In this episode of Route Notes, Wes and David reflect on inclusion, access, and the quiet power of systems designed with care. From a joyful moment of off-road driving with Wes’s newly licensed daughter to a breakthrough theater performance by David’s son Miles, they explore how moments of belonging—when thoughtfully created—can reshape lives and communities.

They unpack the concept of universal design, tracing its implications from curb cuts and classroom accessibility to larger conversations about structural harm and structural grace. Along the way, David shares the remarkable public health story of how replacing coal gas with natural gas in mid-century Britain unexpectedly reduced suicide rates by one-third—an example of how systems can heal.

This wide-ranging conversation weaves together personal stories, policy insights, and a compelling call to design for dignity—creating spaces where everyone can show up fully, thrive, and be heard.

In this episode of Route Notes, Wes and David explore what happens when leaders overshare, overprocess, or unravel in public—and the unintended consequences it can have on teams, trust, and momentum. A strange moment on a delayed flight (where the pilot shares a little too much about what went wrong) widens into deeper reflections on leadership and the tension between authenticity and stability.

They recount one of their most bizarre and hilarious facilitations where the cost of oversharing in leadership moved past vulnerability into volatility.

Plus: David’s detour through Manhattan’s High Line and a Swiftie-approved backup plan for those staying grounded.

In this month’s Campfire Chat, Wes, David, and Adam gather fireside to discuss Faith-Rooted Organizing by Alexia Salvatierra and Peter Heltzel. What begins as a reflection on the role of churches in public health quickly deepens into a powerful conversation about moral imagination, structural injustice, and the difference between acting out of anger versus love.

The episode dives into real stories of immigration reform, labor advocacy, and interfaith collaboration—each grounded in deep compassion rather than political expediency. They wrestle with how these lessons apply to their own work in public health and community partnerships, especially in regions like the rural South. Along the way, they explore the limitations of technical planning, the importance of trust-building, and why prayer—often dismissed as “soft”—can be one of the most radical acts of solidarity.

Plus: a detour worth taking into the novels of Lisa Wingate, and a sneak peek at next month’s pick, Under the Sky We Make by Kimberly Nicholas.