FIC Process Clearinghouse

Are you dissatisfied with the quality of your meetings? Is your group confused about process agreements? Do you need help dealing with a "hot" issue? The people listed here may be able to help.

Welcome to the Fellowship for Intentional Community's Process Consultant Clearinghouse.

One of the FIC's most frequently asked questions is who can offer group process training, or expert outside facilitation for handling a difficult topic. Because we believe that how groups make decisions and how they learn to work together effectively is one of the most important challenges of community, we offer this clearinghouse of people who put themselves forward as process consultants.

There's a lot of variety in what groups need and what experts offer. Areas of support may include consensus decision-making, skilled facilitation, conflict mediation, values clarification, organizational structure, and more. Because there is so much subjectivity in assessing how well a particular consultant is able to help a specific group, the FIC makes no recommendation about anyone on the list. Instead, we offer this advice to potential users:

1. Interview the candidate to see if they have experience and ideas that appeal to you about how to work constructively with your particular situation. (Note: Some people may be better at teaching process theory than demonstrating how to practice it, and vice versa—be clear about what you want the consultant to do.)

2. Ask for and check references. Ask especially about clients who wanted help of a kind similar to what you are seeking.

3. Be clear on what the fee covers. Besides the work on site, possibilities include handouts, follow-up consultation by phone or email after the visit, a written report afterward, and more.

4. Find out how long the consultant has been offering their services professionally.

Fees need to be negotiated directly with the consultant. If anyone gets work as a result of being listed here, they have been asked to donate 5% of fees to FIC (exclusive of expenses), to help maintain our program of services for and about community living. If you hire someone through having read their listing here, please let both us and the consultant know.

We are also interested in hearing your experiences with this service, whether or not the consultants listed were helpful to you, and how things turned out. If you are a consultant who wants to be listed here, you may contact us. Or if you know of a consultant who you think should be listed here, send us their contact info and we'll get in touch.

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Process Consultant List

Click your region below:

USA:
West (CA, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA)
Southwest (AZ, CO, NM, TX)
Middle Plains (KS, MT, NE, OK, ND, SD, WY)
Midwest (IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI)
Southeast (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, WV)
Midatlantic (DC, DE, MD, VA)
Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NY, NJ, NH, PA, RI, VT)

Others:
Canada (western: BC, AB, SK, MB)
Canada (eastern: ON, QC, NB, NS)
Mexico
Europe

West (WA, OR, ID, CA, NV, UT)

Tree Bressen
1990 Orchard St., Eugene, OR 97403
541-343-3855
tree@ic.org
www.treegroup.info

Facilitation and workshops on consensus, conflict resolution, meeting facilitation and more, plus a website offering extensive free resources. While I work with a variety of nonprofits and other organizations, my base is in communities of people who live and work together. I've been involved with the communities movement for over a decade, and bring a deep caring to this work—group process is truly my passion. My workshops are consistently reviewed as informative, fun, and practical.

Irina Contreras
Night Kitchen. 6143 Fountain Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-679-5573
colaconcontra@gmail.com

Irina has worked as a group facilitator and mediator with experience in conflict resolution within collectives, worker cooperatives and intentional communities. She specializes in organizational and community development, strategic planning, and educational justice and reform.

Kristen Gardner
1112 Harrison St., Berkeley CA 94706
415-205-9111
kgardner@mcn.org

I have over 15 years of experience working with consensus-based groups as a member, facilitator, and consultant. I recently completed my Masters Degree in Organization Development to expand my skills in helping groups identify their goals and how to reach them. I can offer meeting planning and facilitation; training in consensus, facilitation and communication; and a participatory process of problem solving and communication. This process increases the group's skills while solving its own concerns.

Goodenough Community (5 listings)
2007 33rd Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98144
206-323-4653
goodenough@aboutcommunity.org
www.aboutcommunity.org

John L. Hoff, Th.D.
John Hoff co-founded the Goodenough Community with his wife Colette more than thirty years ago as a way to develop leaders and effective participants for a peaceful and sustainable society. John has a lifetime of experience as a trainer and in community development, for NIMH, NTL, church and social groups and universities, as well as intentional communities. John is an interfaith pastor and a therapist practicing family and couples counseling in the Seattle area.

M. Colette Hoff, M.Ed.
Colette Hoff co-founded the Goodenough Community along with her husband John. She is a life-long learner and has made the learning process her life focus. She has a Master's degree in education and is a pastoral counselor as well as a pastor in the interfaith tradition. A Taoist by nature, Colette is a sensitive relational coach and a family life educator. She teaches group facilitation skills and is an effective organizational trainer.

Richard Kenagy, Ph.D.
Richard Kenagy is a research scientist at the University of Washington, is married and has three children. He has been instrumental in developing the men's culture and program in the Goodenough Community, and currently co-leads the Conscious Couple's Network with his wife Lee. Richard has been president of our community council, and is well-trained in group process and facilitation. Richard has been a member of the community for 24 years.

Rebecca LiaBraaten
Rebecca is on the staff of the community as Outreach Director. She has a background in organic agriculture, both as a grower and as a field advisor. She is a skilled negotiator and group facilitator. Rebecca has three children and has helped raise several foster children. She is on the board of the Northwest Intentional Communities Association and is responsible for the newsletter. Rebecca lives in a communitarian household of 2 children and 6 adults.

Kirsten Rohde, R.N.
A former union organizer, Kirsten is an experienced and well-trained facilitator, administrator, and negotiator. She has held a number of leadership roles in the Goodenough Community in the last 18 years, as well as having an extensive background in group dynamics and facilitation in her professional life. She is a nurse, currently working with US Veterans, as well as administrator of an Alzheimer's research project. Kirsten also has interest in communitarian finances and alternative currencies.

You may contact any of these people through the Goodenough Community Office, listed above.

John Perkins
5201 22nd Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
206-524-4496
newroots@drizzle.com

In egalitarian communities the same people conceive, decide, implement and live with the results of important actions. I customize my facilitation to help you with the situation at hand while respecting the nature of your community. I can also facilitate real issues--like power--in ways that will strengthen your community. I believe that we can always create a way through that holds the group together while advancing the discussion.

Julie Rodwell
Community Facilitation and Development
2048 Court St. NE, Salem, OR 97301
503-371-3912
julie.cfd@ccountry.net
www.buildingbettercommunity.com

Our mission is to help create better communities nationwide through creation of stronger community written agreements. We assist communities to create the written procedures and handouts they need in order to attract new members and deal with each other clearly. Tap owner Julie Rodwell's 20-year experience as a trainer, facilitator, editor, researcher and writer, and as a founding member and seven-year resident of Winslow Cohousing.

Eris Weaver
FrogSong
101 Ross Street #5, Cotati, CA 94931
707-338-8589
eris@erisweaver.info
www.erisweaver.info

I work with cohousing communities, other intentional communities, and nonprofits to:
* Facilitate meetings on difficult or emotional issues
* Coach process teams on agenda planning and facilitation techniques
* Teach workshops on consensus and other collaborative decision-making techniques; communication skills; and conflict resolution.
I am based in Northern California, but available to travel.

Southwest (AZ, NM, TX, CO)

Eric Best, Ph.D.
Mariposa Group Community
PO Box 86, Bivins, TX 75555
903-799-6161
MariposaGroup@netscape.net
www.MariposaGroup.org

Community building, conflict resolution and issues of power, control, and decision making are so often all wrapped up together that to approach just one issue separately is to invite less than full success. The "community" work I offer successfully integrates and addresses all these issues across the full range of people interactions: physically, emotionally, socially, mentally and spiritually. Founder of the Mariposa Group Community. Offering this work for 20 years to communities, private groups and corporations.

Shari Leach
Wonderland Hill Development Company
745 Poplar Ave., Boulder, CO 80304
303-449-3232
shari@whdc.com
www.whdc.com

I work primarily with cohousing groups. Together we clarify their vision, shared values, methods for decision making, and expectations. I facilitate groups' clear communication, setting realistic goals, with a focus on the intention behind decisions. I have an MA in Facilitating Community Development, and have developed a workbook to guide groups through their important forming stage. I also do consulting work with other non-profits. I'm a former president of the board of The Cohousing Network.

Ma'ikwe Ludwig
Sol Space Consulting
New Mexico (+ Arizona, Colorado, Midwest)
505-514-8180
maikwe@solspace.net
www.solspace.net

Sol Space Consulting offers facilitation and consensus training, consulting around group process and structure, outside facilitation for challenging meetings, and a variety of workshops for groups. Ma'ikwe has lived in community for 12 years, and is a founder of Zialua Ecovillage in Albuquerque, NM; her training includes the two year dynamic facilitation training with Laird Schaub and Betty Didcoct. Website includes a "common group challenges" list, bios of Ma'ikwe and her partners, and articles.

Middle Plains (MT, WY, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK)

No listings currently in this area

Midwest (MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, IN, MI, OH)

Jacob Stevens Corvidae
2718 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit, MI 48216
313-961-0264
jacob@ic.org

I have 4 years of experience in consensus and meeting facilitation in intentional community and not-for-profit organizations. I generally only facilitate and provide consensus and facilitation training "on the side" as requested. As such, I primarily offer myself as an inexpensive option for local groups (Michigan and Northern Ohio).

Insight Unlimited
Grace Potts (in MI)
734-975-1293
grace@insightunlimited.org

Please see Insight Unlimited's main listing in the Midatlantic and Northeast section.

Laird Schaub
Rt. 1, Box 155, Rutledge MO 63563
660-883-5545
laird@ic.org
sandhillfarm.org/canbridge.html

Laird's work is rooted in 29 years of community living and 24 years of active involvement with consensus-based nonprofits. Since 1987, he's been a consultant about consensus, up-tempo meeting facilitation, conflict, and organizational structure. Key to his approach is encouraging people to welcome the full range of human responses. This expressly includes non-rational input—such as emotional, intuitive, and spiritual—in recognition that people know, process, and transmit information in a wide variety of ways.

Albert Schinazi
Integrative Solutions/Community Construction
7928 Barlum Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46240
317-259-0759
albert@integrativesol.com
www.integrativesol.com

Facilitation of groups that heightens self-awareness, encourages creativity, values each voice, fosters self-organization, and inspires movement toward cooperative decision-making and action. Meeting formats include: Dialogue, Open Space Technology, Appreciative Inquiry, & Community Building Workshops. Training in Nonviolent Communication and Mediation. Extensive Construction related experience. Over 25 years experience in Sustainable Community Development, Design, Construction, Consultation and Inspection. Excellent ability to interface with Residents, Contractors, Architects, Municipalities, and Stakeholders on specific issues or complete Project Management.

Ann Waterhouse
PO Box 332, Cottage Grove, WI 53527
608-839-3229
Eagleforth@aol.com

The work I love most is process facilitation, working to identify the challenges the group faces, finding the question(s) and facilitating a process that will help them uncover their path through these challenges. I have been consulting for over 20 years and am currently self-employed with EagleHeart Consulting. I have worked with people in intentional communities in the past, on both conflict/mediation work and coming to agreement on vision and values for their community.

Southeast (AR, LA, MS, TN, KY, AL, GA, FL, SC, NC, WV)

Patricia Allison
Earthaven
1025 Camp Elliott Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711
828-664-0067
ehpa@earthlink.net

I offer weekend consensus workshops, 1-2 day facilitation workshops, and meeting facilitation. Also, in late February 2003, after completing mediation training, i will begin offering mediation services. Experience: 20 years practice in consensus decision-making, 10 years of active facilitation, 5 years teaching consensus process. Training: Caroline Estes, C.T. Butler, Bea Briggs, Rob Sandelin. My most profound training, however, has been as a facilitator at Continental Bioregional Congresses and Earthaven Ecovillage Council meetings.

Arjuna da Silva
Earthaven Ecovillage
1041 Camp Elliott Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711
828-669-0114
arjunama@aol.com
www.earthaven.org

Arjuna da Silva is a founding member of Earthaven Ecovillage, offering experienced group process and Consensus facilitation and education. A counselor and hypnotherapist, she's studied Process Work with Arnold and Amy Mindell, and trained in various Consensus decision-making styles. "Adding Process Work to Consensus brings the group's background into focus with the foreground." A graduate of the New School for Social Research, she is committed to building a natural life at Earthaven.

Midatlantic (MD, DE, DC, VA)

C.T. Butler
Food Not Bombs Publishing
7304 Carroll Ave., #136, Takoma Park, MD 20912
800-569-4054/301-270-0401
ctbutler@consensus.net
www.consensus.net

C.T. Butler is the co-author of the book On Conflict and Consensus and is the creator of the consensus process known as Formal Consensus. He is available for facilitating and consulting in consensus decision making, better meeting process and conducting conflict audits.

Northeast (PA, NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, NH, RI, ME)

Alejandra Liora Adler
1562 First Ave. #284, New York, NY 10028
Please note that most of the year I am traveling in South America, so email is a better way to contact me.
liora@lacaravana.org
www.lacaravana.org

Meeting facilitation and workshops in consensus decision-making and conflict resolution. Training of facilitators. Bilingual English/Spanish. I have taught workshops and/or facilitated meetings in fourteen countries. Co-founder of Huehuecoyotl Ecovillage in Mexico and la Caravana Arcoiris por la Paz. I have a creative, dynamic approach to my work and emphasize practice sessions in workshops. I am working on applying consensus process to daily life and spiritual growth as well as to governmental structures in South America.

Giovanni Ciarlo
In US: PO Box 811, Watertown, CT 06795
In Mexico: Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl, Apartado 111, Tepoztlan, Morelos 62520 Mexico
In US: 860-945-0056
In Mexico: 739-395-5077
giovanni@ecovillage.org
www.iifac.org

I've participated in Consensus, Facilitation and Conflict Resolution in communities of various kinds (nomadic and place specific) since 1977, and helped found Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl in Mexico where I presently reside. Am fluent in English and Spanish and can manage well in Italian and French. I've received Facilitation training with Caroline Estes and Bea Briggs. In 2002 I became an associate member of the International Institute for Facilitation and Consensus.

Craig Freshley
Policy Development, Inc.
98 Maine Street, Brunswick, ME 04011
Craig@Freshley.com
www.Policy-Development.com

I offer professional meeting facilitation on all topics with a focus on efficiency, inclusiveness, and good documentation. I help groups decide missions, work plans, etc. I live in a cohousing community and I'm especially experienced at consensus decision making. Please visit my website to see what others have said and a list of clients.

Greg Hessel
181 Washington St., Keene, NH 03431
603-357-6873
ghessel@mfs.org
cheshiremediation.org

I have 15 years experience living in communities (domestic and international) and currently teach in a conflict management program (Woodbury College, VT) and direct a community mediation center. I assist groups with meeting process, consensus building, visioning and conflict resolution plus offer free monthly electronic newsletters with practical tips. I usually start my work with an assessment and then partner with clients to design trainings or interventions to best meet their needs.

Insight Unlimited
P.O. Box 44
Middletown, CT 06457
www.insightunlimited.org

Alice Leibowitz (in CT)
860-956-9299
alice@insightunlimited.org

Insight Unlimited provides facilitation, process training, mediation, and strategic planning services to communities, grass-roots organizations and non-profits. We believe that groups have the wisdom to create solutions for themselves--our role is to create a space for that wisdom to emerge. Please feel welcome to call us for a free 2 hour consultation. Our services are free or low cost for communities working to create affordable housing for the lowest income brackets ($25K/year or less).

Also see Insight Unlimited's MI listing in the Midwest section.

Julie Mazo
3 Mountain Laurel Path, Florence MA 01062
413-587-0798
jmazo@crocker.com

Nine years membership in Shannon Farm intentional community, member of Pathways Cohousing community since 1998; 23 years as professional facilitator, mediator, trainer of conflict management skills and consensus decision-making processes; consultant in organizational capacity-building and strategic action planning; design and conduct retreats, skill-development and problem-solving sessions; facilitate community-wide meetings to deal with difficult issues. As a way to support the communities movement, I charge communities for expenses only.

Claus Sproll
AdminService.org
PO Box 401, Uwchland, PA 19480
610-291-4887
info@adminservice.org
www.adminservice.org

AdminService supports administrators in private schools, Waldorf schools, intentional communities and business managers in both schools and nonprofit organizations. AdminService is not a consulting service, but specializes in working alongside you on the project, simultaneously completing the project and training your staff. Projects range from Strategic Planning, board development, administrative reviews, policy and procedure manuals and transition from pioneer to administrative phase. We also can work on financial aspects of your organization. We bring a spiritual orientation to the work.

Canada (western: BC, AB, SK, MB)

April English
YES Resolution Group Inc.
94953 Prince Albert St., Vancouver, B.C. V5W 3C5
604-325-4553
april_english@telus.net
www.yes.bc.ca

April has worked as a mediator, facilitator and trainer, and believes passionately in our potential to work together with respect and equality. She specializes in organizational and community development, strategic planning, multiparty conflict intervention and mediation, adult education, and workplace issues of discrimination and communication. She has extensive experience in housing communities, and has worked as a mediator and trainer for both the Cooperative Housing Federation of B.C. and the Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada.

Stuart McKinnon
3136 The Middle Road, Nelson, B.C. V1L 6M3
250-825-0012
buffalo.sage@shaw.ca

I offer consultation to small groups in the areas of community building, meeting design and management, consensus facilitation, and conflict resolution. Now retired, my relevant experience arises largely from my career in a large public university where my professional responsibilities included organization development and governance. I live in a cohousing community in Nelson, BC.

Jan Steinman
EcoReality
160 Sharp Road, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2P6
250-537-2024
Jan@bytesmiths.com
www.EcoReality.org
Jan offers training and implementation on computer-assisted process management, including collaborative document authoring, on-line consensus making, policy development, decision modeling and recording, coop formation, asset management, financial organization, and more. Jan has 20 years consulting experience in addressing social issues with technology, having done process management consulting in Switzerland, Canada, and various US locations.

Canada (eastern: ON, QC, NB, NS)

Manon Gaudreau
4430 rue de Niverville, Saint-Hubert, Qc J3Y 9E9, Canada
450-550-1213
manon@ncf.ca
www.celebratingcommunity.ca

I offer my services as a facilitator to small groups, in French or English. I invite groups to welcome diversity of personalities and opinions, to honor the self-organizing co-creative energy of the group and to collaborate in non-linear problem-solving. I have lived in community and have experience as a teacher and as a therapist. I enjoy meditation, yoga, massage and computers.

Mexico

Beatrice Briggs
International Institute for Facilitation and Consensus
Plaza Corporativa #113, Domingo Diez 1589, Col. El Empleado, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62250 Mexico
Tel/Fax: +52 (777)1022288 and 1022290
bbriggs@iifac.org
www.iifac.org

Meeting planning and facilitation, conflict resolution, training in consensus decision-making and facilitation, consulting on organizational change. Because I am a USer who lives in an ecovillage in Mexico and has worked extensively in Latin America and Europe, one of my specialties is working with diverse, multi-cultural groups and meetings that require translation. I am bilingual (English-Spanish). I also am experienced in working with large groups, annual assemblies, board meetings and other complex gatherings.

Europe

David A. Lillie, S.E.P.
Appleby Lodge, Ballyshemane
Rathdrum, County Wicklow, Ireland
+353-404-43656
davey@greens.org
www.amuart.com - Facilitation Services

Specializing in teaching and performing consensus (or agreement seeking) facilitation of small or large groups, since 1992. I have helped and empowered many groups to improve the efficiency of their meetings, resolve conflicts in difficult situations—and held or co-led several facilitation trainings. My clients include small cooperative households, communities, small businesses, state-wide meetings, national congresses of the Greens/Green Party USA and organizing facilitation of the 2000 Association of State Green Parties National Nominating Convention.