columbus Foundation sat down with the organization’s President and CEO, Sophia Fifner, to reflect on the role of civic dialogue in strengthening communities.
Q: How does the Columbus Metropolitan Club help build social capital in our region?
The Columbus Metropolitan Club creates space for people to build relationships with others who may not share their background— whether in religion, race, ethnicity, or gender—yet we can come together to talk about community issues that affect us all.
Every week, regardless of the topic, we have leaders talking about what they’re doing to make Columbus a little bit bigger, brighter, and more inclusive. At the CMC, our goal is to help people understand what’s happening in Columbus and how they can get involved in supporting their own education, civic participation, and the region’s growth.
Q: Why is it important to invest in our region’s civic infrastructure?
As a society, we often want to build things that we can directly see, like buildings, bridges, and roads. But those things don’t happen without people. Investing in civic infrastructure means you’re investing in the people who make communities strong and vibrant.
We are the people who live here, who create art here, who create jobs here, who steward the land. Investing in civic infrastructure is ultimately an investment in humanity. It ensures we can work together, see one another, and listen to each other thoughtfully.
Q: How is Columbus Metropolitan Club celebrating its 50th anniversary?
I’m very excited—we’re planning a community celebration on September 10 honoring the conversations and connections we’ve built over the past five decades, while also looking ahead to our future.
Q: Columbus Metropolitan Club’s 50th anniversary coincides with the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. How does civic dialogue contribute to the health of our democracy?
There’s a quote from Alex de Tocqueville about how Americans see a problem and build a civic association to fix it. Part of our history is being a country of people who do things, who join things, who see problems and find solutions. That’s what we do every week at the CMC—we convene, we talk, and we explore solutions. Dialogue is the starting point for civic action.
We’re at an interesting point as a society. We can continue down an individualistic path, or we can lean into the collective. To me, leaning into the collective means that we have a civic renaissance—one where all individuals understand what they can do to spread kindness, be a better neighbor, and support their community, whether at work, at home, or in their neighborhoods.
The Columbus Foundation and the Foundation’s Center for HumanKindness are sponsors of the Columbus Metropolitan Club. To learn more about the Columbus Metropolitan Club, including upcoming forums and events, visit columbusmetroclub.org.
Columbus Metropolitan Club Co-Founders
| Sally Bloomfield Harriet M. Bracken Lou J. Briggs Audrey Enarson K. Sue Foley Phyllis Greene Trudy Knox |
Mary Lazarus Leeda Marting Mary E. Miller Nodine Miller Joanne Wharton Murphy Dorothy Reynolds |