Christopher J. Paterson
Director of Civic Innovation
Green Mountain Institute for Environmental Democracy
&
Senior Associate, Community Initiatives, LLC
P.O. Box 561 · Lemont PA
16851
814-867-9123 (Phone) · 814-867-9124 (Fax)
Professional
Profile
Chris has worked
with hundreds of community and organizational change practitioners across the
U.S. to develop, enhance, and use collaborative processes and information-based
tools for
creating healthier, more sustainable communities. Chris has provided consultation, facilitation and training support for:
•
Design,
development and use of community indicators and organizational performance
measurement systems;
•
Effective
implementation of collaborative environmental planning and assessment
processes;
•
Use of
information-based tools such as comparative risk assessment, scenario-based
planning, and vision and goals development; and
•
Design and
facilitation of collaborative change processes, individual workshops, meetings,
and public review and feedback sessions.
His clients have
included local and state environmental and natural resource agencies; city and
county government; community and regional development organizations; local and
regional health organizations; national environmental, civic, planning and
environmental health associations and organizations; watershed groups;
foundations; community non-profit organizations; state-federal collaborative
efforts; the US Environmental Protection Agency; and the US Forest
Service.
Throughout his work, Chris has sought to identify and develop innovative
approaches and effective partnerships. He has encouraged better communication,
peer-to-peer learning and collaboration among practitioners and professional
service providers. Chris has been active in a wide variety of efforts to
improve information sharing and to develop stronger relationships among those
seeking to enhance community health, quality of life, and sustainability. In
his own projects, Chris has created and facilitated network-building and
partnerships between local, regional and national organizations and been
involved in all aspects of creating, supporting, and facilitating collaborative
networks and partnerships for specific community-based projects.
Through his applied
research, writing, professional and community engagement, and service to
clients, Chris has worked to raise awareness of the connections between the
health of ecological systems, the long-term viability of our communities and
individual well-being. Acting upon the belief that long-term results will be
achieved and sustained best through a broader understanding and ownership among
diverse groups, Chris has dedicated much of his efforts to developing the
capacities and willingness among community members to engage in collaborative
dialogue and action for improving environmental health, ecological resiliency
and community sustainability.
Project Experience
Collaborative Process Design & Facilitation
v
Worked with multiple parties to design and facilitate effective on-going
dialogues around various environmental management issues
v
Facilitated the development of collaborative project workplans,
including the group articulation of agreed upon outcomes, roles and
responsibilities.
v
Designed and facilitated public/stakeholder forums, community engagement
processes, and environmental risk ranking events
v
Designed and facilitated numerous meetings and
workshops
Indicators and Performance Improvement Systems
v
Provided technical and facilitation support to joint U.S. EPA - state
agency discussions and agreement on performance measures – both across multiple
environmental programs as well as for specific critical issues of concern
(e.g., Pacific NW Environmental Indicators Work Group Salmon Habitat Indicators
Workshop)
v
Conducted training, provided direct consultation and coordinated
on-going learning exchanges for the development of environmental performance
measurement systems for:
·
Environmental Results Management System Initiative (collaborative effort
of state environmental agencies from FL, MN, NH, NJ, OR, PA, AND WI)
·
New England Environmental Goals and Indicators Partnership
·
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
·
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
·
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
·
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
v
Provided direct technical and facilitation support for the development
and use of indicator systems to over 15 communities.
v
Provided various levels of training and on-going technical assistance to
hundreds of community, regional, state and national indicator practitioners.
Collaborative Environmental Management Design and
Implementation
v
Working both individually and as part of a team, developed and delivered
numerous training and technical assistance programs to a wide range of
community, watershed and state efforts on topics including:
·
Collaborative change processes
·
Developing and using indicators
·
Sustainable communities and ecosystems
·
Measuring and improving performance
·
Designing effective collaborative processes
·
Tools and processes for comparative environmental assessment and
planning
·
Tools and processes for collaborative environmental health assessment
and planning
·
Comparative risk assessment
v
Trained and provided on-going technical assistance to volunteers
producing assessments on the impact of various stressors on human health,
ecological health, and quality of life
v
Assisted with the design and implementation of watershed and ecosystem
assessment processes and their effective integration into community or
organizational decision-making
v
Identified environmental management innovations and reviewed their
potential relevance for different project contexts
Applied Research, Technical assessment and
Communication
v
Coordinated and/or participated in data inventory and assessment
activities for a range of environmental, natural resource and human health
issues
v
Reviewed and evaluated technical assessments of various environmental
stressors and ecological systems
v
Designed and conducted participatory project evaluation processes
v
Reviewed and reported on successful innovations in comparative
environmental assessment and management processes
v
Developed and communicated – both orally and in writing – findings from
technical assessments and research to a range of different audiences (e.g.,
general public, technical staff, political and community leadership, etc.)
Have developed and coordinated multiple projects with budgets ranging
from $5,000 to over $50,000. Specific activities have included:
—
Proposal development
—
Building support for proposal/project among community and organizational
leaders
—
Fundraising
—
Developing project budgets and monitoring expenditure of funds
—
Forming partnerships with other service providers to design and
implement the project
—
Coordinating and supervising staff resources throughout project
implementation
—
Conducting mid-project reviews
—
Communicating progress and products to funders and other interested
parties
—
Writing and/or coordinating the development of final project products
—
Facilitating post-project learning retreats
—
Partnered in organizational leadership team responsible for all
strategic decisions (e.g., new projects or programs, personnel decisions)
—
Initiated and participated in monthly meetings to review changes in
project budgets and activities and discuss organizational implications
—
Conducted individual personnel reviews and development of professional
development plans for all staff
—
Participated in the development and periodic update of personnel policy
—
Coordinated new staff orientation and on-going staff development
—
Coordinated the process of developing organizational strategic plan and
identifying opportunities for integrating the plan into organizational
activities
—
Developed, reviewed, and communicated to internal and external audiences
organizational messages regarding purpose, activities, and key lessons
—
Partnered in developing organizational mission, organizational structure,
and by-laws
Senior Associate, Community
Initiatives, LLC, Boulder, CO (September 2002 – present); and President, Adaptive Communities, Lemont, PA (August 2002 – present)
Enhance the capacity of communities and
organizations to learn, adapt, and work collaboratively to improve their
well-being, resiliency and sustainability. Offer consultation, coaching,
training, collaborative process design and facilitation, and evaluation
services for clients, with particular emphasis on the development,
understanding, and use of indicators, performance measurement and improvement
systems, and collaborative evaluation processes.
Senior Consultant, Sustainable
Measures, North Andover, MA (September 2000 – July 2002)
Provide training, system development,
process design, facilitation, and evaluation services to clients seeking to
enhance their community sustainability through the use of indicators and
related measurement systems.
Associate Director/Senior Associate, Green Mountain Institute for Environmental Democracy, Montpelier, VT
(January 1996 – December 2000)
Had lead responsibility for developing,
marketing, and delivering services to state and federal agencies in support of
their performance measurement and environmental results management systems;
identified and developed partnerships with other organizations to better
achieve project goals and organizational mission; coordinated and participated
in technical assistance, training and project consultation programs; lead
facilitator for collaborative processes, meetings, workshops, and stakeholder
forums; coordinated, designed, conducted, and communicated findings of research
efforts.
Policy Associate, Northeast Center
for Comparative Risk, Vermont Law School, South Royalton, VT (1994 – 1996)
Wrote, edited, and coordinated production
process for state of the environment reports; conducted applied research in
service of specific project needs; provided training and technical assistance
to state and community collaborative environmental planning and assessment
processes.
Additional
Work Experience