Susan Hayman receives international facilitator achievement
Here at EnviroIssues, we take facilitation seriously. However, Susan Hayman, Senior Associate and facilitation extraordinaire, has taken it to a whole new level. In November 2012, Susan earned the status of International Association of Facilitators – Certified Professional Facilitator™ (IAF-CPF™). Only 600 people in the world hold this honor.
"It’s a privilege to have earned the designation of Certified Professional Facilitator, and to join a select group of facilitators world-wide who are acknowledged as leaders in their profession," said Hayman, who recently returned from a week-long meeting at NOAA’s Estuarine Habitats and Coastal Fisheries Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Susan facilitated a staff workshop for the Department of Interior’s Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs), including a joint session with NOAA staff.
The designation, IAF-CPF, is granted to a candidate after they have demonstrated evidence of competency in five core facilitation competency areas. In this in-depth certification assessment, candidates must successfully display their years of facilitation experience and capabilities in writing, through interviews, and then through a demonstration of facilitation skill. The certification process takes several months to complete, and is recognized as a serious commitment to the facilitation field of practice.
Posted on 11/30/12
Engaging underserved communities for a stronger economy
EnviroIssues’ Bridger Wineman is part of a team of Portland State University Masters of Urban and Regional Planning students awarded the the 2012 AICP Student Project Award for their project Portland Mercado: Community Economic Development to Revitalize, Uplift, and Empower. This project, in partnership with Hacienda Community Development Corporation, helped jumpstart development of a community-oriented indoor Latino market, as an economic development tool and business incubator for the Latino community in the Portland region.
The PSU team developed community involvement mechanisms and conducted a preliminary market feasibility study for the Portland Mercado, setting the concept in motion. In early June 2011, when they completed this study, a solid group of Latino entrepreneurs started meeting to support the planning effort. Hacienda CDC has made the Portland Mercado one of its top priorities and has received several grants to continue its development. Follow the Portland Mercado’s progress or get involved through the project blog, linked here: Portland Mercado
Posted on 03/09/12
Happy Holidays from EnviroIssues!
As the holidays approach, we are reminded of all the great ways we can reach out to our community and make a difference. We are proud to support two local organizations, Treehouse and United Way. Treehouse is an organization dedicated to enrichment and education for foster children, supporting more than 5,000 kids last year alone, and United Way has been providing basic needs, battling homelessness, and giving kids an equal chance for many years. Each of these organizations work hard to support our community - and we are thankful to help support all that they do!
Posted on 12/15/11
EnviroIssues is a proud sponsor of South Park’s 6th Annual Duwamish River Festival
EnviroIssues is a proud sponsor of South Park’s 6th Annual Duwamish River Festival coming up on Saturday, August 27th in Duwamish Waterway Park. Hosted by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, the festival encourages cleanup and restoration of the Duwamish River. Bring your family and friends to enjoy activities, art, culture and entertainment while promoting a healthy community!
Posted on 08/16/11
Congratulations SR 520 Bridge Program
EnviroIssues congratulates WSDOT on the release of its SR 520 I-5 to Medina final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), the last environmental document leading to the Record of Decision coming this summer.
We are proud of the communications and technical support we have provided WSDOT in achieving this major milestone. For over 14 years, we have been fortunate to support a full communications program as well as provide technical expertise on resource and regulatory issues. The list below highlights some of the ways we have supported WSDOT and the SR 520 program.
- Attended or organized over 500 informational events, workshops, briefings, community events and tours.
- Informed over 36,000 people through community outreach.
- Provided multiple presentations to more than 60 neighborhood associations on both sides of Lake Washington, and over a dozen more in the Grays Harbor area.
- Responded to over 5,000 inquiries about the project and maintained communications with 4,600 people through our email list, and with 11,000 people on our mailing list.
- Developed and maintained the project website where of course you can find much more information. Since January 2011, over 37,000 unique visitors have viewed the website.
- Convened a regulatory coordination group of local, state, federal and tribal representatives to improve environmental analysis and streamline the regulatory compliance process.
- Provided mitigation and permitting assistance at the local, state, and federal levels.
- Organized and facilitated technical groups and/or expert review panels on topics such as parks, stormwater, facility siting, fish passage, natural resources, noise mitigation, and environmental compliance.
- Managed communications-related functions for special projects such as the Washington Park Arboretum mitigation plan, the Catastrophic Failure plan, and the High Capacity Transit Plan.
Posted on 06/13/11
“The People Side of Technical Work” Workshop with AAUW
EnviroIssues’ Pat Serie and Kaila Yoshitomi facilitated a workshop for the 2011 American Association of University Women (AAUW) Expanding Your Horizons Conference at Bellevue College. Through a series of three workshops, Pat and Kaila talked to high school girls about a career in the public involvement sector. Kaila, who started as an intern at EnviroIssues when she had just completed her freshman year of high school, talked to the girls about the importance of internships and professional development in high school. Their presentation included a hands-on session, in which the girls were provided with information on a local project and were asked to come up with key messages and tools for communication to help get the community involved.
Posted on 03/31/11
Oregon’s APWA Chapter talks about social media in the public sector
Facebook is everywhere but does that mean you should start using it? What are the risks and opportunities public agencies should consider before using social media? Mandy Putney and Elizabeth Faulkner presented this week in Portland about how to get started with social media. They offered tips on which tools could work best for engaging the public in projects and how to evaluate effectiveness. Complete with iPad surveys (shown here) and an interactive discussion on lessons learned, the group explored the social media landscape and walked away with ideas about supplementing traditional outreach programs with social media and online tools.
Posted on 03/25/11
“Connecting to Your Community” with the APA Puget Sound Section
On March 2, 2011, EnviroIssues’ Linda Mullen and Kristine Edens, AICP, led a brown bag session called "Connecting to Your Community" for members of the American Planning Association's Puget Sound Section. The session, held at the Mercer Island City Council Chambers, highlighted key findings from a recently completed survey of Northwesterners regarding the practice of public involvement and provided examples of cost-effective outreach strategies useful for planners, communications staff and management in the private and public sectors. Read more about the survey and results.
Posted on 03/03/11
EnviroIssues hosts ACEC's Leadership Development Group
American Council of Engineering Companies of Washington (ACEC Washington)’s Leadership Development Group held its February breakfast social at EnviroIssues’ Seattle office on Feb. 23, 2011. Thanks to John Rowland, ACEC Washington’s Engineer of the Year, who shared thoughts on his career and his own leadership development. The LDG is designed to foster young leaders in the engineering field and provide a networking forum that encourages sharing information and developing ACEC’s Core Competencies.
Posted on 02/22/11
EnviroIssues presents at WTS’s “Social Media and Transportation”
This week, EnviroIssues’ Chief Technology Officer Chris Morse presented alongside WSDOT, King County and Sound Transit at WTS's session on using social media on transportation projects. The presentation covered social media tools, relevant case studies and common obstacles for public projects.
Posted on 01/19/11
Happy Holidays!
Thank you for being a part of our 20th year celebration and making our 20th year in business another successful one! We look forward to working with you in the new year. Happy Holidays to you and yours from EnviroIssues!
Posted on 12/22/10
EnviroIssues expands to new office in Boise
EnviroIssues’ Boise office recently moved into the Banner Bank building in downtown Boise, Idaho. We have had a local office in Boise since 2008 and are excited to expand to support our growing project work in the Intermountain West. The Boise office is led by Senior Associate Susan Hayman, with support from Project Coordinator Melissa Thom. Feel free to stop by and see our latest digs if you’re in the Boise area!
Posted on 12/14/10
Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust keeps Washington Green
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: EnviroIssues has supported the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust’s heritage study this year by providing strategic advice for stakeholder engagement and identifying meeting and facilitation tools for implementation during stakeholder group meetings. The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, founded in 1991, is the nonprofit organization based in Seattle that helped to protect the Mountains to Sound Greenway and preserve the land for public benefit. The Greenway surrounds 100 miles of Interstate 90 in Washington State from the waterfront in Seattle to the edge of desert grasslands in Central Washington.
Posted on 12/09/10
Studying plastics in Puget Sound
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: The Port Townsend Marine Science Center's Plastics Project was started to discover how much plastic is in the Puget Sound in order to educate the public about its dangers. EnviroIssues contributed to the beach sediments sampling program this year by collecting samples at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park in Shoreline, Wash. After sorting three buckets of samples by plastic size and type, we found that we had collected more than 300 different types of micro plastic, including foam, fragments and cigarette parts. EnviroIssues’ samples will contribute to PTMSC’s continued research on the quantity and types of micro plastics accumulation in Puget Sound. Based on the results of sampling conducted from fall 2008 through spring 2010, PTMSC estimates there is a total of 9.4 metric tons of micro plastic on Puget Sound beaches!
Posted on 11/30/10
EnviroIssues Portland gives back through Habitat for Humanity
The EnviroIssues Portland staff spent a Saturday in October with Habitat for Humanity-Portland Metro/East. Habitat for Humanity sells affordable housing to families in need and relies heavily on volunteers to keep their housing inexpensive. The team took on a number of jobs from painting interiors and installing porch railings, to mixing and pouring wet cement at the Jubilee Commons site in Gresham, Oregon, a 23-unit multi-family housing complex with a community center. It was a cold and damp day, but the team helped push the Gresham site closer to its dedication date scheduled in early December 2010.
Posted on 11/11/10
EnviroIssues helps restore Commencement Bay
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: On October 9, EnviroIssues joined Citizens for a Healthy Bay and EarthCorps to plant trees and shrubs at Yowkwala Beach along Commencement Bay in Tacoma. Citizens for a Healthy Bay is a Tacoma-based organization that helps to clean up, restore and protect Commencement Bay, its surrounding waters and natural habitat. They work side-by-side with local citizens, businesses and government to prevent water pollution and make the community more sustainable. At this event, EnviroIssues, CHB and EarthCorps braved the pouring rain to help install more than 300 native plants along the shoreline!
Posted on 11/05/10
Introducing the IAP2 Class of 2010
After an intense week of training, 14 EnviroIssues staff received their certification in public participation from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2). IAP2 seeks to promote and improve the practice of public participation in relation to individuals, governments, institutions and other entities that affect the public interest throughout the world. The training, led by our very own Penny Mabie, asks participants to brainstorm, role play and strategize as they work through case studies and learn new tools and techniques for engaging the public.
These staff join 15 EnviroIssues staff certified in effective planning, communications and techniques in public participation. Congratulations to Angie Thomson, Adair Muth, Elizabeth Faulkner, Ryan Orth, Kristin Dean, Heidi Sowell, Dennis Sandstrom, Alissa VandenBerghe, Justin McCaffree, Katie DeLeuw, Cheryl Ellsworth, KaDeena Yerkan, Diann Strom and Amy Turner.
Posted on 11/01/10
Plant rescuers help Seattle Children’s Hospital
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: With a hospital campus expansion on the horizon, EnviroIssues staff helped the Seattle Children's Hospital grounds crew "rescue" plants before they start construction. The grounds crew is faced with the tall order of salvaging the rescued plants while maintaining the more than 2,000 existing species on 20 acres. A few hours of digging resulted in many burlap bags overflowing with plants, which will find a home in the hospital's award-winning landscaping; a critical part of the healing environment for patients and their families.
Posted on 10/11/10
EnviroIssues helps Seattle & Portland transform parking into temporary parks
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: On September 17, EnviroIssues staff in Portland and Seattle transformed metered parking spaces into temporary public parks as part of Park(ing) Day 2010. Each year more than 900 participants in more than 600 hundred cities around the globe participate in this event to promote the importance of urban open space. Staff enticed visitors with grassy, tree and shrub-adorned new parks to talk with them about the purpose for Park(ing) Day. People used the spaces to play croquet, eat lunch, hold meetings and just relax. After the event, the plants and trees were donated to local organizations for their gardens and other landscaping needs.
Posted on 10/01/10
Back-to-School with Treehouse for Kids
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: With the start of a new school year just around the corner, EnviroIssues staff organized a Back-to-School donation drive to benefit Treehouse for Kids in the month of August. Treehouse for Kids is a local organization that works to provide support for foster children and their families. They provide numerous services, including after-school tutoring, college and career planning and the Wearhouse, a free store where kids can “shop” throughout the year for new clothing, school supplies and toys.
EnviroIssues staff pitched in with enthusiasm and donated several hundred dollars worth of new clothing and school supplies, and also contributed $1,000 in online donations! Thanks in part to the help of EnviroIssues, Treehouse for Kids has been able to send over 1,400 foster kids back to school with the things they need.
Posted on 09/21/10
Hayman presents at Idaho mediation conference
“Mediation” conjures images of conflict between two people. But what about mediation with multiple stakeholders? Can facilitation play a role? The tools mediators routinely use in two-party mediations are substantially enriched when applied with a facilitative approach. Associate Susan Hayman presented a session entitled "Thinking Like a Facilitator" when Mediating Group Conflict at the 2010 Idaho Mediation Association Conference in Boise, Idaho, in September. Susan leads our Boise office and is an expert on providing useful information and fundamental tools for how to successfully frame and address group conflict resolution.
Posted on 09/20/10
Growing for the Oregon Food Bank
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: A team from EnviroIssues recently braved the hot summer sun to help provide fresh produce to those in need. The Oregon Food Bank distributes food to banks serving the entire state of Oregon and Clark County, Washington and also provides educational and advocacy programs to address the root causes of hunger. The bank operates two Learning Gardens which grow fresh produce and serve as a living classroom to teach area residents how to grow their own food. The EnviroIssues team harvested and packed 96 pounds of bush beans and delivered them to the Oregon Food Bank’s distribution warehouse. The team also made sure that the garden’s resident chickens got their daily dose of greens by harvesting lettuce for their mid-morning snack!
Posted on 08/31/10
EnviroIssues works out with the Austin Foundation
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: On Saturday, Aug. 8, EnviroIssues staff participated in the Austin Foundation’s fitness challenge event, held at the Be Well Washington Health Fair at Qwest Field. The Austin Foundation is dedicated to “transforming lives through fitness” and its many programs provide fitness and nutrition programs that empower youth to build a healthy way of life. At the festival, our crew helped run fitness stations, including the information / nutrition table, push-ups, sit-ups, resistance bands, stretching, balance, step-ups, and trampoline. Although it was raining, more than 5,000 people participated in the day of fitness and everyone got a good workout!
Posted on 08/16/10
Read all about it: EnviroIssues hits the library!
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: EnviroIssues staff recently assisted the Multnomah County Library in ongoing efforts to upgrade materials to a new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag system, which will give patrons the ability to check out their own materials and allow staff to spend more time on the floor. EnviroIssues employees from the Portland office spent a morning at the county’s Sellwood-Moreland Library, adding RFID tags to children’s books and scanning them into the catalog system (and reading some, too!). Time spent volunteering helped the library system accomplish the task of upgrading more than two million books and other materials at its Central Library and 18 branch locations by the end of the year.
Posted on 07/27/10
Inspiring courage and leadership in girls
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: Last Saturday, seven inspired EnviroIssues staff helped Passages Northwest at the mid-point of their busy summer season by cleaning and organizing the gear room and food prep areas, helping with essential yard work and serving as assistant grocery shoppers to provision 100+ students heading out on one of Passages Northwest’s summer courses! In addition, our team got a small taste of what each participant on a Passages Northwest course experiences. We began our day with an opening circle led by the fantastic Passages Northwest staff and closed by creating a human sculpture describing the day. We enjoyed supporting Passages Northwest’s work to inspire courage and leadership in middle and high school girls in our community!
Posted on 07/26/10
Environmentally-friendly van washing helps Childhaven kids get places
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: On June 27, EnviroIssues staff washed the inside and outside of eight program vans for Childhaven, practicing environmental stewardship through methods to divert soap away from storm drains. The vans transport kids to and from programs, picking them up at their homes in the morning and dropping them off in the late afternoon. The vans are vital to Childhaven’s programs and were also in desperate need of a good scrub. The effort took four hours, but by the time we finished, the vans were sparkly clean! EnviroIssues is a longtime supporter of Childhaven, participating each year in their holiday giving program and the Shamrock Box Lunch Campaign.
Posted on 07/01/10
EnviroIssues staff Carry 5
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: Last weekend, seven EnviroIssues staff members participated in Water 1st International’s annual fundraiser Carry 5 Walk for Water. Each of our seven staff members filled a 5 gallon container with water from Lake Washington and carried it 5 kilometers, the average distance traveled by people in poor countries who lack access to safe, convenient water supplies. Our team experienced firsthand the true burden of gathering water, finishing the event wet and tired. Despite the hard work, participants had fun and helped the walk raise over $26,000 for Water 1st projects in India, Bangladesh, Honduras, and Ethiopia!
Posted on 06/16/10
EnviroIssues volunteers get dirty for Seattle Works Day
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: A dozen dedicated EnviroIssues employees and several of their partners and family members got out their work gloves, rolled up their sleeves and spent an afternoon digging in the dirt at Seattle Works Day! One of Seattle’s largest volunteer events, Seattle Works Day assembles 1,200 volunteers in neighborhoods all over Seattle. This year, Seattle Works volunteers collectively contributed over 4,000 volunteer hours!
Team EnviroIssues spent the afternoon pulling weeds, spreading mulch and maintaining the food bank garden plot at Angel Morgan P-Patch in Columbia City. The Angel Morgan P-Patch is one of Seattle’s largest P-Patches; it sprung out of a long term neighborhood effort to renovate a previously unusable area. It has become a community gathering place, providing a space for people to connect with each other and learn more about gardening.
Posted on 06/10/10
Connecting with our neighborhood
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: EnviroIssues employees teamed up with the Pike Market Child Care & Preschool on May 23, 2010 to help clean up the preschool’s facilities. Along with PMCCP’s director, everyone had a great time dusting, sorting, moving, and getting their hands dirty to support the preschool. PMCCP’s overall goal is to make high quality preschool available to all children, providing families with support and encouragement. Families pay on a sliding fee scale based on family size and income and more than 75 percent of the families receive financial assistance. As a great social service right across the street from EnviroIssues, we look forward to continued work with the preschool!
Posted on 06/10/10
EnviroIssues Portland presents at the Oregon ACWA Stormwater Summit
Mandy Putney and Ryan Orth, from EnviroIssues’ Portland office, recently presented at the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies Stormwater Summit in Eugene, OR. More than a hundred stormwater professionals from around the state attended the daylong event to learn about the latest and greatest in regional stormwater management issues. Ryan and Mandy discussed common communication challenges and offered expertise on building public support for stormwater programs. Utilities increasingly need to rely on an engaged public to address a range of stormwater quality and quantity issues – from changing behaviors that address surface water quality problems to understanding the infrastructure gap and ongoing improvement projects. View their presentation and contact Mandy or Ryan for more information.
Posted on 06/07/10
Pat Serie named to ACEC Washington Board of Directors
Last weekend, at the American Council of Engineering Companies Washington spring conference, Principal and Founder Pat Serie was named to the ACEC Board of Directors. Pat’s more than 30 years experience in public engagement, facilitation, and technical integration will bring a new element of professional diversity to the organization’s board. Her past work for a number of well-known regional engineering firms and EnviroIssues’ reputation for supporting engineering firms on high-profile projects, make her a well-rounded addition for ACEC Washington. Pat has served on a number of leadership boards in the region and is a past chair of the ACEC-WSDOT executive liaison committee. EnviroIssues has been active in ACEC Washington for more than 10 years and is currently supporting the work of the ACEC Washington Small Firms Council.
Posted on 05/25/10
Sarah Brandt kicks off Leadership Tomorrow’s environmental challenge day
On May 20, EnviroIssues Associate Sarah Brandt kicked off Leadership Tomorrow's environmental challenge day with a rousing warm-up she created called “Is it Green?”. Leadership Tomorrow engages 80 Seattle-area leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors in a year-long curriculum organized around the Seattle Foundation’s healthy community framework. This year’s event was held at REI in the South Lake Union neighborhood and focused on the innovative green building efforts and developmental tensions present in this dynamic area of the city.
Keynote speaker Denis Hayes, the national coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970 and current president of the Bullitt Foundation, inspired the group with a discussion of his personal leadership journey. Other elements of the day included a walking tour of the neighborhood, an energy efficiency case study lead by the Sightline Institute, and roundtable discussions with a variety of the region’s environmental leaders.
Posted on 05/24/10
Taking communications to the classroom
EnviroIssues’ Linda Mullen is bringing her experience to the classroom, serving as an adjunct faculty member in the Strategic Communications program at Seattle University. The class, Public Affairs, focuses on issue management and advocacy for students in their junior or senior year. “There are so many things I like about this opportunity,” says Linda. “My students are bright and engaged. They keep me focused and fresh. The course content pulls from all aspects of my professional experience – strategic planning, messaging, media and community relations, and old fashioned problem-solving.”
This is the first class Linda has taught at Seattle U, though she has been involved with the Strategic Communications department for about a year, as a guest lecturer in other classes and panel member in a session on new media at the school’s journalism conference last fall.
Posted on 05/14/10
Tacoma's Green Scene a success
Citizens for a Healthy Bay of Tacoma teamed up with other local organizations to present Green Scene at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center on April 20, 2010. The event featured exhibits of businesses and organizations that provide environmentally responsible goods and services, and conservation programs, many of whom are participating in CHB’s Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tacoma (BEST) Program. EnviroIssues’ Kristina Walker moderated an interactive panel session “A Conversation on the Case for Business Sustainability” with Kathleen Sayce, ShoreBank Pacific, Kevin Wilhelm, Sustainable Business Consulting, and Stuart Young, BCRA.
Posted on 04/22/10
EnviroIssues Participates at Duwamish Alive! in Celebration of Earth Day
COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: EnviroIssues joined People for Puget Sound, King County, NOAA, ECOSS, and over 200 other volunteers at North Wind’s Weir restoration site in Tukwila this past Saturday to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. The North Wind’s Weir estuary habitat restoration project was designed to create 2.5 acres of high quality habitat for juvenile salmon on the Duwamish River. Volunteers that participated in the Duwamish Alive! event planted trees, shrubs, and wetland plants, and spread 75 cubic yards of mulch that will improve habitat for not only the juvenile salmon, but also other aquatic creatures, birds, and wildlife in the area. Thanks to all who helped out at this great event!
Posted on 04/21/10
Angie Thomson joins Citizens for a Healthy Bay board
EnviroIssues’ Angie Thomson was recently elected to the board of directors for Citizens for a Healthy Bay in Tacoma. Founded in 1990, CHB works to clean up and protect Tacoma’s Commencement Bay and surrounding waters and habitat. CHB has also become a recognized voice in the community and represents, involves, and educates the public and local businesses. Angie’s more than 10 years of experience in water-related issues and public involvement will be a great asset to this important community organization. Congratulations, Angie!
Posted on 04/06/10
Congratulations on 20 years, Futurewise!
Futurewise is celebrating 20 years and EnviroIssues is proud to support their work in the Puget Sound. Our staff joined more than 250 community members to celebrate with Futurewise at the 20 Year Reunion event on March 20, 2010 that included honorary awards for Governor Booth Gardner, Senator Maria Cantwell, and Speaker of the House Joe King for their leadership on the Growth Management Act. Futurewise was started in response to passage of the GMA passage in 1990 and promotes healthy communities and cities while protecting farmland, forests, and shorelines. We look forward to continuing our support of Futurewise as we both celebrate 20 years in 2010!
Posted on 03/31/10
Diane Adams presents at NEBC Energy Forum
Principal Diane Adams presented at the March NEBC Energy Forum on engaging communities in energy facility siting. Her presentation drew upon relevant and recent experience in assisting major utilities and federal agencies site high-voltage transmission lines across the West. Diane facilitated a group discussion about lessons learned and tools to effectively engage the public during the federal environmental planning process and beyond. Thank you to NEBC for sponsoring this great event!
Posted on 03/23/10
Penny Mabie presents at APWA Conference: Outreach Toolkit, or How to Choose the Right Public Involvement Tools in Hard Economic Times
Where do you start when you need to get your bridge or wastewater project completed as quickly and effectively as possible? We know that public involvement can make or break a project but how do you choose the right tools to be cost-effective and manage the public’s expectations? Drawing on her IAP2 expertise and training, Penny presented at the 2010 APWA Conference on public involvement today, and goals and objectives for a public participation plan. She also brought specific examples for a discussion on the factors to consider when selecting the right tool (or combination of tools) to meet the public involvement objectives. The interactive session showed attendees how to add to their public involvement plan without adding to their bottom line.
Posted on 03/22/10
Electric Utility Consultants, Inc (EUCI) Webinar a success!
The Web site for a proposed energy project is arguably the most visible component of your public outreach strategy. In most cases, it will spend far more time in front of the public than your entire team combined. In a webinar for the EUCI, EnviroIssues’ technical team, Ray Outlaw and Chris Morse, shared their insight in designing and maintaining Web sites for energy projects, and making sure your Web site is an integrated part of your public involvement process. Ray and Chris addressed key issues for designing and launching a project Web site and other online media, opportunities to gather and document comments and responses, the tools used to evaluate Web site success, and suggestions for responding to those results. For questions about the webinar or online tools, please contact Ray.
Posted on 03/15/10
EnviroIssues joins South Sound PRSA for "Diversity: Accent on accessible communications"
Associate Kristine Edens presented as part of a distinguished panel of presenters at the monthly meeting of the South Sound PRSA on March 11, 2010. The group discussed the value of communicating with diverse audiences, including languages other than English, the hearing and visually impaired, and culturally diverse groups in a valuable session designed to help communicators reach more people. Kristine was joined by Lauri Jordana, Conexión Marketing, Kevin Nathan, Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, and Idalie Muñoz Muñoz, MuñozMedia. Details about the presentation are posted on the PRSA Web site.
Posted on 03/11/10
EnviroIssues recognized for construction outreach in Kenmore
The Puget Sound Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) awarded EnviroIssues with a Certificate of Excellence for our work on the City of Kenmore’s SR 522 Improvement Project last night at their annual Totem Awards. City of Kenmore staff and construction management firm HDR, attended the event to accept the award with EnviroIssues’ Amy Turner. The award recognized our construction outreach methods and strategic communications support during major highway construction on SR 522, which improved safety for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and transit. Visit the Kenmore project Web site for more information. Congratulations to the SR 522 Project Team!
Posted on 02/12/10
EnviroIssues presents at the National Public Participation in Transmission Siting Conference
EUCI’s 4th annual Public Participation in Transmission Siting Conference brought together energy professionals from around the country. EnviroIssues’ Associate Ray Outlaw joined panelists from Wisconsin and Florida to discuss the use of online tools as an increasingly useful part of the public involvement process. Topics and questions focused on improving design through analytics, maximizing user experience, incorporating social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube), and mapping. Case studies from across the United States highlighted shared opportunities for effective public involvement on transmission projects, both large and small. Learn more about EnviroIssues’ energy projects.
Posted on 02/08/10
EnviroIssues basketball team off to a winning start
EnviroIssues co-ed basketball squad continues its path to glory in the Puget Sound Basketball League. The team is comprised of employees, as well as former employees and friends of the company. Already off to a winning start to their season, The Issues will take their ball game around the Seattle area in search of another league title. For information on where to root for The Issues basketball team, contact us or follow us on Twitter.
Posted on 02/01/10
Portland Office recognized for sustainability practices
The City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability recently recognized EnviroIssues’ Portland Office for improving its recycling practices and reducing the amount of waste it produces by implementing all of the City of Portland’s five recycling steps. Our Portland office is now Recycle at Work Certified. For more information about the program, visit Portland’s Recycle at Work Web site. Good work, Portland!
Posted on 01/27/10
New hires hail from University of Washington
New employees Brian Feldman and Blair Scott joined us this December from the University of Washington. Brian graduated with a BS in Environmental Science and Resource Management, and a BA in Environmental Studies, and Blair completed the Community, Environment and Planning program with a BS in Environmental Science and Resource Management, making them both excellent additions to our team. Both bring energy and fun (as shown in their photo!) to the Seattle office and will be assets to our work in the Puget Sound region as well as the east side of the state. Welcome, Blair and Brian!
Posted on 01/25/10
Grotefendt and Mullen attend Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting
HOT lanes, tolling and multi-modal transportation projects have long been part of EnviroIssues resume, so it came as no surprise to Principal Amy Grotefendt and Senior Associate Linda Mullen that the rest of the country is having similar discussions about these topics. Both attended the three-day Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington DC last week to keep up on current transportation trends and learn valuable lessons from other transportation experts. Highlights included topics relevant to the USDOT’s new goals of safety, congestion pricing, traffic trends, safety, livable communities, repair, economic competitiveness, environmental stewardship, environmental justice issues and public involvement.
Posted on 01/19/10
EnviroIssues to host ACEC Small Firms Council Discussion Series
Diane Adams, principal, chairs the ACEC Small Firms Council and EnviroIssues will be facilitating the 2010 ACEC Discussion Series and hosting sessions along with ACEC Washington. The series presents an opportunity for ACEC firms to share information and insights on a number of topics in an informal and open environment. The topics reflect the prioritized interests of the Small Firms Council and range from social media to cost structuring and contract negotiation. Non-ACEC members are welcome to participate in the discussions. Visit the ACEC Web site for more information.
Posted on 01/04/10