he Ambassador Program, North American Conference and so many different awards to apply for, there is no shortage of news this month from IAP2 USA.2 USA!

In this action-packed instalment, you’ll find:

• Features:  President Leah Jaramillo updates us on the National Dialogue on Public Engagement; Stacee Adams presents her credentials in the new Ambassador Program; and we’ll open the gates for three brilliant ways to celebrate P2 excellence -- including a new one, dedicated to the young up-and-comers in the practice. Our Member Profile takes us to the Aloha State with Mahina Martin, and IAP2 Australasia and UNESCAP have developed a new tool for public engagement.
• Events: we can now announce the program for the 2018 IAP2 North American Conference; look back on two webinars - the February webinar on Handling Emotion and Outrage and the March webinar, featuring two more Core Values Award winners from 2017. The Midwest Chapter Announces their Conference Schedule, and the early bird registration date is closing in for the Intermountain Chapter Conference
• Interesting Links: a chronicle of a neighborhood engagement effort that dealt with a noisy, polluting, but highly necessary situation in Washington, DC; and a study that suggests online commenting is not a useful exercise for public consultations.
  

Features:

President's Message: Greetings from Austin!

I am writing to you from the AUX tarmac after nearly a week of training and fun at the IAP2 USA Board face to face meeting. Following the 2018 Skills Symposium, your board of directors welcomed two new members – Traci Etheridge and Gwen Happ – and buckled down to address priorities for 2018. Among them are: maintaining our existing member services; ensuring our services, costs and fees align; focusing on chapter support and planning for the future. It was a whirlwind of work, but we are excited to be here and ready to get down to the details. On a personal note, I was honored to be confirmed to my third term as board President and appreciate the support of each of our directors and staff in helping to move the organization forward.

Member Profile: Mahina Martin

I believe that the public deserves a voice, and I also believe that not all governments and companies are ill-intended. There’s so much energy spent on conflict, and we have better things to do, like being with our families, having fun, pursuing personal passions; so participating with so little time and interest can get in the way. I also like that P2 is a good way to guide a process to a good resolution.

A New Initiative for IAP2 USA: The Ambassador Program!

Growing Good P2 One Connection at a Time

By: Stacee Adams

The shortest distance between two people is often a story and IAP2 USA is launching a new Ambassador Program to recruit storytellers and others interested in creating new relationships that further the reach of good P2.

The Ambassador Program is being piloted in 2018 by the Communications Committee with the goals of recruiting a core of ambassadors from across the U.S. to raise awareness of what good P2 is and what it looks like; support strategic alliance building; and work with cities and project owners to sign Core Values pledges.

The pilot launches this month with a national recruitment for participants. Ambassadors will be incentivized with resources including a toolkit, professional development, training, networking and recognition in IAP2 promotional materials and at the North American Conference. Requirements to participate include joining quarterly conference calls, tracking IAP2 marketing activities and securing Core Values pledges.

Are you interested in being an Ambassador and have a story about IAP2 and its impact in your work? If so, send us an email about your interest in joining the program. We’ll be collecting responses through April 15, 2018.

IAP2 & UNESCAP work together to strengthen engagement and advance the practice

IAP2 is delighted to be partnering with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) to build an Assessment and Planning Tool for Engagement.

Apply NOW for the 2018 IAP2 USA Core Values Awards!

Public Participation and its practitioners spend enough time in the shadows, and the IAP2 Core Values Awards is the annual opportunity to take a bow! Applications are now being accepted for the Project Categories (from which the Project of the Year will be selected), Research Project of the Year and Organization of the Year. This award recognizes innovation and creativity in reaching out to the public, making sure they have enough information during the process and reporting out afterwards. Read more and download the Applicant’s Kit. The deadline is Wednesday, May 2, 2018.

Greater Good & Greater Good Emerging Leader

While the Core Values Awards celebrate projects and the organizations behind them, we are excited to now present awards that recognize individual achievement. Last year, IAP2 USA inaugurated the Greater Good Award, for individuals whose work and dedication have furthered the cause of Public Participation over the year. The first recipients were Grayce Liu, Manager of the City of Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, and Dr. Jim Creighton, one of the founders of what was then IAP3 -- the International Association of Public Participation Practitioners. Find out more about the Greater Good Award and download the nomination form today.

New for 2018, we’re introducing the Greater Good Emerging Leader Award -- for an individual under the age of 35 (or with less than five years’ experience in the P2 field) -- who is already making a mark with fresh ideas and enthusiasm for engaging the public in decisions that affect it. Find out more and download the nomination form.

Events:

ANNOUNCING: The Program for the 2018 IAP2 North American Conference

“Something for everyone” is a bit of a cliché, but it truly applies to this year’s IAP2 North American Conference, September 5 - 7 in Victoria, Canada! The program is now set, covering a broad range of aspects of our profession, with session presentations, workshops, field trips and panel discussions guaranteed to give you what you need to Grow a Culture of P2 in your community, business and organization! Register online by June 30 to get the early-bird discount rate, and be sure to book your room at one of our three partner hotels by August 10 to get the special Conference rate, starting at C$165/night. Remember to follow #iap2nac18 on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Webinar(s):