Welcoming Peter Schutz to the NCDD Board

NCDD welcomes Peter Schutz to its Board of Directors, recognizing his decades-long commitment to strengthening democracy through small-group dialogue in New Jersey. Blending technical expertise with a deep dedication to human connection, Peter has spent more than 30 years creating spaces where everyday citizens can explore complex issues, listen across differences, and build shared understanding. His work as an engineer, mediator, counselor, and discussion group leader reflects a lifelong belief that democratic renewal grows from authentic, community-level engagement. As he joins the board, Peter brings extensive practical experience, values rooted in justice and inclusion, and a conviction that ordinary people can shape their collective future—contributions that will enrich NCDD’s mission to advance dialogue and deliberation nationwide.

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The National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation is pleased to welcome Peter Schutz to its Board of Directors. For more than three decades, Peter has been quietly but persistently building the infrastructure of civic engagement in New Jersey, one small discussion group at a time. His belief in the transformative power of face-to-face dialogue aligns perfectly with NCDD's mission to strengthen democracy through meaningful conversation and collaborative problem-solving.
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Peter's vision is both simple and profound: that an energized democracy can emerge when everyday citizens gather in small study groups to grapple with the issues that shape their communities and nation. This grassroots approach to civic participation reflects NCDD's core understanding that democratic renewal doesn't happen through grand gestures alone, but through sustained, authentic engagement at the community level.

A Career Bridging Technical Excellence and Human Connection

Peter brings a unique combination of technical expertise and people-centered leadership to the NCDD board. As the founder and president of Schutz Engineering, a consulting firm he established in 1985, Peter has managed more than 150 projects and coordinated over 300 consultants. His work has ranged from developing precision fluidic systems for medical equipment at Siemens to providing engineering management at Distek, Inc., where he led teams in new product development.

What distinguishes Peter's professional journey is how he has consistently paired his engineering acumen with roles that center on human relationships and understanding. He has served as a counselor to inventors and small business owners, helping them navigate the challenges of bringing ideas to life. As a trained mediator, he has facilitated resolution between parties in conflict. As an adjunct instructor, he has shared knowledge with the next generation. These experiences have given him deep insight into how people communicate, collaborate, and find common ground even amid disagreement.
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Peter holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and a Master of Science in the same field from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Yet his education extends far beyond formal credentials. Through decades of leading discussion groups on social issues, peacemaking, and foreign policy, he has cultivated the art of creating spaces where diverse perspectives can be heard and explored with respect and curiosity.

Values That Guide the Work

Peter's commitment to dialogue is inseparable from his commitment to justice. He openly expresses his hope to see morality and justice play a larger role in national government and its policies. This candor reflects NCDD's belief that dialogue and deliberation are not neutral activities divorced from values, but rather essential practices for advancing equity, inclusion, and the common good.

The small discussion groups Peter has convened over the years serve as laboratories for democracy. In these intimate settings, participants learn to listen across differences, challenge assumptions with kindness, and discover shared concerns beneath surface disagreements. They practice the skills our larger democratic institutions so desperately need: patience, nuance, intellectual humility, and the willingness to be changed by encounters with others.
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Peter's approach demonstrates that dialogue is not a luxury reserved for professionals or academics, but a fundamental practice accessible to anyone willing to gather neighbors around a table. His work embodies NCDD's understanding that strengthening democracy requires meeting people where they are, in their own communities, speaking their own language.

Looking Forward

​As Peter joins the NCDD board, he brings both the wisdom of long experience and the fresh perspective of someone who has built civic infrastructure outside traditional institutional channels. His grounding in small-group dialogue will enrich NCDD's ongoing work to support practitioners, connect the field, and advance the practice of dialogue and deliberation across the country.

The NCDD community stands to benefit from Peter's practical knowledge of what it takes to sustain engagement over time, his understanding of how to create welcoming spaces for conversation, and his steadfast belief in the capacity of ordinary citizens to shape their shared future. His technical background also offers valuable perspective on how dialogue practices can bridge different professional worlds and ways of knowing.

Peter's addition to the board signals NCDD's continued commitment to honoring the diverse pathways people take into this work and the varied forms civic engagement can take. Whether convening a neighborhood study group or managing complex engineering projects, the underlying skills remain remarkably similar: listening carefully, building trust, solving problems collaboratively, and remaining committed to outcomes that serve the broader good.
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We invite you to learn more about NCDD's work and how you can connect with our network of dialogue and deliberation practitioners at https://ncdd.org.