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Interested in networking with other D&Ders before and during the 2004 National Conference On Dialogue And Deliberation? Perhaps exploring possibilities for collaboration? This is the place.


Here you can: *Review the bios and networking/collaboration interests of others who are coming to the conference *Use your browser's "Find on this page" tool to search for others with similar interests (Try searching for common terms: "nonviolent communication," "polariz," "large-scale," "research," etc.) *Add your own Statement of Interests (keep it to 150 words or less, please)


You may also want to propose a topic for the Conference Networking Session on Saturday evening.


(to make a Home Page for yourself on this wiki, click on the question mark after your name)


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Note that this page became overloaded so we started an additional page with some of the bios from this page at Networking And Collaboration Two. You can add your bio to either one of these pages. Together, the two pages contain all the people that have submitted bios so far.


Networking Statements/Bios:

Judy Watling Judy Watling joined CPRN in August, 2003. She has been actively involved in Public Involvement Networks projects and strategic planning. She has been the project team leader on the national Citizens* Dialogue on the Long-term Management of Used Nuclear Fuel, (report pending publication, summer 2004). Judy is at CPRN on an Interchange assignment from the Canadian federal government, where she has held policy and management positions in a number of departments including Solicitor General, National Defence, Citizenship and Immigration, the Privy Council Office and Environment Canada.
Nandini Saxena Nandini Saxena joined CPRN*s Public Involvement Network in August, 2002 and has been involved as a researcher in a number of different public involvement initiatives, including the design, implementation and analysis of two national deliberative dialogues
Helen Spector Twenty-five + years of general management, strategic planning, organizational development and change management consulting with service industry clients, including religious institutions, banking, community development banking, energy corporations, education and nonprofit organizations, health care institutions and community projects. Helen's services include designing and facilitating large group processes and individual/team coaching to establish clarity of vision, develop broad and in depth environmental assessments, and create and implement strategies for action. Since 1990, Helen has served on the Board of Trustees for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board. She served as co-project manager for the Assembly Design Project which developed the process at the center of this breakout session.
Rita Schweitz Rita Schweitz helps groups have productive conversations, make wise decisions, and achieve positive results. With over 25 years of national and international experience, she specializes in working with large groups of up to 200 people, bringing together representatives from the whole system to establish collaborations, find common ground and move quickly to action. Her work frequently includes diverse stakeholders and emphasizes client ownership of the process and implementation of the results. She has consulted to education, nonprofit, corporate, government, religious, environmental and community organizations. Rita has published numerous articles in professional journals and books and is co-editor of Connection, Community and Results: Future Search in School District Change, to be published in February 2005. Rita was a lead facilitator for the Parliament of the Worlds* Religions.

Tim Erickson


Tim Erickson has been facilitating online public policy discussions for over 5 years. He is the founder of Politalk.com and also works with E-Democracy.Org as the list manager for the St. Paul Issues Forum. He is currently a member of the ODDC (online working group of the Deliberative Democracy Consortium). He is very interested in finding creative ways to use the internet to engage citizens in local public policy decisions as well as international discussions. In addition to his interest in online public policy, Tim likes to juggle flaming torches.
Emily Axelrod Emily Axelrod is a founder of the Axelrod Group, a consulting firm that pioneered in the use of employee involvement to effect large scale change. In twenty five years plus of change management consulting she has worked with a variety of fortune 500 organizations, non profits, governmental organizations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and religious organizations. She specializes in designing conversations and processes that enable organizations to get things done. She was a lead facilitator for the Parliament of the Worlds* Religions. Emily has published numerous articles in journals and books. Her newest book written with Dick Axelrod, Julie Beedon and Robert Jacobs is You Don't Have to Do It Alone: How to Involve Others to Get Things Done.
Ben Levi Ben*s current focus in life is to facilitate conscious evolution through technology, collaboration and learning. His current work includes computer consulting, coaching, meeting coordination, and researcher into whole systems change. During the past 18 years, he has utilized his computer consulting experience in many different areas including the travel industry, living in a spiritual community, and as a meeting rapporteur for numerous groups and organizations, including Ken Wilber*s Integral Institute (II). It was at Wilber*s II meetings in 1999 that Ben met Don Beck, co-founder of Spiral Dynamics. That meeting led to an ongoing learning journey with Don, where Ben has acted as rapporteur and technical consultant for many of Don*s trainings, receiving multiple certificates of completion for SD I, SD II, and Macro-Memetics. Along with Spiral Dynamics, Ben brings a lifelong love of learning in areas of organizational development, Dialogue, facilitation, and authentic leadership. Ben is actively integrating his technical consulting with personal leadership coaching and Spiral Dynamics.
Libby Traubman, BA, MSW Libby Traubman is a retired clinical social worker. In 1982, in response the threat of global nuclear war, Mrs. Traubman was a founding member of the Beyond War Movement, now Foundation for Global Community. In 1992, she co-founded the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group of San Mateo, based on her earlier experience organizing the Beyond War conference for Israeli and Palestinian citizen-leaders which resulted in a historic signed document, FRAMEWORK FOR A PUBLIC PEACE PROCESS. Libby is on the Board of San Mateo County 2000, and in 1994 was inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame. Libby and Len Traubman co-founded the 12-year-old Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group on the San Francisco Peninsula. These 30 women and men - Holocaust survivors and 20th generation Palestinians - after 147 meetings, continue learning how to change strangers into friends, "enemies" into partners. With face-to-face listening and relationship building, they initiate concrete projects that help people and invigorate the public peace process, here and overseas.
Len Traubman, DDS, MSD Lionel "Len" Traubman recently retired after 36 years from his practice of Dentistry for Children in San Francisco. Dr. Traubman was regional alumni President of Alpha Omega Jewish dental fraternity, and received the 1998 Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of California School of Dentistry. He wrote and published THE ORECKOVSKY FAMILY: FROM RUSSIA TO AMERICA, depicting his pioneer ancestors' immigration following the first pogroms of the early 1880s. The book resides in 100 libraries in North America and Europe. For 20 years, Len has published on war and peace from personal experience with Russians and Americans, Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and Jews and Palestinians.
Elias Botto Elias Botto was born in Jerusalem, Palestine. In late 1947, due to increasing violence in the region, his family moved to Bethlehem, in the West Bank. His family was never allowed to return to their home. In 1954, he emigrated to America and worked in medical technology at the University of California Hospital, San Francisco. Later Elias owned and directed daily operations for San Francisco*s Grand-B Garment Manufacturing and Contracting, serving Esprit, Levi Strauss, and other smaller manufacturers nationwide. He is a member of the San Francisco Fashion Industry Association. A 32nd degree Mason, Mr. Botto supports the medical assistance work of the Shriners. He is active in the charitable work of the Bethlehem Association and of U.S.O.M.E.N., the United States Organization for Medical and Educational Needs, providing needed humanitarian services to people in the Middle East. A founding pariticpant in the Dialogue, Elias has become a model public spokesperson for compassionate listening and relationship-building.
Glenna Gerard Glenna Gerard is co-author of DIALOGUE: Rediscover the Transforming Power of Conversation and co-founder of The Dialogue Group. She is well known and respected for her 14+ years developing the art of applying and facilitating dialogue within a multitude of organizational contexts.
Mary Adams Trujillo Mary Adams Trujillo has been involved in community peacemekaing and conflict resolution for over twenty years. She teaches courses in intercultural communication and conflict transformation at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. She has a Ph.D. in communication from Northwestern University.

Tod Sloan Tod Sloan is co-coordinator of Psychologists for Social Responsibility and professor and chair of the Department of Counseling Psychology in the Graduate School of Education at Lewis and Clark College. He is the author of Damaged Life: The Crisis of the Modern Psyche, in which he lays out some of the psychosocial reasons why we need deeper dialogical and democratic practices. He is especially interested in collaborating on projects linking critical hermeneutics to the study of dialogue practices.


Jimmy Pryor I have recently begun to organize the Houston Dialogue Initiative, a network of organizations and individuals working to promote meaningful dialogue and conversation in the Houston, Texas area. Our first task has been to identify and promote those organizations already engaging in dialogue and deliberation. At the conference I will be looking for strategies for organizing and nurturing a culture of dialogue. I am also an entrepreneur. For twelve years I worked with Pueblo to People, a non-profit organization marketing the products of Latin American cooperatives and was a founder of the Fair Trade Federation. In 1996 I formed Sun Body Hats which manufactures, imports and wholesales palm-leaf hats from Guatemala.
Myriam Laberge, M.A., CPF (Vancouver area, BC, Canada) My work is about transformation in groups, organizations and communities. Any work that serves to connect us to one another, helps us to dialogue and learn together, affirms our heart*s wisdom and our soul*s longing, and empowers us to act together towards a future we all want * this work excites me. As a Certified Professional Facilitator and an Organization Transformation consultant at Breakthroughs UNLIMITED, I specialize in dialogue, collaborative learning and whole system change (http://www.breakthroughsunlimited.com). On a part-time basis, I also design and deliver workshops and conferences as Director of Collaborative Learning at the Centre for Innovation in Management at Simon Fraser University, which focuses on stakeholder engagement across diverse boundaries (http://www.cim.sfu.ca). With my colleague at the Centre, Ann Svendsen, I am co-authoring a book entitled, "Co-Creative Power: Tapping Collective Intelligence for A Sustainable Future". In this book, the work of conscious evolution and co-creation is applied to bring together diverse stakeholders to address the pressing, complex, messy issues and needs of our world.
George Farmer ( geofarm@austin.rr.com ) is the owner of Chrysalis Consulting. He provides customized facilitation, training, and coaching on ethnic diversity issues, conflict transformation, listening skills and mediation. He works with individuals; groups and organizations improving their performance through the resolution of difficult issues and improving internal and external relationships through practical dialogue and communication skills.
Trish Perry Trish is an Associate of the Public Conversations Project and has helped facilitate dialogues on abortion and forestry management. She currently is beginning a dialogue project on gay marriage. In addition, Trish has been involved in civic engagement processes, particularly around engaging communities in discussions about their schools and planning for growth of their towns. She is interested in the ongoing dilemma of how to get people to turn out when their lives are so hectic and how to keep them open and involved after the first flush of energy and good will has worn off.

Dolly Ford Is a recent graduate with masters in social work and public administration. Recently hired as Senior Lecturer in the Division of Social Work, School of Applied Social Sciences, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University, she is working in collaboration with colleagues of WVU and Rutgers University to develop an institute (the NOVA Institute) on research and training in sustained dialogue and public deliberation related to nonprofit organizations, voluntary action and philanthropy. Additionally, Dolly instructs a bachelor*s level course in social welfare policy as well as working with the International Institute on Sustained Dialogue to develop an on-campus sustained dialogue student organization. Before embarking on her new career, she was a sign language interpreter for the past 10 years as well as has worked in local high schools for three years with at-risk adolescents regarding drug and alcohol abuse, truancy, academic failure, and familial/social conflict.


Taylor Willingham


Taylor is the project coordinator for Texas Forums, a member of the LBJ Family of Organizations. She is research associate for the Kettering Foundation and a former board member for the National Issues Forums Institute. Current projects include a national dialogue to determine how Americans view Russia in partnership with colleagues in Russia, and an online community collaborative research project involving organizations that promote deliberation. She also teaches distance education courses for two graduate library schools: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and San Jose State University.


Taylor has moderated over 250 public forums in person and online, and has trained over 1,000 moderators across the United States, in Russia as well as citizens from countries such as Croatia, Tajikistan, Russia, Colombia. At the invitation of the State Department, she conducted introductory workshops on the role of libraries in emerging democracies in Vologda and Petrozavodsk and helped librarians from Lithuania, Russia, Latvia and Kyrgystan develop a public forum framework for a discussion about youth.

Jay Earley


Jay is a psychologist, group leader, coach, social theorist and change agent. He is the author of Inner Journeys: A Guide to Personal and Social Transformation, Transforming Human Culture: Social Evolution and the Planetary Crisis, Interactive Group Therapy and Finding Your Life Purpose. Jay is Director of Conscious Action, an organization devoted to social action from a place of greater consciousness. He leads workshops that facilitate the development of personal and spiritual capacities for social transformation He is interested in experimenting with using Appreciative Inquiry in a process for citizen engagement in which people dialogue about their current social concerns and stories, envision a new society and how we might get there, and discover their contribution to this process.
Craig Neal, Vision Holder, HEARTLAND INSTITUTE craig@heartlandinstitute.com http://thoughtleadergathering.com Founded in 1995 by Craig and Patricia Neal, Heartland Institute creates Essential Conversations among individuals and within organizations to help bring about the systemic change needed in these extraordinary times. There programs were founded with the belief that business and organizations are the conduit and delivery system through which a global renaissance is occurring. Our programs are anchored in the belief that essential conversations among leaders will transform our organizations and the world. As convener, Craig guides the 100 member Thought Leader Gatherings (TLG) in Minnesota and California. Since 1998 the TLGs have served over 1000 organizational leaders representing 400 organizations. He is also author of "The Art of Convening, transformative meetings & conversations" Training Series, serving those who host, convene or facilitate groups, gatherings or meetings and are called to be that inspired catalyst for change in their organization or community. He has 25 years of leadership in magazine publishing, marketing and organizational management, including board positions with educational, business and community organizations. Craig founded the Conscious Business Alliance, the Minnesota Magazine Publishers Association, and served as a founding and board member of Business for Social Responsibility. Prior to Heartland Inst. he was Publisher of Utne Reader magazine.
Catherine Martell (cmartell@web.net) is a Canadian integral communications consultant (Essence Communications) based in Vancouver, BC. She has a special interest in group harmonics & whole systems transformation & has worked extensively in an advocacy & coalition-building capacity within various political realms. She has facilitated community consultations for federal & provincial governments, women*s & labour organizations as well as other social change groups. She also has a strong grounding in philosophical inquiry & systems thinking, as well as a keen passion regarding the inclusion of women in political decision-making processes.

Michael Briand (mkbriand@internetconet.net)


I serve as director of the Denver-based Institute for Democratic Dialogue & Deliberation and as principal in the consulting firm, Public Knowledge. I*m also an Associate of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. I received my doctorate in political theory from the Johns Hopkins University, earned a master*s degree in philosophy from Oxford University, studied law at Stanford University, and obtained my bachelor*s degree in government and psychology from the University of Michigan. My interests include the theory and practice of democratic politics, especially at the state- and community-level; the justification of moral and political argument; the social and individual psychology of moral and political dialogue; public participation in democratic decision making; American political culture; and the relationship between ethics and politics. My most recent book-length publication is PRACTICAL POLITICS: Five Principles for a Community That Works (University of Illinois, 1999). My latest article is "Deliberation in the Balance" (National Civic Review, forthcoming).
Grace Young, Spiritual City Forum http://www.spiritualcityforum.org Portland, Oregon Grace Young is a co-founder and Director of Spiritual City Forum which provides forums for contemplative dialogue. Participants are invited to bring their spiritual perspectives to civic matters cultivating a greater consciousness of the community; imbue civic life with the values of human potential, and give a voice to the collective wisdom inherent in contemplative dialogue.
Cheryl Snider (Garrison) Bridges AWARE (Acceptance in Worship and Religion Everywhere) - www.healingdialogue.org Before completing my studies in the Masters of Divinity program at Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC) in May 2004, I spent 20 years working with medical practices as a change agent. AWARE is an organization that I have formed to combine my change skills with my ministry skills and my Quaker practice to teach dialogue to faith communities. My particular interest and studies lie in what it takes for a faith community to move toward welcoming their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender members and visitors; the need for dialogue training in religious settings, however, is much broader than that. I am looking to my colleagues at NCDD for advice on formalizing my extensive skills and experience in the field of dialogue while promoting my services to congregations--all on a shoestring! On a more personal note, my partner and I celebrated our commitment at our Quaker meeting on 10/10, so I'm also a newlywed (ergo, the name change). csb
Marilyn Saunders, Skills for the 21st Century I have been a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in imagery and relationship skills for the past 25 years. I am now "sabbatical" looking for what*s next. I*m also in the process of moving from Bethesda, MD to Whidbey Island, WA (north of Seattle). I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English and math in Somalia, East Africa. I*ve been on the Faculty of Education at the University of Guyana in Guyana, South America as well as Director of the small American School there. In the US I have participated in the World Future Society, the Association for Humanistic Psychology, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and the Spiral Dynamics community. In June, 2004 I completed a year long course with the School for International Training on Conflict Transformation Across Cultures. I have also designed and taught a course called Shaping the 21st Century. I*ve had various kinds of dialogue training including Bohm Dialogue with Glenna Girard, Intentional Dialogue through Imago Relationship Therapy training and practice, and the Circle Process with Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea. I believe we live in a time of great challenge and opportunity where all of us can participate in moving this amazing, emerging, world of ours toward more justice, compassion, ecological sustainability, and fun. I am attending this conference to find out more about various dialogue projects and opportunities to work with others who are helping to facilitate depolarization and new vision in the US and around the world.
Jes Ward Jes is the Director of the Rocky Mountain affiliate of the Peace Jam Foundation, which is an organization that brings youth together with Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. She is an undergraduate student studying Behavioral Science at Metropolitan State College of Denver and has extensive experience in group facilitation, conflict resolution, and teambuilding.

Jean Bigagaza My name is Jean Bigagaza (Mr.) living in Switzerland, I am National of Rwanda. In the last Five years, I have worked in the Resources Based Conflicts sector such as Ecological sources of conflicts in sub-saharan Africa, thsi project had two main objectives: One, to identify the extent to which environmental factors have contributed to political conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two, to promote the integration of environmental considerations into regional and international policy processes on conflict prevention, management and resolution. Eight countries were concerned by this project: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.. I have also worked on Water sharing and conflicts in the Nile Basin with the Nile Basin Discourse project that promotes dialogue on poverty eradication, sustainable and equitable development, peace and mutual understanding within the Nile River Basin. The NBD aims at the promotion of a broad based, open dialogue, discussion and sharing of views on the development in the Nile Basin.


My experience also covers multistakeholders involvement and participatory processes. What I expect to improve in the NCDD is to learn the most up-to-date methodologies and approaches for dialogue facilitation and participation that can be applicable to river basin management and community based natural management.
Laura Wells #civic engagement My immediate goal is to work with a group of people to set up a Citizen Deliberative Council in Oakland, CA. Long term goals include having citizen review of ballot initiatives, with the ultimate goal of citizens becoming integral in creating public policy. I've been active with the Green Party of California, running for Controller in 2002. I now work at SEIU Local 250, the Health Care Workers Union. I've lived in community households and settings for the past 8 years.
Jim Knauer, Director, Pennsylvania Center for Civic Life and Democracy Lab jknauer@lhup.edu http://www.teachingdemocracy.org My current work is focused on Democracy Lab, an online service to high schools and colleges that promotes deliberative learning and civic engagement. We provide 10-week, National Issues Forum-style forums for use in classes, linking students in small groups with others from around the country. We also mentor student civic leadership teams. With support from the Kettering Foundation and CIRCLE we are researching the impact of online deliberative experiences on pedagogy, civic engagement and engagement in learning. I will be presenting a free post-conference workshop in Denver and am interested in exploring collaboration possibilities with *Individuals using deliberation in school settings and developing pedagogy *Non-school organizers of face-to-face deliberative dialogue interested in adding an online component and interaction with students *Other organizers of online deliberation *researchers interested in cognitive development, civic engagement, deliberative learning and discourse analysis
Deborah LFlick, Ph.D Dr. Deborah Flick is the author of the award-winning book, From Debate to Dialogue. She has over 25 years of experience providing consultation and training to NGO's, corporations, governments, and universities. Dr. Flick was a program consultant to Building Bridges for Peace, a U.S.-based program for Palestinian and Israeli young women. During her 14-year tenure on the faculty of the University of Colorado, Dr. Flick taught courses on gender, ethnicity and race.
Sivagami Subbaraman Shiva is from India, and in the two decades she has been in the US she has gone through "Thirteen Ways of Being a Brown Feminist Bird." Her research and work focuses on feminists of color, specifically lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and two-spirited; creating bridges between community work and higher education; and with survivors of domestic violence. She also maintains and develops websites; and works with faculty to integrate dialogue into their curriculum. She is interested in dialogue as a source of generative healing.
Dr. Biren "Ratnesh" Nagda Ratnesh Nagda, PhD, MSW, grew up Indian in Kenya, East Africa, in a post-colonial era that instilled in him a strong commitment toward building bridges across cultural differences. His work is focused on multicultural and empowerment-oriented social justice practices and education, especially intergroup dialogue as a tool for social healing. He has published extensively on intergroup dialogues in college and community settings, and consults regularly with academic and non-profit agencies.
Karen Trietsch I*ve been participating in antiracism activism for eight years. Through research projects and in-the-streets actions, I developed the Beyond White Privilege approach to antiracism work. I established BWP Training Project to work with white activists on initiating antiracism projects. Using constructive dialogue, we can use anger and conflict for action, change and social justice.
Dr. Janette Hartz Karp Dr. Janette Hartz-Karp is a consultant in community engagement, working with the Western Australian Minister and Department for Planning and Infrastructure. Janette's role is to implement innovative ways to engage the community and industry in joint decision making with government. These include: citizens' juries, consensus conferences and forums, multi criteria analysis conferences, deliberative surveys, and a "21st Century Town Meeting."
Duncan Campbell Duncan Campbell holds degrees from the Sorbonne, Yale College (where he was a Scholar of the House), and Harvard Law School. His experience in the last forty years has included the fields of psychology, philosophy, spirituality, law, business, politics, communications, and teaching. He has traveled widely, in both industrial and developing countries, including indigenous cultures, and has received instruction and initiation in a number of spiritual and cultural traditions. He has hosted his Living Dialogues programs with internationally renowned and pioneering authors and visionaries on public television, radio and the Internet.
Bill Fulton Bill Fulton is currently a doctoral student at the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology focusing on both the theory and practice of dialogue as a tool to promote social justice. He is also the former Director of the PEBC Facing History Project, and a trainer and facilitator for schools and other community groups.
Paul Alexander Paul Alexander is the Director of the Institute on the Common Good at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. The Institute convenes public and private dialogues designed to foster deeper understanding of complex social issues and a willingness among diverse participants to work for common goals. He also teaches courses in Regis' Masters in Non Profit Management program.
Marc Andre Franche Marc-Andre works on governance and conflict prevention projects in Latin America. He is part of a team which promotes democratic dialogue and its Community of Practice throughout the Latin American region. Marc-Andre has worked for a number of years with the Human Development Report processes in Colombia on the local roots of conflicts and in Bolivia on local governance. Marc-Andre is a political scientist.
Nancy Polk Nancy has managed the Conversations About Education for the League of Women Voters for the past 7 years. The team has guided 72 cities and towns through the planning process to organize community conversations. Materials and methods were adapted from Public Agenda, the Institute for Educational Leadership and the National Issues Forum to stress the creation of follow up action steps. Topics include: Academic Standards and Expectations, Parental Involvement and Helping All Children Succeed in a Diverse Society. Nancy has an MA in Creative Writing from Brown University and has been a freelance writer for the New York Times for 20+ years.
Sonja Ahuja Sonja Ahuja is a consultant with the League of Women Voters of Connecticut, one of two co-managers for the statewide project, "Community Conversations about Education." Sonja is a trained facilitator for National Issues Forum and has conducted deliberative discussions in a variety of settings. For 3 years, and at present, Sonja has lead responsibility for training moderators in the Conversation process. Sonja brings over a dozen years of senior non-profit management experience with regional community based organizations. Sonja has been a management consultant on strategic issues and called upon to provide executive leadership for organizations undergoing major transitions or initiating significant new program efforts.
Nancy Leonard Ms. Leonard enjoys connecting people and information in ways that help citizens engage in community building. What emerges, when done well, is a better informed, civil society. And while no one diagrams sentences any longer, she still finds it a stimulating challenge to make sense of words and images that have multiple, evolving meaning.... rams may still frolic in pastures, but RAMs live sedately in our computers. For nearly twenty years, as NBL Communications, Ms. Leonard helped major nonprofit organizations, foundations and businesses to tell their stories. Her volunteer work has focused on education and children; currently she serves her local school system on its building committee.
Les Ihara Jr Senator Les Ihara Jr. has served 18 years in the Hawaii Legislature, and has held the positions of Senate Majority Leader, Senate Majority Floor Leader, and House Majority Floor Leader. He has organized many types of deliberative activities involving legislative issues, and has initiated efforts to increase public participation in the legislative process, including citizen networks, broadcasts of legislative proceedings, Public Access Room, and legislative reforms. Senator Ihara is a member of the National Issues Forum Institute board of directors and University of Hawaii Public Policy Center*s steering committee.
Peggy Kerns Peggy Kerns is director of the Center for Ethics in Government at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Previously, she served as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. After serving six years on the Aurora (CO) City Council, Ms. Kerns served eight years in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1987 to 1997, including two years as minority leader.
Bruce Feustel Bruce Feustel has worked with state legislatures for 30 years, as attorney for the Wisconsin legislature and, more recently, the National Conference of State Legislatures. At NCSL he provides educational programs for legislators and staff, including committee chair and new legislator training seminars. Bruce also participates in management studies of legislatures; has made presentations on communication, change, facilitation and ethics; and provided staff support to NCSL*s Legislative Effectiveness Committee.
Gail Hoagland Gail Hoagland is the Director of Community Services of the National Civic League. Her current projects include Citizen Impact, a national program designed to increase citizen demand for government performance measures and accountability, the Civic Indicators project, and community initiatives across the United States. She has a vast amount of experience in visioning and strategic planning projects at the local, state and national levels. For 20 years, Hoagland has been a part of the nonprofit sector, working to bring stakeholders together to create effect change. Her inquiry and analytical skills have helped reform several organizations and programs. She serves as a subject matter expert for the federal government, is a faculty member at Regis University and a former member of the faculty at Union Institute.
Patricia Bonner Pat Bonner has over 30 years of professional experience in local, regional, national and international public involvement. She led the effort to develop EPA*s Public Involvement Policy, including the 2001 E-Gov Award-winning Internet Dialogue on Public Involvement. Pat is a certified facilitator, public involvement practitioner and trainer.
Leanne Smith Nurse Leanne Nurse was an EPA community involvement coordinator at 150+ Superfund sites, then a public affairs specialist for water, health and environmental justice projects. She staffs EPA*s public involvement policy. Leanne volunteers, facilitating for a faith-based NGO and serving as vice-chair of an arts-based non-profit for disabled children. She worked in television as a writer, producer and reporter.
Stephani Roy Mc Callum Stephani Roy Mc Callum is an Ottawa, Ontario consultant specializing in public involvement and stakeholder relations. With many years of leadership in public participation and citizen engagement, she has a wealth of experience in stakeholder relations, strategic communication for both corporate and public involvement purposes, policy development, and strategic advice for responsive decision-making in governance structures and systems. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Public Participation.
Richard Delaney Richard Delaney is president of Corporate IQ, an Ottawa-based firm that specializes in building and using knowledge within organizations. A former executive with the federal government, he has also served at the municipal and provincial levels. He has extensive consultation experience in areas of sustainability, environment and natural resources and has developed and uses collaborative tools and techniques for science-based decision-making. His specialties include consultation programme development, project design and organizational capacity building.
Chris Carlson Chris Carlson is Executive Director of the Policy Consensus Initiative (PCI), a national, nonpartisan, not for profit organization. PCI works with state leaders and state conflict resolution and consensus building programs to initiate and strengthen the use of collaborative practices to bring about more effective governance.
Miranda Duncan Miranda Duncan received her bachelor*s degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, her law degree from San Francisco Law School, and her master*s degree in sociology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She became the director of the Dispute Resolution Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1987. The Dispute Resolution Program offered mediation services and conflict resolution workshops from 1987 to 1999. Over those 12 years, Miranda assisted in applying cooperative dispute resolution processes to a wide range of issues: Community revitalization, historic preservation, family policy, and natural resource management. In 1999, Miranda joined University of Missouri Extension as community development specialist.
Wanjiru Kamuyu Wanjiru Kamuyu is a dancer and community specialist with Urban Bush Women. She is a native of Kenya and an MFA graduate from Temple University in Philadelphia. She is also a performer with Molissa Fenley Dancers, nathantrice/RITUALS, Tania Isaac Dance Projects, Gametophyte (Dean Moss), Skeleton Dance Company, Echoes Dance Company and Urban Bush Women (the touring company between 1999 and 2003). She also serves as a dance teaching artist for Lincoln Center Institute. A participant in previous UBW/FSU Institutes, she played key roles in UBW community engagement projects in New Haven, Connecticut and Flint, Michigan. Wanjiru began her training in Kenya and later studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, American Dance Festival, and Philadanco.
Vincent E. Thomas Vincent Thomas is a dancer, choreographer and teacher who received his MFA in Dance from Florida State University and a BME in Music from the University of South Carolina. He was instrumental in facilitating workshops and creating performance elements for "Are We Democracy?", the culminating performance of Urban Bush Women*s 2004 Summer Institute, Building Community Through the Arts. This performance piece featured 5 members of Urban Bush Women, 2 percussionists, spoken word artists and 42 non-professional dance participants in a work that explored themes of voting rights history, issues of disenfranchisement and the obligations of citizenship.
Jed Donelan Jed Donelan is Program Coordinator for New England Center for Civic Life, and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Franklin Pierce College. He is coordinator of FPC*s Diversity and Community Project and the Northern New England Project. Jed has a Ph.D. in Philosophy from SUNY Stony Brook.
Joni Doherty Joni Doherty is Director of New England Center for Civic Life and Senior Lecturer in American Studies, Franklin Pierce College. She helped design and coordinate Rindge 2020, a college/community collaboration where participants used deliberation to make choices concerning the town. Doherty holds an M.A. in Cultural Studies from Simmons College.
Lori Blewett PhD from University of Illinois in Communication Studies. Teaching at Evergreen for 4 years. Central figure in the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue-course at Evergreen in Winter 2004.
Joe Tougas, Ph.D. Joe Tougas holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California. He teaches classes on the history of philosophy, ethics, and pluralism at the Evergreen State College, where he also serves as the Campus Grievance Officer.
Valerie Krull Valerie Krull has been a mediator and violence prevention practitioner for the past ten years. She is currently finishing a degree focused on communication and violence prevention.
Tom Daly, Ph.D. Tom is the Founder and Co-Director of the Living Arts Foundation. He draws on over 30 years of experience as a leadership trainer, counselor, and seminar leader in helping individuals and groups be at their best. Tom is the co-creator of Dynamic Dialogue, the Inner King Training, the Men*s Leadership Alliance, and 4 Gateways Coaching.
Jude Blitz, MA As co-Director of the Living Arts Foundation, Jude uses body centered and systemic constellation approaches in her psychotherapy and coaching practice. She is co-founder of Women in Power, the Inner Sovereign Training, has taught Dynamic Dialogue Workshops, and is a certified 4 Gateways Coach. For the past 15 years he has been the chief Aikido instructor at the Naropa University where she is also coordinator for adjunct faculty.
Leah Lamb, MSW Leah studied theatre at the Neighborhood Playhouse in NYC, and holds a Masters in Social Work from VCU. She has worked as an actress, playwright, and director, therapudic wilderness instructor, and clinical social worker. She currently works at Virginia Commonwealth University with the Carer-VCU partnership. Leah*s recent works include the short film, "Justice Economized," and the live performance, "Piecing: An Exploration of American Identity and Patriotism," which brought together or 50 actors, dancers, and filmakers, for audience members to together to explore and discuss their various views about the war in Iraq as it was occuring.
Christine Reich Christine is a senior research associate at the Museum of Science, where she manages the evaluation of the Museum of Science*s informal technology education plan. She is currently overseeing several research and evaluation projects, including studies on universal design and visitor learning about engineering and technology, and the evaluation of community forums conducted by the Museum of Science. Christine has a BS in agricultural and biological engineering from Cornell University, a graduate certificate in museum studies from Harvard University, and is currently working towards a Masters of Education at Lesley University.
Angie Boyce Christine is a senior research associate at the Museum of Science, where she manages the evaluation of the Museum of Science*s informal technology education plan. She is currently overseeing several research and evaluation projects, including studies on universal design and visitor learning about engineering and technology, and the evaluation of community forums conducted by the Museum of Science. Christine has a BS in agricultural and biological engineering from Cornell University, a graduate certificate in museum studies from Harvard University, and is currently working towards a Masters of Education at Lesley University.
James Fishkin James Fishkin is the Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication at Stanford where he is also Professor of Political Science and Director of Stanford's Center for Deliberative Democracy. He is the author of Democracy and Deliberation, The Voice of the People and most recently (with Bruce Ackerman) Deliberation Day. He developed Deliberative Polling and has conducted deliberative democracy projects in a number of countries, most of them in collaboration with television networks.
Will Friedman, Ph.D. Will Friedman, founding director of Public Agenda's public engagement programs, has worked on hundreds of communty dialogue projects on topics ranging from school reform to tax reform to environmental issues. He has been with Public Agenda for ten years and has a background is in political science, pschology and public opinion research.
Stephanie Nestlerode Stephanie Nestlerode, MSW, partner with Omega Point International, Inc. works with organizations *choosing* to shape the future. The focus is on learning skillful means for translating noble intentions into wise choices promoting community health. In her words, "the future we create is the legacy we leave our children."
William Roberts William comes to be the Executive Director of the Whistler Forum from his twenty years leading faith communities, seven years as a provincial legislator and ten years managing capital campaigns and special projects for a host of non-profit groups in the Pacific Northwest.
Susan Partnow Susan Partnow is a community builder and organizational development and training consultant who serves as a catalyst for those seeking positive changes through workshops, gatherings, retreats, and coaching. She is the co-founder of Conversation Cafe, founder of Global Citizen Journey and serves on the board of The Compassionate Listening Project. Susan facilitates processes such as Open Space, Appreciative Inquiry and Dynamic Facilitation for small or large groups to transform conflict and promote Co Intelligence in ways that expand collective capacity. Susan partners with organizations across all sectors, from the City of Seattle, Providence Hospital and the Navy to Microsoft, to promote healthy and productive workplaces and teams.
Laura Chasin Laura Chasin, MA, MSW, Founder and Director of the Public Conversations Project, has a background in political science, social work, psychodrama, and family systems therapy. She was a co-facilitator of the dialogue between Boston area Pro-choice and Pro-life leaders and the Public Conversations Project*s work with the Anglican Communion.
Ashley Boyd Ashley Boyd is a Senior Associate with America Speaks, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to engaging citizens in governance. Since 1998, she has led a variety of America Speaks' citizen engagement projects, including the landmark "Listening to the City" town meeting to review the World Trade Center redevelopment plans.
Jed Miller Jed Miller oversees and develops dialogue projects for Web Lab using Web Lab's Small Group Dialogue technique, created to foster intimacy, substance and a genuine encounter among individual perspectives online. Before Jed came to Web Lab he was interactive editor at http://NYTimes.com, where he managed all reader discussions, including the forums around 2000's Pulitzer-winning series on race in America.
Amy Malick Amy Malick joined the Study Circles Resource Center in June 1999. Amy works to manage relationships with the public from which SCRC needs support to achieve its goals. She focuses on developing a national awareness and understanding of the role that Study Circles can plan in reinvigorating our civic life.

Brian Mc Call http://opencl.org Brian Mc Call is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin - Madison majoring in Chemical and Biological Engineering. Last semester, Brian was the project manager and editor for the Innovative Rehabilitation group in Collaborative Leadership Wisconsin. The group gathered experts and stakeholders in reforming prisoner rehabilitation in Federal Prisons in an online community. After months of brainstorming and some intense discussion, the ideas were compiled in a consise deliverable presented to an advisor to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.


Transclude [[John Abbe Bio]]


Greg Nees (www.german-connection.com) has worked as an interculturalist building bridges between people of different cultures for 20+ years. He is the author of "Germany - Unraveling an Enigma". His current focus is on facilitating team development workshops.


Richard Spady (rjspady@mac.com) http://ForumFoundation.org


Dick Spady is president of the Forum Foundation, a non-profit, educational research, Washington State corporation founded in 1970. Dick is the inventor of the Fast Forum technique, the PC Rating (Polarization-Consensus), the Viewspaper concept, and co-inventor of the Internal Insourcing Audit*. Dick is co-author of "The Leadership of Civilization Building" (a copy which is included with your registration materials). Dick has been a Rotarian since 1980 with the Bellevue Overlake Rotary Club, District 5030, with an active classification of "Futures Research". Inquires are welcome. 206-634-0420.

John Spady (jspady@aol.com) John is Director of Research for the Forum Foundation (http://ForumFoundation.org). John is also on the staff of Friday Harbor Labs (a marine biology research lab operated by The University of Washington -- http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/) John is also currently enrolled in the Fielding University certificate program: Dialogue, Deliberation & Public Engagement . You can contact John at: 206-465-6963


For more bios, see Networking And Collaboration Two


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