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Connections

Training future leaders to navigate Rochester's challenges

Four smiling people sit around a table in a radio talk studio: a man front left has short light brown hair and a light brown mustache and beard and is wearing a police uniform; a woman back left has short blue hair and is wearing glasses and a blue top; a woman back center has long black hair and is wearing a black top and blazer; a man at right has very short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a grey button-down shirt, and white linen pants
Marty Wash
/
WXXI News
(foreground) Justin Collins, (background) Wanda Ridgeway, and Camille Simmons with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, September 3, 2026
WXXI News

Who are Rochester's future leaders? And how can we train future leaders to guide the community through recent challenges? The question comes at a time when Rochester remains under a gun violence state of emergency.

Our guests are from Leadership Rochester. The nonprofit provides leadership training for Rochesterians interested in working cooperatively to strengthen the city. We discuss what that work looks like in this current moment.

In studio:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.