Join NCDD Webinar on May 22nd - Rethinking Inclusivity: Expanding the Invitation in Public Engagement

Join us for NCDD’s upcoming webinar, Rethinking Inclusivity: Expanding the Invitation in Public Engagement, on Thursday, May 22, from 1–2:30 pm Eastern / 10–11:30 am Pacific. As conversations about diversity and inclusion grow more polarized, this session will explore how we can reimagine inclusive public engagement in ways that resonate across political, cultural, and geographic divides. Co-presenters Elena Martínez-Torres (Sustained Dialogue Institute), Phillipe Cunningham (Urban Rural Action), Siri Erickson (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement), and Tahnee Robertson (Southwest Decision Resources) will share practical strategies for broadening participation, evolving language, and building welcoming spaces that reflect the full diversity of our communities. Learn more in the post below and register here!

---

---

Register Here!

As public conversations about diversity and inclusion grow more polarized, dialogue and deliberation practitioners face both a pressing challenge and a powerful opportunity. How can we respond to shifting narratives in ways that deepen our commitment to broad and equitable public engagement? And how might evolving language norms create new openings to engage those who are unfamiliar with—or even skeptical of—our work?

This webinar invites a conversation about how today’s political climate, while undeniably complex, can help us reimagine inclusion in more expansive and creative ways. We’ll explore strategies for engaging beyond the “usual suspects”—intentionally welcoming rural and politically conservative participants, connecting across generations, and reaching communities who often remain on the sidelines of public life.

Together with leaders already making strides in these areas, we’ll reflect on how to build spaces that resonate with wider audiences, evolve our vocabularies thoughtfully, and stay rooted in the principles that guide our work.

Join us for a rich and timely conversation about how to meet this moment with creativity, courage, and care—and how we can build more inclusive practices that truly reflect the full diversity of our communities.

Co-Presenters:

• Elena Martínez-Torres - Sustained Dialogue Institute, SDI Program Director
• Phillipe Cunningham - Urban Rural Action, Senior Director of Pluralism in Democracy
• Siri Erickson - Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), Manager for Learning, Strategy, and Experimentation
• Tahnee Robertson - Southwest Decision Resources (SDR), Director and Senior Facilitator

About the Presenters

Elena Martínez-Torres
​
As Program Director for the Sustained Dialogue Institute, Elena Martínez-Torres, supports an international network of college students and campus professionals in building collaborative problem-solving skills and implementing the Sustained Dialogue Process. She also directs a portfolio of Sustained Dialogue programs for workplaces, and communities. Elena is a social-community psychologist, dialogue facilitator, and social researcher. Over the last 10 years, Elena has supported cross-sector collaborations to enable research development and inform public policy in Puerto Rico. In addition to Sustained Dialogue, she has trained in robust methodologies and processes such as Theory U, Reflective Structured Dialogue, and Deliberative Dialogue.  Before joining the SDI team, Elena worked as a Program Coordinator at Agenda Ciudadana (Citizens’ Agenda), a not-for-profit organization focused on strengthening participatory democracy in Puerto Rico.

Phillipe Cunningham

Phillipe Cunningham is the Senior Director of Pluralism in Politics, an emerging UR Action initiative. He is a thought leader in values-driven leadership and strategy with over fifteen years of experience equipping changemakers with the skills and tools to drive systemic change. He has designed and facilitated prestigious leadership programs that collectively serve 600 diverse leaders annually across the U.S., U.S. territories, and Indian Country, including the Obama Leaders USA program at the Barack Obama Foundation. Phillipe is also the first transmasculine person of color elected to office in the United States. In addition to serving on UR Action’s Executive Team, Phillipe is the Founder and Principal of the Excellence in Changemaking Institute (ECI). As a fractional Chief Program and Strategy Officer, he partners with mission-driven organizations to close the gaps between vision and impact through transformative leadership development, strategic planning and implementation, and organizational capacity building. Phillipe has a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership and Civic Engagement from Claremont Lincoln University and is a Certified Public Manager.

Siri Erickson

Dr. Siri Erickson is a seasoned leader and public speaker with over two decades of experience at the intersection of public engagement, equity and inclusion, and organizational leadership. Currently the Manager for Learning, Strategy, and Experimentation at Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) and founder of Compassionate Way coaching and consulting, she works with individuals, teams, and social sector organizations to advance inclusive practices with creativity and courage. For the last three years at PACE, Siri has advanced insights and conversations about language related to democracy, civic engagement, and racial equity through PACE's Civic Language Perceptions Project. A former Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Gustavus Adolphus College, Siri has designed and led large-scale initiatives that build capacity for equity, dialogue, and institutional change. She holds a doctorate in contemplative leadership, is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory, and brings a unique blend of strategic insight, relational depth, and commitment to building more just and vibrant communities. 

Tahnee Robertson

Tahnee is a professional facilitator, mediator, and collaboration practitioner. For the past 25 years, in the U.S. and internationally, her project work has included forest planning and management, large landscape conservation, outdoor recreation planning, urban planning, watershed collaboratives, collaborative adaptive management, community visioning, and youth engagement. She specializes in designing and supporting place-based collaboratives and peer-to-peer networks. Tahnee has a Bachelor’s in Biology from Grinnell College and a Master's in Natural Resources from Cornell University. She is fluent in Spanish.

Registration: Linked here