The new co-chair, Mary Skelton Roberts (2003-05), senior mediator at the Consensus Building Institute was announced. She was not able to attend the meeting. She replaces outgoing co-chair Rosemary Romero, whose term has ended and who is the new ACR President.

4. Acknowledgements - Successes and challenges reviewed

EPP Section accomplishments since the Section meeting in San Diego in 2002 were reviewed. They included:

§ The mid-year meeting was held April 2003 in Washington, DC. More than 100 people attended and the Section broke even financially.

§ The Critical Issues Papers (Hewlett Foundation funded) have been published and are being disseminated in a variety of ways. These Papers (available at http://www.mediate.com/acrepp/pg5.cfm ) were intended to “consider the meaning of environmental and public policy practice and the impact of the field, within the context of public participation, deliberative democracy, and transparency between citizens and their governments” (from the preface to the printed version of the Critical Issues Papers).

§ The EPP Section has sponsored and supported an on-line dialogue on conflict and situation assessment, thanks to Concur, Raab associates, the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (USIECR), and others.

§ Membership involvement in Section and ACR-wide committees and leadership groups is growing.

§ EPP Section members presented several Orlando 2003 sessions and trainings.

§ The Section has a renewed commitment to diversity and equity.

§ The Section has responded to inquiries from prospective members and others.

§ The Mentoring Committee, co-chaired by Juliana Birkhoff and Mary Skelton Roberts, will continue to work to address diversity and equity and develop new strategies for mentoring.

Challenges facing the Section were noted, including:

§ According to ACR organizational standards, all ACR Sections must:

o Have a newsletter

o Sponsor a mid-year meeting (either in person or telephonically) and an annual meeting of the Section

o Operate a Web page

o Offer other products of value for members, e.g., career advice, mentoring, news alerts, assistance with problems, etc.

§ Other needs include an annual report in March, a budget report, a diversity and equity liaison, elections, committees, ethics

5. Mid-year planning group report

The 2004 mid-year meeting is scheduled for May 20-22, 2004. Kirk Emerson (USIECR) and Frank Dukes (Institute for Environmental Negotiation, University of Virginia) reported on the initial planning for the meeting, followed by a discussion of strategies and options.

Possible topics so far, from an email distributed before the meeting and augmented at the meeting:

§ Conflict Assessment. Perhaps a one-day session, limited to 20 participants. This would be based on the ongoing work of Mike Eng and Larry Fisher from USIECR with the On-Line Dialogue effort in which many EPP members are participating.

§ ECR Evaluation. Focus would be on discussing findings from various evaluation efforts launched in the last few years and the potential impact on practice, training, etc. This would include the multi-agency ECR case evaluation effort sponsored by USIECR under Patricia Orr's direction.

§ Tribal sessions focused on Native American issues. Among these might be progress on the tribal mediator network that Sarah Palmer from USIECR is coordinating.

§ Collaborative Monitoring. The USIECR FACA committee and many others are interested in this issue, which could be the basis of a session. Larry Fisher from USIECR is willing to assist on this.

§ Institutional developments and their impact on the field. This might include discussion of State DR offices disappearing or devolving, changes in support from foundations, etc.

§ Cultural competency

§ Diversity

§ Case data bases

§ Ethics

It was agreed that the meeting should include field trips, and examples were given for the Seattle area. It was agreed that the meeting would be held in the Northwest area, probably in the Seattle or Portland areas.

Other program suggestions included:

§ Link with recent work at the Salt Lake City, Utah conference in September 2003 of the Community Based Collaboratives Research Consortium (CBCRC)

§ Collaborative research

§ We need to mix and balance urban and "great outdoors" settings and issues

§ Seek links with other Sections: Organizational Conflict Management Section, Research, others

Logistical considerations were also discussed:

§ We need to work two to three years out on planning our mid-year meetings. Look at the recent report of the ACR-wide strategic conference report committee.

§ We need to understand ACR’s selection criteria for mid-year meetings and other ACR policies. For example, the site needs to be accessible and inexpensive, and needs to house all participants. The proposed locations will be assessed and a budget and business plan developed with staff. Staff makes the final site decision.

§ We need to identify partners and colleagues and seek cost sharing and effective joint marketing of the event.

7. Annual ACR 2004 conference in Sacramento, CA

The next annual conference of ACR will be held in Sacramento, CA, September 29 through October 2, 2004.

8. Development of an EPP Leadership Council - budget, continuity, collaborative leadership. This idea has been discussed over the years. It was explained as follows in an email from the co-chairs before the meeting: “The Family Section brought over from AFM a council that acts like an executive committee and is made up of ‘elders’ and others from the Section. This Council also includes a treasurer to help work with the Section Budget. Our council could be composed of past chairs and perhaps used as a vehicle for others who are looking for leadership opportunities within EPP and ACR. This would also serve as a larger network of people who could help guide the co-chairs with their work and provide a sounding board for issues and ideas.”

If all past chairs and co-chairs served on the council, this would involve approximately 20 to 25 people. The purpose would be to help the Section and Section leadership coordinate, communicate, and plan more effectively. When tasks arise, this group would be available to triage and respond.

Several people emphasized the need to include newer members on such a Council. The following people expressed interest at the Section meeting or have mentioned interest in past:

Rosemary Romero Greg Sobel Bob Jones

Frank Dukes Mary Orton Bill Potapchuk

Cindy Cook

If others are interested, or volunteered at the meeting and are not included on the list above, please contact one of the co-chairs: Tom Fee, tomfeenj@aol.com, or Mary Skelton Roberts, mskelton@cbuilding.org. After teleconference planning, an initial meeting will be scheduled for 2004, possibly at the mid year conference

9. Review leadership/committee commitments/liaisons/assignments

Volunteers were requested for various committee and additional roles. If your name was not captured at the meeting, or if you want to volunteer – and we hope you do – contact one of the co-chairs: Tom Fee, tomfeenj@aol.com, or Mary Skelton Roberts, mskelton@cbuilding.org.

BUDGET [new]

(Treasurer) – proposed as function of EPP Leadership Council

COMMUNICATION

Chair - John Stephens, and Cindy Cook, Mary Orton and Lynne Kinnucan (ACR staff)

Publications:

The Critical Issues Papers (Hewlett Foundation funded) have been published and are being disseminated in a variety of ways. These Papers (available at http://www.ACResolution.org/research.nsf/1b16ae2e0ce7b8d285256a380066a51a/897a713b8485c2cf85256cf4006edd61!OpenDocument) were intended to “consider the meaning of environmental and public policy practice and the impact of the field, within the context of public participation, deliberative democracy, and transparency between citizens and their governments” (from the preface to the printed version of the Critical Issues Papers). A working group will assess how to develop new projects, publications and activities based on this initiative.

Web site, e-newsletter and on line development – working with Colin Rule and Lynne Kinnucan

CONFERENCES

Annual ACR 2004 Conference program committee - Greg Bourne, Bill Potapchuk

Mid-year meeting 2004 – Tom Fee (serving as convenor) Michael Mills (local lead Portland, OR), Martha Bean, Joan Calcagno, former Chris Carlson, Frank Dukes, Kirk Emerson, Kris Erbes, Elaine Hallmark, Deb Nudelman, Donna Silverberg, John Stephens, and more to come…

Future midyear conferences 2005 and beyond (new): need volunteers to do site selection based on EPP criteria and begin strategic conference planning process

DIVERSITY AND EQUITY COMMITMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

Diversity Mentoring Workgroup – Co-chairs Juliana Birkhoff and Mary Skelton Roberts and a team including: Jeff Blair, Xantha Bruso, Kathleen Conway, Joan Calcagno, Jan Marie Fritz, Laura Kaplan, Rafael Montalvo, Paddy Moore, Monique Pierel, Gregory Sobel, Larry Williams and Lynne Kinnucan and Mark Wilson from ACR staff.

Diversity and equity liaison to ACR (ACR requirement for all sections) - Rafael Montalvo has been serving in this role for several years. Larry Williams and others have expressed interest

ELECTION/NOMINATIONS

Bob Jones, Martha Bean, Glenn Sigurdson, and others were involved in 2003; we need volunteers for 2004 to begin nomination process and coordination. (This is an ACR requirement and procedure.)

ETHICS

Janice Fleischer has expressed interest. We need additional volunteers.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Includes orientation, welcoming new members, recruitment, services, inquiries, etc.

RESEARCH

Liaison to ACR research section needed. Tom Fee attended in Orlando; we need a volunteer or two.

Project coordination and information sharing: how to keep members updated needs to be discussed

STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

Strategic directions/critical issues papers - Tom Taylor, Frank Dukes, and others

Section future: see leadership council proposal

Additional Committees discussed and/or proposed recently:

§ Advanced practitioner issues and ACR policy – mentioned Bob Jones, Gail Bingham, et al as possible leaders to assist

§ Formal liaison roles to other ACR sections (internal) and other organizations (external)

§ Section Project Development and Fundraising

10. Mentoring commitments

11. U.S. Consensus Council report

12. Advanced practitioner issues revisited – ACR

13. Other business

14. Thanks to Rosemary and next steps - Rosemary Romero was warmly thanked for her service as co-chair of the Section.

15. Adjourn

EPP Section Mid-Year Meeting Minutes - April 2003

Minutes include discussions of EPP Diversity Session, Diversity Mentoring Program, epxectations for Orlando Annual Cofernence, Strategic Planning Session, and Advanced Practitioner Status Discussion Summary. To download the complete document, click here.

This site managed with Dynamic Website Technology from Mediate.com
Products and Services