PublicCEO’s Post

Exciting news for Kentuckians! 🌟 The University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service, in collaboration with the UK Economic Development Collaborative, is launching Connect 120—a new initiative to bring UK’s vast resources, expertise, and programs to all 120 counties across the Commonwealth! 🌍🤝 This effort ensures that every corner of Kentucky has access to the support and knowledge available through UK, fostering economic growth and empowering communities. Let’s advance Kentucky together! 💙💡 #AdvancingKentucky #Connect120 #EconomicDevelopment #UKExtension #CommunityEmpowerment https://lnkd.in/g9EJq9Fb

Exciting news for Kentuckians! 🌟 The University of Kentucky’s Cooperative Extension Service, in collaboration with the UK Economic Development Collaborative, is launching Connect 120—a new initiative to bring UK’s vast resources, expertise, and programs to all 120 counties across the Commonwealth! 🌍🤝 This effort ensures that every corner of Kentucky has access to the support and knowledge available through UK, fostering economic growth and empowering communities. Let’s advance Kentucky together! 💙💡 #AdvancingKentucky #Connect120 #EconomicDevelopment #UKExtension #CommunityEmpowerment https://lnkd.in/g4ac-HSQ

How can we combine community control, heritage conservation, affordability, and sustainability with superior building standards? Two years ago I talked about what the Montopolis CDC is doing in our community with PHI Passive House, and also had some things to say about the "context" in which it takes place. The message is clear: when it comes to housing our political leaders need to be serving the people, not their donors and hangers-on. https://lnkd.in/gMK9ZiMk

Warrior to Love: Show-Up I recently had an inspiring meeting with Councilman Michael Boylan from Jacksonville City Council District 6. It reminded me of the power of community engagement and the importance of taking action to drive change. Years ago, I considered a political career, but my wife and I decided it wasn't the right path for us. Instead, I focused on connecting with our local representatives, believing that true change starts with us. During our conversation, we discussed the book "A Quiet Revolution," which explores the history of Jacksonville's consolidation. Jacksonville Historical Society Both Councilman Boylan and I share a passion for history and a vision for progress in our city. We reflected on the challenges and the numerous failed attempts to unite and advance Jacksonville over the years. One of the biggest questions remains: how do you unite a community divided in the largest city by land mass in the USA? While I am still working on the answer, I know that getting involved and building relationships is a significant step forward. As a private citizen, I've had the privilege of connecting with some of the best professionals and actively participating in our community. My passion lies in solving problems and fostering resilience in relationships. Nothing happens unless you make it happen. It takes everyone to participate in creating and sustaining livable communities. Everything starts with you! Let's take action, show up, and work together to make City of Jacksonville the best place to live on earth. #CommunityEngagement #LocalLeadership #Jacksonville #WarriorToLove #ShowUp #Inspiration #TakeAction

Orchestrating organizational harmony through the wisdom of Dr. Seuss? You bet! 🐘 🎥 During a transformative project at United Way of the Midlands, Justin Dougherty and I leveraged an unexpected ally: 'Horton Hears a Who'. This beloved story became our catalyst for change, uniting diverse programs under shared goals and community outcomes. Picture this: Whoville's residents, chanting in unison, "We are here! We are here! We are here!" 📣 This powerful scene exemplifies the essence of organizational alignment and collective impact. Just as every Who's voice mattered in being heard, every stakeholder's contribution is crucial in driving meaningful change. From executive leadership to frontline staff, we orchestrated a symphony of voices, each playing a vital role in our community transformation. Our approach? Blend creativity with strategic thinking: 1️⃣ Visualize the shared goal (being heard to avoid destruction = demonstrating impact to ensure program sustainability) 2️⃣ Align diverse voices (Whoville's cacophony becoming harmony = unifying various programs and stakeholders) 3️⃣ Amplify collective impact (breaking through to Horton's world = making our community impact unmistakably clear) The result? A united front, speaking with one voice, driving tangible outcomes that reverberate through the community. Ready to transform your organization's impact with a dash of creativity and a whole lot of strategic thinking? I'm #OpenToWork and excited to help your team find its unified voice! I Let's create some organizational magic together. 🌟 #OrganizationalDevelopment #ChangeManagement #StrategicAlignment #CreativeLeadership #CollectiveImpact

It's that simple.

Big moves for Central Kentucky! Three powerhouse counties — Madison County Fiscal Court (including the City of Berea), Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG), and Scott County — are coming together to build Central Kentucky’s first regional business park. This game-changing partnership is cutting out the competition and creating a new formula for economic development. By joining forces, these counties are laying the groundwork for a stronger, more cohesive business environment where businesses can thrive with the backing of not one, but three powerful communities. This collaboration isn’t just about shared resources — it’s about shared success. Watch how regionalism is reshaping the future of Central Kentucky and setting a new blueprint for partnerships across the state. #Regionalism #EconomicDevelopment #Innovation Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development U.S. Economic Development Administration

It’s not easy to draft a year-end note that speaks to this unusual moment we are in. With half our community celebrating the changing of the political guard and half in mourning and trepidation, calls for building bridges are critical but can feel unconvincing. Even though I’ve spent the last 20 years witnessing people build common visions out of divisive topics—and likely cornering you at a party to tell you stories about it—these are times when humility calls us all to challenge our assumptions, even about what we think works. In that spirit, I had the chance this year to work with colleagues outside my usual Civic Canopy context who know the urgency of solving vexing community problems from their experience as a physician and sociologist. I’m proud to share the fruits (and vegetables) of that labor in this article that my friends Mark Earnest, Karen Albright and I just published in the National Civic Review: A Simple Recipe for Complex Community Change: Make Stone Soup. https://lnkd.in/gz9zADfm This is our attempt to offer a folksy and hopeful framework for how communities can come together for the common good, and in doing so, realize they have more abundant resources than they realized. At a time when people have lost faith that we can solve problems across our differences, and resources feel scarce, we hope you will find encouragement in the stories we’ve collected and wisdom in the stone soup folktale as a metaphor for community collaboration. This is the work the Civic Canopy came to do, and it feels more important than ever. If you would like to join the thousands of partners committed to this collaborative approach across Colorado, we hope you will stay in touch with us https://lnkd.in/gAhSHHkd and invest in our work on Colorado Gives Day this week. https://lnkd.in/g66jnJap

As an urban & regional planner tinkering in the realm of renewable energy, I witness firsthand the conflicts that can alight into a multi-alarm conflagration without a diligent and community-centric approach predicated upon what the amazing Bill Fulton outlines in his Stone Soup method of bringing together diverse stakeholders...take a gander if you have the chance! #urbanplanning

My paper, “Integrating Restorative Justice with Indigenous Practices in Canada: A Framework for Healing, Community Restoration, and Public Safety,” is now published in The Vault at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC). Proud to contribute to this critical conversation and grateful for the opportunity to share it!