Mark your calendar

LECTURE: The UNC-Duke-Bennett Millennium Village Project will host a lecture by Jeffrey Flug, CEO and executive director of Millennium Promise Alliance and one of Fortune 500's 10 "Faces of Philanthropy," at 4 p.m. Thursday at UNC-Chapel Hill's Gerrard Hall.

With 20 years of experience as a financial executive, Flug is leading Millennium Promise, in collaboration with its key partners, The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the U.N. Millennium Project, in the work to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

He works closely with the UNC-Duke-Bennett Millennium Village Project team on the implementation and operation of the Millennium Villages development model, and coordinates other Millennium Promise initiatives aimed at ending extreme poverty. In his lecture, he will discuss his reasons for moving from the business world to Millennium Promise, give a description of the Millennium Village Project development model and how it will work, and explain how the Millennium Village Project makes sense within a business framework. For more information, go to www.ncmvp.org.

ACTION PLAN: Raleigh's Annual Action Plan public meeting will be 6 p.m. Thursday at the YWCA, 554 E. Hargett St., Raleigh. The Raleigh Community Development Department will conduct a second public meeting on the city's Annual Action Plan and Housing Budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 (July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009)

This is a follow-up to the Nov. 8 Action Plan needs assessment meeting. Topics to be covered include proposed expenditures for city housing and neighborhood revitalization; uses of the city's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership and the city's affordable housing bond; and redevelopment activities proposed in several neighborhoods.

Handouts will include a draft summary fiscal year 2008-2009 Action Plan booklet. There also will be a public hearing at the City Council meeting April 1 (after 7 p.m.) on the draft action plan at which citizens can offer additional comments. For information contact Community Development, 857-4330 or go to www.raleigh-nc.org/communitydevelopment.