Spotlight: Eight Projects that Exemplify the Work
Every strategic convening and collaboration is unique because every client system is unique and every set of policy issues is distinctive. Here are eight projects across very different settings and issues.
01
National Community College Summits
A series of fifteen multi-day, national summits over sixteen years with the American Association of Community Colleges that engaged hundreds of community college stakeholders on topics ranging from technological education to undergraduate research and from K-12-higher education partnerships to competencies for sector leaders.
02
A Global Biodiversity Summit in Brussels
A global, 3-day biodiversity summit in Brussels with 250 people from 27 countries to develop a framework for a positive vision for biodiversity that the Belgian Biodiversity Platform has used for ten years.
03
National Summits to Protect U.S. Democracy
Two, 2-day national summits (separated by one year) to convene an ideologically diverse group of more than 150 scholars, lawyers, and advocates to develop practical strategies to protect U.S. democracy against the increased risk of authoritarian government.
04
Patient Participation in the Organ Transplant Selection Process
Two, 1-day convenings with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center that brought together transplant patients, medical doctors, and other healthcare professionals to improve patient voice and visibility in the organ transplant candidacy selection process.
05
Streamlining a County Development Review Process
A multi-month process in Montgomery County, Maryland, to facilitate a wide range of county agencies, state representatives, state agencies, utility companies, real estate development companies, and community members to develop an ambitious set of recommendations (22 of which were endorsed unanimously) for every element of the county’s development review process.
06
A Citywide Bullying Prevention Taskforce
Facilitation of a task force for eight months that included advocates, local service providers, school administrators, parents, school mental health professionals, teachers, students, and District agency leaders to create a comprehensive, citywide anti-bullying model policy, endorsed by the Mayor.
07
Promoting Mental Health for Youth - Creating Community Solutions
A citywide summit with 400 youth and adults in DC, followed by a four-month multistakeholder action planning process with 50+ reps from District of Columbia agencies, service providers, nonprofits, and mental health advocates, and young people to develop a set of policy recommendations and initiatives, securing $1.6 million to implement the agenda.
08
Recover & Rebuild Ellicott City After a Massive Flood
Facilitated four “rECovery” meetings in the Fall of 2016 to assist the Ellicott City community in determining priorities for recovery from a devastating flood on its historic Main Street. This two+ month deliberation involved several hundred community members, small business owners, faith leaders, engineers, designers, preservationists, and county government agency leaders.
Throughout the facilitated process, participants proposed project ideas (primarily focused on the environment, economic development, and historic preservation) for rebuilding Ellicott City as a model, resilient city. Several hundred residents and stakeholders took part in the process. The recommendations developed led to the launch of an Ellicott City watershed and master plan in early 2017, for which Steve facilitated several of the initial meetings.
