​NCDD 2010 Austin: From Chaos to Collaboration

 Friday, November 5, 2010 at St. Edward’s University

Update: NCDD 2010 Austin was a great event! Download the Austin Team’s fantastic Event Report, complete with photos, session summaries and resources created by team members for the event. You can also look over the list of attendees on the Eventbrite page.

​Raising the Bar…

NCDD Austin provided a highly interactive workshop where community leaders, elected officials and public managers, students, and public engagement practitioners came together to explore practical and innovative strategies for working together with the public to make today’s difficult choices. A talented group of leaders and subject-matter experts led learning sessions at the event.

​Shout-Out to our Planning Team Members and Event Sponsors

NCDD and St. Edward’s University, New College were the presenting sponsors for the workshop. The event was organized by a dedicated team of engagement practitioners in the Central Texas NCDD Network, led by superstar Diane Miller.
We want to express our deep appreciation to the entire planning team (read their bios here), to Vicki Totten and everyone we worked with at St. Edward’s University, and to our wonderful national and local sponsors for the event (listed below).​

​Check Out These Materials from the Event

​Our Sponsors for the Austin Event

Bluebonnet Hills Christian Church is a unique congregation who have replaced the traditional Sermon Time with a more flexible Dialogue Time. During the Dialogue Time, they use questions intended to deepen understanding of issues related to the practice of their faith. Their goal is to empower people to live meaningful Christian lives in the world of the 21st Century. www.bluebonnethillscc.org
The E3 Alliance is a regional collaborative dedicated to developing a comprehensive, data-driven view of our education landscape to better align educational systems and practices to drive higher outcomes for students and ensure a more efficient allocation of resources, thereby increasing our competitiveness as a region. Founded in 2006 by partners the Austin Area Research Organization, The University of Texas at Austin and Austin Community College District; the E3 Alliance acts as a catalyst for change and is the P-16 Council for the Central Texas region. www.e3alliance.org
Capital Metro provides quality public transportation choices, serving more than 3,000 bus stops with metro, flyer and express routes and UT Shuttle service. Capital Metro also provides MetroAccess service for passengers with disabilities, van and carpool coordination, and freight rail service. Capital Metro has recently launched a new passenger rail system between the City of Leander and the Convention Center in Downtown Austin.
LCRA plays a variety of roles in Central Texas: delivering electricity, managing the water supply and environment of the lower Colorado River basin, developing water and wastewater utilities, providing public recreation areas, and supporting community and economic development. The mission of the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is to provide reliable, low-cost utility and public services in partnership with our customers and communities and to use our leadership and environmental authority to ensure the protection and constructive use of the area’s natural resources. www.lcra.org
Known as the Live Music Capital of the World, the City of Austin is home to nearly 800,000 people within a metropolitan area of around 1.75 million. Founded in 1839, Austin is a magical and attractive place, not only in terms of natural beauty but also in terms of its gravitational pull for people. Austin is wedged between coastal plain and dramatic cliffs, canyons and juniper carpeted rolling hills. The City of Austin is one of a handful of cities nationwide that employs a full-time public participation professional as a part of its in-house staff. www.ci.austin.tx.us

​Sponsoring the Austin event at the Partner level…

The Conflict Resolution Center at the University of Texas in Austin is a non-profit organization that provides free mediation services to companies, clubs, families and individuals. CRC’s mediators use interpersonal techniques and communication strategies to guide participants around impasses. http://crc.communication.utexas.edu/
Greenlights is a catalyst for extraordinary nonprofit performance, bringing leading practices in management and governance to strengthen Central Texas nonprofits. Greenlights provides affordable, high-value management consulting services, professional development workshops and conferences, customized training, and countless hours of free advice and resources to more than 800 nonprofits and 2,500 individuals each year. www.greenlights.org
Liveable City is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and advocacy organization that works to address the long-term social, environmental, and economic needs of the people of Austin. Founded in 2002 by a diverse alliance of public policy experts and seasoned community advocates, Liveable City views individual community issues as part of a complex whole, employing an interdisciplinary approach firmly rooted in rigorous public policy analysis and broad community collaboration. Focusing on the interconnectedness of these issues, Liveable City examines public policies, develops innovative models and strengthens community leadership to address critical issues facing our city and to ensure an equitable and sustainable future for all Austinites. www.liveablecity.org
The American Planning Association is a nonprofit public interest and research organization representing over 39,000 practicing planners, officials, and citizens involved with urban and rural planning issues. The Mission of the Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association is to advocate the profession of planning, providing expertise and processes that empower citizens to be engaged in the development and sustainability of Great Communities in Texas. The Central Texas Section is made up of over 500 planners, students and officials in 34 central Texas counties. www.txplanning.org
Stephanie Nestlerode is a founding partner of Omega Point International, Inc. The consulting firm is dedicated to giving voice to those impacted by a decision. An organizing effort is the sum of its decisions. We focus on nurturing the ability to decide wisely and to deliver effectively and efficiently. Our clients cover nine states and range from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Department of State Health Services to the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department and the Texas Health Institute. www.omegapoint.net
Community Action Network is a collaboration of organizations and individuals in Central Texas who are working together to build a community of equity and opportunity. Our mission is to achieve sustainable social, health, educational and economic outcomes through engaging the community in a planning and implementation process that coordinates and optimizes public, private and individual actions and resources. www.caction.org
Civic Engagement Initiative of the UT Center for Sustainable Development — University of Texas students in Community and Regional Planning learn to engage the public, stakeholders, and communities in collaborative planning. They learn how to design and conduct citizen engagement processes, both face-to-face and on-line. They participate in actual community-based planning projects in Austin and elsewhere and have the opportunity to do research projects exploring cutting-edge tools, processes, and cases. soa.utexas.edu/crp/civic-engagement​
United Way was built on the belief that together, we can accomplish more than any individual or organization can alone. We’re bringing together the hearts, hands and minds of our region to make Central Texas the best place in the country for individuals and families to live and prosper. United Way Capital Area is a locally run chapter of the United Way of America umbrella organization. and serves a 10 county area comprising of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis, and Williamson counties. www.liveunitedcentraltexas.org
Juli Fellows, Ph.D. is an independent organizational consultant in Austin, Texas. She began her practice in 1993, providing meeting facilitation, conflict resolution, and strategic planning services. Juli is a strong facilitator as well as a trained, experienced mediator. Juli has designed and facilitated a number of successful public engagement processes in Central Texas for the Lower Colorado River Authority and the City of Austin. www.docfellows.com
Linda Anderson Welsh, Ph.D. is the department chair of Child Development with the Austin Community College District. During her ten-year tenure at ACC, Linda has contributed to college-wide improvements through service on the Institutional Planning Council, Administrative Services Council and Faculty Senate, most recently as Senate President. Linda’s passion for facilitating community solutions to challenging social and economic problems developed during her thirteen years at the City of Austin, coordinating early childhood services. Linda helped start several community-based initiatives, including Connections Resource Center, Teacher TRAC scholarships, and the Bridge Child Care Voucher Program for Homeless Families. www.austincc.edu/lwelsh/​

​Supporters of the Student Scholarship Fund…

  • Lynn Adams, Adams & Associates
  • LaDonna Coy, Learning Chi, Inc.
  • Andres Galindo, Oficina 12 Arquitectos
  • Carla Nuckols, St. Edward’s University
  • Rod Reyna, Community Solutions
  • Vicki Totten, St. Edward’s University
  • Martha Ward, Refugee Affairs – HHSC – OIRA

​Stay Connected in Central Texas

We kept people updated on the event via the Central-TX-DD list, our discussion list for people in Central Texas who work in dialogue, deliberation and public engagement. Subscribe by sending a blank email to [email protected].

We also encourage you to subscribe to our main Conference Updates announcement list, to receive periodic updates about all upcoming NCDD events. Send a blank email to this email address to subscribe).

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Visit the Austin event on Facebook to connect with fellow participants.

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