National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation Thanks Lori Britt for Board Leadership and Welcomes Christian Ohonba, Logan Steppan, and Peter Schutz as incoming Interim Board Chairs

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation announces the conclusion of Lori Britt's tenure as Board Chair and welcomes Christian Ohonba, Logan Steppan, and Peter Schutz as incoming Interim Board Chairs, marking a significant moment of leadership transition for the organization. Britt, Associate Professor and Director of the Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue at James Madison University, brought deep scholarly and practitioner expertise to her board leadership, contributing to NCDD's credibility and capacity across her tenure. The three incoming chairs bring complementary strengths in systems-centered equity work, community and policy facilitation, and grassroots civic engagement — together reflecting the diversity of practice and perspective that NCDD's network represents. This transition reinforces NCDD's commitment to distributed, values-driven leadership in service of a stronger dialogue and deliberation field.

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Celebrating a Legacy of Leadership - Thank you, Lori!

​Leadership transitions are never easy, especially in a community built on relationships, collaboration, and shared stewardship.

After years of dedicated service, Lori Britt has concluded her tenure as NCDD Board Chair after serving two terms.

Throughout her time on the board, Lori has been a steady, thoughtful, and deeply trusted leader whose influence has shaped not only the decisions we made but also how we made them. She helped guide NCDD through an executive leadership transition, strengthened our governance, welcomed and mentored new board members, and consistently kept our focus on the long-term health of the organization and the broader dialogue and deliberation community. When her board term ended, Lori graciously extended her service to ensure NCDD had the time and stability needed to recruit and onboard a new generation of board leaders before stepping away.

Lori’s leadership has always reflected the very values NCDD exists to promote. She brought wisdom without ego, encouragement without hesitation, and accountability with deep care. She had a remarkable ability to ask thoughtful questions, keep us grounded in our mission, and help us navigate complex decisions with clarity and compassion. Lori consistently reminded us that our work is ultimately about people, relationships, and the human connections that make meaningful dialogue possible.

At Lori’s final board meeting, members reflected on her legacy with overwhelming gratitude. They spoke of her generosity, her calm presence during moments of uncertainty, her willingness to mentor and support others, and the confidence she inspired simply by showing up with integrity and care. Again and again, one theme emerged: Lori’s leadership was never about seeking the spotlight. It was about helping others grow, creating space for people to lead, and building the trust that allows a community to flourish. Through her steady presence, thoughtful questions, and remarkable ability to bring out the best in those around her, she helped cultivate a board and an organization that are stronger because of her.

Please join us in celebrating Lori and thanking her for her extraordinary years of service to NCDD. We are deeply grateful for the wisdom, care, and steadfast leadership she has shared with this community. While we’re sad to see her step away from the Board, we’re grateful to know she’ll remain an active member of the NCDD community, and we look forward to the many ways she’ll continue to strengthen our field.

Welcoming Our New Co-Chairs!

NCDD is pleased to announce that Christian Ohonba, Logan Steppan, and Peter Schutz have stepped into interim Board Chair roles, bringing a rich and complementary set of experiences to organizational leadership at a consequential moment for the field. Christian Ohonba is a PMP-certified project manager and macro-focused MSW candidate at the University of Houston whose work bridges technology, equity, and human-centered systems design across social impact and SaaS sectors — with a particular focus on expanding access to macro career pathways for social workers and building sustainable, people-centered structures. Logan Steppan is the founder and CEO of Creek Consulting, a master facilitator with roots in the Center for Public Deliberation at Colorado State University whose practice has engaged government, community, and policy conversations at local, state, and national levels. Peter Schutz brings more than three decades of experience leading small discussion and study groups in New Jersey, grounded in a conviction that energized democracy can be built from the ground up through sustained civic conversation — alongside a professional background spanning engineering consulting, mediation, adjunct instruction, and expert witness work.

​This leadership transition reflects something central to NCDD's identity: that the dialogue and deliberation field is strengthened when leadership itself is diverse, distributed, and rooted in practice. Ohonba, Steppan, and Schutz each bring distinct vantage points — spanning systems design, community facilitation, and grassroots civic engagement — that together represent the breadth of the NCDD membership and the many forms that this work takes across communities and contexts. NCDD is grateful to all three for their willingness to serve and looks forward to the directions their collective leadership will open for the organization and the field. Members are encouraged to reach out, get involved, and continue building the network that makes this work possible. Learn more about NCDD's leadership and how to get involved at https://www.ncdd.org/board.html​