Few things can consume so many people for so compacted a space of time as a major conference, and the IAP2 North American Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, was one such example, and this issue is devoted to the words and images from three intense days.In this action-packed installment, you’ll find:

• Features:  President Cathy Smith shares some reflections on the Charlotte conference. Introducing our new staff - Gail Madziar, Executive Manager and Erin Zimmermann, Strategic Development Manager.
• Events: We congratulate the Core Values Award winners; our October webinar features the Projects of the Year; remember to save the dates for the 2020 IAP2 USA Skills Symposium and the 2020 IAP2 North American Conference in Banff, Alberta; and election time is coming up!
• Interesting Links: includes some items looking at the current state and future of democracy.

Features:

President's Message: Heroes, Hurricanes and Happy Endings

A good story has a setting with a hero on a quest. There are challenges, choices and consequences. With those, other heroes arrive, change happens, and a new reality takes shape. Fade to a perfect sunset, and the story is complete.

New Faces at IAP2 USA: Introducing Gail & Erin

It was just two months ago in a downtown Denver conference room when we met the finalists for the Executive Manager position. Out of 72 applicants, the choice came down to two fantastic candidates. Meeting them in person made us not want to make that choice. It made us want to make a different choice—the choice to hire them both. So we asked for their patience, worked through the numbers, and discovered and decided, it was time. Not only could we acknowledge there was too much for one manager to do, but it was time to specialize the Executive Manager role and create a new one as well.

So it is with great happiness, we are able to introduce you to our new Executive Manager (Gail) and to our new Strategic Development Manager (Erin). It’s due to years of steadily moving and growing into this era, that we have arrived and now, they have arrived to join us. We look forward to you meeting them through our events, services and member engagement opportunities. For now, please say hello to Gail and Erin.

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE A LEAD FOR P2?  Run for the IAP2 USA Board of Directors

Yes, it is that time of year. The time to start thinking about what you can contribute to your Association. What would you like to see happen? How do you think you can add value? Nominations for the 2020-2022 IAP2 USA Board will open up on October 16 and close on Wednesday, November 6,2019.

Events:

The 2019 IAP2 North American Conference  

Nearly 300 participants from around the world! Sessions, workshops and field trips that made us think more deeply about the role P2 plays in our communities -- and ways it can do the job even better!

The 2019 North American Conference brought fresh insight on the notion of “Leveraging P2 to Create Thriving Communities”. For those that were there and for those that couldn’t make it, you can find the powerpoints and other materials from the presenters here.

We have to give a HUGE thank-you to the many people who made it possible! In particular Traci Ethridge and Krystel Green, Conference Co-Chairs, the Steering Committee, the Programming Committee; on-site volunteers, and of course - THANK YOU to all those who came to Charlotte!

And SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR! The 2020 IAP2 North American Conference will be held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, Sept. 9 - 11. Watch for more details, coming soon!

2019 IAP2 USA Core Values Awards  

The annual celebration of the best in public engagement took place at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This year’s winners are:

Regional Awards

• Organization of the Year -- City of Boulder, CO
• Project of the Year -- Portland Bureau of Transportation for “PedPDX”
• Research Project of the Year -- PRR Inc. for “Measuring Public Involvement Effectiveness: an Easy-to-Use Toolkit"

Project Awards

• Respect for Diversity, Inclusion & Culture -- San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency for “27 Bryant Transit Reliability Project”
• Research Project category -- Portland (OR) Bureau of Transportation for “PedPDX”
• Greater Good / Emerging Leader Award -- Isis Lopez
• Greater Good Award -- Dan Adams, Amelia Shaw
• Inspirational Leadership Award (presented by the IAP2 World-wide Board) -- Kylie Cochrane

The City of Boulder, PBOT and PRR Inc. will now face off against the other “affiliate” award winners for the IAP2 world-wide Core Values Awards. Those will be announced in October at the IAP2 Australasian Conference in Sydney, Australia.

Find out more about these winners and watch their videos here.
Check out the winners of the IAP2 Canada Core Values Awards here.

Webinar(s):

WEBINAR REWIND: August: “Victoria Encore - Navigating Culture Wars Through Thoughtful P2”

The last webinar of the “season” brought together four longtime P2 practitioners to reprise their presentation from the 2018 IAP2 North American Conference. John Godec, Debra Duerr, Wendy Green Lowe and Doug Sarno have seen a lot in their careers, including an alarming decline in trust in public institutions. This has coincided with the increase in cultural divisions, and has reached a point where, according to a Pew Research survey, only 18% of American trust their government. A similar survey in Canada pegs that number at 36%, and in Australia, it’s 21%.

What does that mean for a P2 practitioner? 

WEBINAR ON-DECK: October - IAP2 Projects of the Year

We kick off the new webinar “season” with the two Core Values Award winners for Project of the Year. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) won the USA Project of the Year award for “PedPDX”. This project addresses discrepancies in pedestrian infrastructure around the Rose City, and involved people of a variety of different ethnic and social groups. One city council member referred to the public engagement process as the most robust and comprehensive he had ever seen.

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer used a variety of techniques and approaches in reviewing Canada’s Cancer Strategy. “Underserviced” populations -- people in remote areas, Indigenous people, new Canadians, LGBTQ people, for example -- often don’t get the same level of cancer care and treatment that others do. The Partnership managed to bring these voices to the table and help re-design a cancer strategy that puts them on an equal footing.

The webinar takes place October 8 at 11am PDT (2pm EDT).

November Webinar The First Charlotte Encore!

Coming up in November, our first “Charlotte Encore” webinar is another “first”, as we reprise one of our keynote presentations. Liz Styron and Kaleia Martin of YES! -- Youth-Empowered Solutions -- shook things up not a little with “Walk It Like You Talk It - Youth Empowerment and Racial Equity”. They presented a compelling case for giving young people a place at “the table”, even if said young people decide to stand on the table, rather than sit at it. Join us Tuesday, November 19 at 11am Pacific (2pm Eastern). Register here (and note that this is the third Tuesday in November, not the usual webinar day, the second Tuesday).

Save the Dates 2020 IAP2 USA Skills Symposium!

The IAP2 USA Skills Symposium heads back to California for 2020. Make plans now to join us in Sacramento, March 9 - 13, for another five days of learning, sharing and networking. Watch for more information -- including the lineup of training -- to come!

And the IAP2 North American Conference heads for the mountains in 2020! Start making plans to join us in Banff, Alberta -- September 9 - 11. More details -- including a call for volunteers for the various organizing committees -- will be coming soon!