SELECTED PROJECT EXPERIENCE

(MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST)

Michael has led and/or been part of 50 or more large and small projects for private, non-governmental, and public organizations at all levels -- including federal, tribal, state, and local governments -- on a wide range of topics. Examples include:

Natural Resource Management

Collaborative Leadership Project, 2022-present: Collaborative approaches have led to groundbreaking policy outcomes in WA. This project (a partnership among universities, tribes, state and local agencies, private entities, and TVW, the WA version of C-SPAN) is capturing that history via oral history interviews; distilling those interviews into a documentary film; and building on this work to explore how we can best foster and support collaborative leadership. More info (including an intro video).

TNC Columbia/Snake River Learning Tour, 2022-23: Helping The Nature Conservancy learn about key issues related to clean energy, the agricultural sector and other river users, operation of the Lower Snake River Dams, and how those are affecting communities, economic development, energy goals, salmon recovery, and Tribal treaty rights.

Chehalis Basin Strategy, 2012-19: Multifaceted strategy to break through decades of stalemate on addressing catastrophic floods and declining aquatic resources in southwest WA.

Columbia River Salmon, 2012-14: WA/OR/ID team asked by NOAA Fisheries to assess Columbia River Basin salmon recovery planning. Led to establishment of Columbia Basin Partnership Forum, which created first set of integrated goals and measures of success for all Columbia River stocks.

Hatchery Reform, 2000–09: Congressionally-funded effort to reform state, tribal, and federal hatchery programs; including Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), state/tribal technical work group, and a stakeholder coalition. US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiative to apply hatchery reform to USFWS Columbia River Basin hatcheries. Helped HSRG author report on Columbia Basin programs.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Steelhead Strategy, 2006: Facilitated meetings of WDFW’s Steelhead Planning Team as it developed a Departmental strategy on the proposed listing of Puget Sound steelhead under the Endangered Species Act. The team credited these meetings with greatly assisting the Department in developing a proactive, science-based, and effective strategy for responding to the listings.

Land Use/Planning

Road Map to Washington’s Future, 2015-19: Assessment of the framework of laws, institutions, and polices that enable the state of Washington to meet emerging challenges of growth and change in this century.

WA Growth Management Hearings Boards Efficiency Study/Restructuring Analysis, 2009: Study, based on assessment interviews, identifying alternatives for restructuring that save costs while maintaining function. Study served as the basis for adopted legislation.

Seattle Shoreline Master Program (SMP) Update, 2008–09: Community visioning workshops, citizens’ shoreline vision, SMP update Citizen Advisory Committee on technical and policy issues. Helped author Committee’s findings and recommendations report.

Seattle Master Use Permitting (MUP) Initiative, 2007–09: Convened and facilitated diverse focus groups with experience seeking land use permits in Seattle, to identify the problems they experience and offer suggestions for how to address them. Facilitated forums for ~80 DPD staff to generate ideas for making the MUP process more predictable, faster and less costly.

Seattle Neighborhood Planning Advisory Committee, 2008-09: Facilitation of committee created by City Council to make recommendations and provide guidance on neighborhood land use plans adopted under Seattle Comprehensive Plan.

Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery

Learning from Responses to COVID-19, 2020-21: Helping launch multiyear effort to identify and share key insights from Washington’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to improve preparedness, recovery, and resilience.

SR 530 Landslide Commission, 2014: Oversight and advice to facilitation team for a commission formed by Governor and Snohomish County Executive in response to 2014 SR 530 landslide that took the lives of 43 people in the Stillaguamish Valley. Commission provided consensus recommendations.

Energy/Climate

South Fork Tolt FERC Relicensing Partnering & Collaboration Workshops, 2023: With Portland State University's National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC) providing workshops and trainings to help Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle City Light partner effectively with each other, their consultant teams, and external licensing participants and other involved parties for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process of the South Fork Tolt River Dam, which provides only a small amount of the City of Seattle's hydropower, but one-third of its drinking water. This includes developing and refining project mission and vision, principles, protocols, and commitments; orientation and skill-building on interest-based negotiations and collaborative decision-making; lessons learned from similar processes; and other aspects of a collaborative and successful process.

Avista Utilities Environmental Affairs Collaborative Governance Workshop, 2023: Presented a workshop for the environmental affairs division of this company involved in the production, transmission, and distribution of energy on the nature of conflict, and the role of “getting upstream” in working collaboratively and addressing complex challenges. A particular focus was on ensuring effective long-term implementation of their existing FERC settlement agreements.

Rock Island Relicensing Pre-Engagement Workshop, 2022: Asked by Chelan County Public Utilities District (PUD) to co-host (with NPCC) a Pre-Engagement Workshop to prepare PUD staff and external partners for collaborative deliberations on issues related to the upcoming FERC relicensing of Rock Island Dam in eastern WA. Topics included the stages and principles of a collaborative process, collaborative competencies, the participation spectrum, interests versus positions, mutual gain, reconciling differences, and many others.

Aviation Biofuels, 2010-19: Oversight and Advice for facilitation team on Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance, a five year, $40 million USDA-funded project to explore woody biomass as a source of aviation biofuels; as well as follow-up WA legislative work group.

Seattle Green Building Task Force, 2008–09: Facilitated this 50-member Task Force charged with advising Mayor on energy efficiency, land use, other policy options to make Seattle the nation’s “green building capital.”

Agriculture/Forestry

TFW Policy Committee Training, 2022: Asked, along with NPCC, to provide interest-based negotiations training to the Timber, Fish and Wildlife (TFW) Policy Committee of the WA Forest Practices Adaptive Management Program (AMP). The two-day in-person workshop, and half-day online follow-up focused on structured, consensus-based decision making; effective integration of science and policy-making; facilitated reflection of current practices.

Voluntary Stewardship Program, 2010-13: Oversight and strategy to facilitation team for project that led to a landmark agreement and legislation on how to collaboratively protect and enhance environmentally critical areas on agricultural land, while preserving a strong farm economy. The program was voluntarily adopted by 27 of WA's 39 counties in 2012, and has been implemented for over a decade since.

Public Lands

US Forest Service (USFS) NEPA for the 21st Century Initiative, 2009: Webinar series at locations across the country to examine interconnected processes involved in accomplishing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) planning within USFS.

North Cascades Initiative, 2006–07: Initiative to create a collaborative vision for North Cascades region including conservation, outdoor recreation, and economic development. Worked with federal, state, local, and tribal governments; local and national conservation and recreation groups; timber, agricultural, other business interests; urban and rural communities in eastern and western WA.

Indian/Non-Indian Government-to-Government, Education, & Community-Building

Tribal Risk Roundtable, 1998: Roundtable hosted by Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) at which 23 tribes/tribal nations discussed with state and federal representatives unique tribal risk management concerns involved in cleanup of the nation’s nuclear sites.

Montana Community Circles, 1997: Interviewed Indian and non-Indian leaders in communities across Montana about prospects for a community-building Community Circles process. Authored a situation assessment documenting findings and making recommendations.

Quinault Indian Nation Comprehensive Land Use Plan, 1996 – 1997: Provided writing, editing and design for a comprehensive land use plan being created by this Indian tribe on the Washington coast.

Tribes & Counties Intergovernmental Cooperation Project, 1990–96: Project to improve working relationship between tribal and county governments on land use planning, environmental protection, and solid waste management. Also included designing/directing a leadership project with Seattle’s Indian Heritage High School to introduce Native youth to tribal governments, colleges, and organizations.

Native American Science Outreach Network, 1994-96: Provided research, editing and design for a university-based program intended to help Native Americans succeed in the sciences. Included working with tribes to develop resource, curriculum and multimedia guides to tribes of Washington state.

Organizational Development and Strategic Planning

Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission Strategic Planning, 2023: Facilitation services for this US/Canada transboundary watershed steward established by international treaty, in support of the development of its five-year strategic plan.

Tel Hai College Regional Knowledge Center, 2022: Awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to assist Tel Hai College in Israel in its effort to build a center supporting collaborative community engagement and policy-making.

Penn State University Extension Engagement and Facilitation Workshop, 2022: Co-hosted (with NPCC) an in-person workshop to sharpen PSU Extension educators’ collaborative skills, within the context of the history, mission, and unique nature of Extension in the United States and at Penn State. The workshop provided specific tools and strategies on convening diverse interests and parties; and facilitating, participating in, and providing technical expertise to work groups.

Triangle Associates, Inc. Staff Training, 2022 & 2023: Training on understanding and resolving conflict, principles of collaborative governance, interest-based negotiation, integrating science and policy, and equitable collaboration.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Strategic Planning Retreat, 2008: Led planning sessions with senior managers, then facilitated a two-day retreat of key personnel from across TNC locations and disciplines to complete the Washington Field Office’s FY 2009 strategic planning process using plenary sessions and small group discussions (featuring the “Open Space Technology” discussion format).

SalmonCorps Program Evaluation, 1996: Evaluation of AmeriCorps program conducted on five Indian reservations across the Columbia/Snake River Basin (Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, Nez Perce, and Shoshone-Bannock).

Water and Waste Management

South Fork Tolt Watershed Management Plan, 2007-09: Facilitated a Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) steering committee and technical work groups to create a management plan, long-term vision, goals and objectives for the watershed. Served as stakeholder/tribal involvement lead including conducting interviews and creating/implementing an involvement plan.

National Park Service(NPS)/City of Port Angeles Water Plant, 2008: Facilitated a two-day meeting between representatives of NPS and the City of Port Angeles relating to water treatment facilities being constructed as part of the process to remove the dams on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park.

King County Groundwater/Stormwater Infiltration & Inflow (I/I) Reduction, 2007-08: Managed public involvement team for pre-design phase of long-term project to assess how much I/I enters the regional sewer system, and how effective various strategies could be in reducing it.

Outdoor Recreation

Recreation Fees in Washington State, 2016: Helped state agencies work with diverse interests to develop consensus options and recommendations to improve consistency, equity, and simplicity in recreational access fee systems, while accounting for fiscal health and stability of public land management.

DNR Recreation Work Group, 2008-09: Facilitated meetings in eastern and western Washington of a stakeholder group convened by the Washington Legislature to make recommendations to the Department of Natural Resources on providing diverse recreation on its forested/aquatic trust lands, while protecting environmental assets and securing sustainable funding. Helped the group reach a consensus vision for recreation for a 2008 progress report.

Housing

Pathways to Housing Security, 2021: Helped launch a three-year inititiave funded by the Legislature to explore and identify trends affecting and policies guiding the housing and services provided to individuals and families who are, or at risk of, homelessness in Washington State. The goal is to develop and implement a long-term strategy to improve services and outcomes for persons at risk or experiencing homelessness and to develop pathways to permanent housing.

Health Care

Eldercare Workforce, 2013-15: Partnered with UW’s Health Policy Center on a project intended to examine eldercare workforce capacity in Washington state, including mapping the issue, convening stakeholders statewide to listen and learn from one another about areas of conflict and consensus, and facilitating those stakeholders as they create and put into operation a Washington State Eldercare Workforce Alliance. The project resulted in two peer-reviewed, WSU Extension Fact Sheets stemming from the baseline study.

Other

Sound Transit Facilitation, 2007 – 2009: Facilitated several meetings for this organization responsible for implementing the Puget Sound region’s mass transit package. Includes a workshop for state, local and tribal technical experts to discuss landslide debris disposal along the Sounder commuter train route; a staff retreat for the Environmental Compliance Division; and a hearing on a request for a technical noise variance relating to LINK light rail.

Hanford Openness Workshops, 1997–2000: Workshops at which normally divisive stakeholders developed highly-praised recommendations for improving open decision-making at the Hanford Nuclear Site in eastern WA.