...

at the beginning of the twenty-first century, citizens seem better at governing, and worse at being governed, than ever before ... .On the other side of this divide, local leaders are becoming tired of confrontation and desperate for resources.
Matt Leighninger, The Next Form of Democracy

Board of Directors: Sharon Adams Jim Babcock Chris Bonney Cindy Carlson Minette Cooper Quentin Kidd Henry Light Betsy McBride Mike Monteith Jim Oliver, Chairman Bob ONeill Vivian Paige, Treasurer Anita Poston Suzanne Puryear, Secretary Roger Richman John Rowe Alvin Schexnider, Vice-Chairman Bert Schmidt Ray Taylor Sanford Wanner Program Fellows: Joshua Behr Carolyn Caywood Barbara Clark Kevin Fairley Rich Goll Louis Guy Ellis Hinnant-Will Ramesh Kapoor Stephanie Klinkenberger Mike Knepler Ed Maroney Nicole Auer McGee Ken Wheeler Staff:
Rob Edwards, Administrative Director Betsy McBride, Executive Director Mike Rau, Webmaster Todd Solomon, Program Director

The mission of the Center is to support sustainable deliberative democracy in Hampton Roads and to connect public decision making with civil dialogue and the informed judgment of the regions citizens.

Development Consultant: Ron Hunt Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement 5200 Hampton Blvd. Norfolk, VA 23508 Phone: 757.889.9359

www.hrcce.org

he future vitality of the entire Hampton Roads region requires not only careful planning on the part

Hampton Roads center for Civic Engagement

of public agencies, but also more considered, knowledgeable and balanced engagement on the part of the regions citizens. The Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement provides decision-makers, interest groups and citizens with reliable, state-of-the-art methods for involving citizens in problem solving and planning. The Center is a neutral source of information to support fact-based dialogue on the thorniest

l. II. III. IV.

Custom Public Involvement Projects Consultation Design Management Facilitation Training Purposeful Public Meetings How to Benefit from Civic Engagement Positive Citizen Communication and Trust Building Participatory Social Media and Public Insights Essential Principles Effective Tools Avoiding the Pitfalls Framing Issues to Move Past Deadlock Research and Information Surveys Focus Groups Data Bases Webliographies Issue Materials Community Discussion Guides Specialized Tools and Processes Keypad Polling for Consensus Building Community Dialogue and Deliberation Issue Mapping and Framing Process Audits Principled Public Communication Project Websites

...Tocquevilles conclusion (was) that a vibrant, face-to-face local democratic practice was essential to keeping alive the civic virtues without which democracy itself cannot survive.
Daniel Kemmis, Beyond National Democracy

of regional issues. It structures and facilitates civic engagement processes that provide for the productive collaboration between the citizens and their governments. By encouraging the inclusion of more citizens in the public choices related to their regions quality of life and future, the Centers work enhances the accountability and transparency of public agencies. The Centers work helps reduce parochial thinking and geographic polarization, boost regional understanding and bring into the public dialogue, voices that have long been overlooked.

Serving the communities of Americas first region

The public is not simply a consensual body; it is a primary source of political energy.
David Matthews, Kettering Review