Brett Bostonbrettboston@groupsolutions.us

Mediation, Facilitation, Stakeholder Relationship Management, Major Environmental ProjectsCertified Neutral Third Party Mediator and award-winning facilitator of

open and transparent collaborative activities

Founder and President of Group Solutions® with nearly 30 years of experience working with a variety of environmental and natural resource statutes, regulations, and programs

Broad thinking strategist with the ability to refine the message and define strategic delivery and consultation to deliver a 99% customer reform rate

Internationally recognized pioneer in the use of innovative processes and leading edge technology for team-based collaborative activities

Proven skills at improving the openness and transparency of collaborative activities in both face-to-face and video-conferenced, virtual environments

Brings vision, energy and a highly strategic level of thinking to any projectand is considered the leading electronic meeting facilitator in the world

Graduated from Emory University with degrees in Economics and Political Science, and completed graduate work in Economics at American University and Georgia State University

Skills and Specialisms

Mediation Leadership Consensus-building and facilitation of initiatives that involve diverse, contentious stakeholder group issues with a wide array of technical knowledge

Community Engagement Designs & leads robust, constructive public involvement / consultation processes

Facilitation Structures & guides meetings, workshops, conferences and stakeholder dialogue creating environments where legitimate stakeholders make their own best decisions

Stakeholder Relationships Competent management of highly sensitive relationships between large, multidisciplinary and inter-jurisdictional stakeholder groups that span academic, governmental, commercial and conservation interests

Decision Support Extensive experience delivering successful planning and public scoping processes with online survey, interactive technologies and decision support tools

Strategic Planning Actionable operational strategies to align vision, mission, goals, objectives and performance metrics through the use of group dynamics, organizational understandings and technology

Natural Resource Projects Current and ongoing experience with projects likely to impact on the environment

Selected Achievements

Roster member of the. U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution since 2010

Executive Director of the Wildlife Foundation of Florida.in addition to work at Group Solutions, Inc.

Facilitator for former President Jimmy Carter’s sessions: The Atlanta Project and Carter Presidential Center

Worked with leadership teams at Randstad North America, The International Olympic Committee, Deloitte & Touche L.L.P., The Coca-Cola Company, U.S. Air Force Intelligence, and Emory University.

Experienced as a lobbyist on deregulation issues in Washington, DC and with the Georgia Legislature

Group Solutions Inc Founder and President 1991 - presentFounded in 1991 Group Solutions provides process design, facilitation and innovative, electronic meeting tools (GroupWare) which have been applied to facilitate 3,000+ sessions worldwide with over 200 organizations, helping decision makers include perspective from key citizens, customers and stakeholders in strategic planning, typically on demanding timelines. Capabilities include interactive web-based survey and feedback to extend the size of teams able to participate, and to improve the effectiveness of decision making and policy formulation.

Lead Facilitator providing leadership to the management of complex environmental, public policy and water resource planning for federal, state and regional projects which frequently entail

Managing highly charged stakeholder groups and dominant personalities with finesse Delivering work product on ridiculously short timelines Rapid assimilation of complex technical, engineering, biological and legal material making key concepts

relevant/useful to non-technical audiences Designing and delivering transparent and open processes that include opportunities for every

stakeholder to participate Finding consensus when nobody believed it was possible

Key Environmental and Resource Projects

Client National Parks Service, U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution Project Public Meetings: Coronado National Forest Transportation Planning, May 2012 Solution Provided process design and a portable interactive decision support network enabling

a Citizen’s Advisory Team and a wide variety of stakeholder groups to capture comments on more than 700 proposed road closure alternatives.

Features Highly polarized team feedback was effectively managed using innovative audience response and decision support technology.

Client U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution Project South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SLACC) Strategic Planning

September 2011 to present Solution Provided design and delivery of a multi-stakeholder, multi-agency strategic planning process Features The plan was recognized by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution with an

award for effective use of technology for community and stakeholder engagement enabling a high level of transparency, openness and support for process outcomes.

Client U.S. Army Corps of EngineersProject Apalachicola, Chattahoochee Flint Public Scoping For Water Manual Revision

September 2009 to January 2010Situation Litigation from cantankerous and unpredictable stakeholders and competition for water

resources were the result of dramatic increases in population and changes in water use Water and control manuals had not been updated in 50 years despite.

Solution A public scoping process was provided to effectively engage large public input meetings and provide multiple options for capture of scoping comments, as well as handling high volumes of letters and emails and a large segment of the stakeholder group, which included federal agencies, state & local government conservation groups, local business, and the general public, who wanted to be able to participate without attending meetings. This included process design, project management and logistical co-ordinations, staffing of public meetings, setup of all presentation materials, facilitation for public comment capture, maintenance of an opt-in listserv and mass communication on upcoming events, process updates and comment closing dates

Features More than 2,200 comments were received, categorized and responded to in less than 45 days enabling the EIS to be completed quickly and effectively.

Client The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions

Project Public Health Effects of Drought Guide DevelopmentFebruary 2009 to December 2009

Solution Provided process design and facilitation for a multidisciplinary team of over 40 public health decision makers, stakeholders and academics tasked with producing the raw material for the first document of its kind documenting the public health effects of drought. Provided a project website for password-protected comment on a draft document by workshop participants and invited guests and a portable decision support network that enabled participants to enter comments simultaneously and anonymously

Features Dramatically improved the productivity of team writing sessions and enabled a wide range of subject matter expertise to be captured in the finished product.

Client U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Project Florida Manatee Forum, July 2004 to presentSolution Designed an open, long-term process to encourage stakeholder dialogue, and provided

process, governance structure and facilitation for regular meetings of organizations most concerned with management and protection of the Florida manatee.

Features It identified and helped correct conflicts between federal and state species protection efforts and provided a central avenue for airing regulatory questions and grievances. While world peace has not broken out, regular communication has reduced misunderstandings between agencies and stakeholders and identified areas of shared concern.

Client U.S. Army Corps of EngineersProject Mississippi Coastal Improvements Project, March 2005 to December 2009Solution Designed, deployed and supported a project web portal for updates and comment capture from

the general public as well as provided a portable decision support network for effective capture of public comments at over 40 public and technical advisory meetings across the coast.

Features Over 2,000 stakeholders have participated in this highly interactive process. The process was recognized by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution with an award for Best Use of Technology for Stakeholder Involvement.

Client Auburn University, Southern Company Project R.L. Harris Dam and Tallapoosa River Adaptive Management Project

May 2000 to present

Client Tennessee Valley Authority Project Reservoir Operations Studies May 2000 to October 2004

Client Texas Parks & Wildlife Project Governor’s Future of Hunting Study January 2002 to May 2002

Client U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service/Bass Anglers & Sportfishing Society (BASS)Project Sportfishing & Boating Partnership Council, May 1994 to December 1998

Client City of Atlanta, Innovation Delivery Team; Bloomberg Foundation Project Mayor’s Project on Homelessness, January 2012 to present

Client Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Project Strategic Planning, Agency Redesign, Employee Development

August 2010 to present