NCDD's 2010 Regional Events
In 2010, rather than holding a single National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation, we are working with our members to organize regional one-day events in 5 cities across the country:
- Denver, Colorado - The Wellshire Inn on Friday, October 22, 2010
- San Francisco, California - De Anza College on Friday, October 29, 2010
- Boston, Massachusetts - UMass Boston on Friday, October 29, 2010
- Austin, Texas - St. Edwards on Friday, November 5, 2010
- Portland, Oregon - Concordia University - November 13, 2010
We also plan to hold a follow-up event in Washington DC in early 2011, focusing on lessons learned at the fall events and next steps for NCDD.
Focus of the Events
The events will build on what we learned in the past year and a half from our involvement in the White House's Open Government Initiative, and through efforts like the creation of the Core Principles for Public Engagement. With the increase in national and local attention to open government and public engagement, members of the dialogue and deliberation community are focusing in on three critical topic areas:
- Quality Public Engagement: What is quality public engagement and how do we educate others about it so it becomes broadly adopted?
- Online Engagement: How can online technology enhance public engagement?
- Collaborations that Work: How can we strengthen connections between public administrators, engagement practitioners and the public?
The events will focus on connecting practitioners, community leaders and public managers locally to help build knowledge and capacity around these three topics.
Consider Sponsoring or Partnering with One or All of the Events!
Our Sponsors and Partners will help strengthen local capacity to bridge divides and solve complex community challenges by fostering networking and knowledge-sharing among dialogue and deliberation professionals, citizens and public managers.
All-Star Sponsor: Sponsor all of NCDD’s regional events with your contribution of $1,500 or more
Sponsor: Sponsor the event in your region for $500 (or sponsor more than one event at $400 each)
Partner: Be a Partner for the event in your region for $250
Click here for details about sponsorship benefits and info about how to become a Sponsor or Partner.
Get Involved or Stay Informed
If you're interested in contributing something at one of the events or just want to learn more, contact Sandy Heierbacher, NCDD's Director (sandy@thataway.org) with your interest.
And we encourage you to subscribe to our Conference Updates List, an email announcement list we use strictly to share periodic updates about our upcoming events. To subscribe to this list for updates, simply send a blank message to this email address.
Event Details
NCDD Denver
Friday, October 22, 2010 at the Wellshire Inn
Thanks to NCDD volunteer Ashlee Stadig, a recent masters graduate at the University of Denver, we are holding the Denver event at the beautiful Wellshire Inn, which overlooks the Wellshire Golf Course and has spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver.
The Wellshire is centrally located in Denver at South Colorado Blvd and Hampden with easy access from downtown Denver, the Denver Tech Center and the airport.
Denver was the site of our National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation in 2004, held at Regis University.
NCDD Boston
Friday, October 29, 2010 at UMass Boston
Our local host for the Boston event is the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration (MODR). MODR is a free-standing statutory institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston, formerly known as the Massachusetts Office of Dispute Resolution & Public Collaboration. The office recently changed its name to better reflect its expanded mission which includes consensus-building, collaborative problem-solving and public deliberation, in addition to public policy dispute resolution.
MODR builds capacity for conflict resolution and prevention and facilitates collaboration and consensus-building within public entities and across sectors state-wide. MODR works with government agencies, courts, businesses, non-profits and citizen groups to address complex issues related to economic development, environmental resource management, land use, agriculture, transportation, housing, health care and other important community objectives. MODR's work results in cost savings for the state and its citizens through reduced litigation and settlement expenses and enhanced capacity for effective problem-solving and civic engagement on major public initiatives in the Commonwealth.
NCDD San Francisco
Friday, October 29, 2010 at De Anza College in Cupertino, CA (near San Francisco).
Our San Francisco Bay Area event is hosted by De Anza College's Institute for Community and Civic Engagement (ICCE). De Anza College is a major force in the social, cultural, and economic life of what has come to be known worldwide as the "Silicon Valley." The college is a large, regional, multicultural community college serving over 23,000 students per year, of whom over 73% racially identify as non-white. It regularly ranks as one of the top three institutions in California in terms of how many students it transfers to the UC and CSU systems.
De Anza's Institute of Community and Civic Engagement advances education for democracy with full participation of all of our communities as its core value.
Kim Pearce, who has been teaching at De Anza in the Speech Communication department for over 20 years, helped us secure the space, and the Public Dialogue Consortium, which Kim co-founded, is helping organize the event.
NCDD Austin
Friday, November 5, 2010 at St. Edward's University
Diane Miller, Assistant Director at Envision Central Texas, is leading the planning effort for this event, and Vicki Totten, Coordinator of St. Edward's New College, is our contact with host St. Edward's University, a private, liberal arts university founded by the Brothers of Holy Cross. Its mission is focused on encouraging individuals to confront the critical issues of society and to seek justice and peace. New College is the part of the university that educates working adults.
The Austin event is titled "From Chaos to Collaboration: Public Engagement Strategies for the 21st Century."
NCDD Portland
Saturday, November 13, 2010 at Concordia University
Our local host for the Portland event is the City of Portland Office of Neighborhood Involvement.
The mission of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI) is to promote a culture of civic engagement by connecting and supporting all Portlanders working together and with government to build inclusive, safe and livable neighborhoods and communities. ONI was established in 1974, and the office serves as a vital communication link between residents, neighborhoods, and City of Portland bureaus. ONI works in partnership with many organizations including Neighborhood Associations, District Coalitions, Business District Associations other City agencies, and a wide range of community organizations and neighborhood activists to involve and inform the public in the civic life of the City. In addition, ONI provides a wide range of neighborhood livability direct services.
