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Real-world proof of how we meet organizations where they are. see our methodologies in action as we Serve local governments, non-profits, and private enterprises.

Strategic Planning

Organizations mired in daily challenges excel when given time and space to assess their accomplishments, challenges, and assess whether their current values framework is helping them get to the vision they want to achieve. Embedding the voices of all stakeholders in this process ensures ownership and commitment to the final roadmap.

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“Joel is leading strategic planning for an organization that is really a coalition: a board, a professional staff, and more than a hundred member organizations. He designed a process that got all three to own the same plan, and he was as rigorous about our structural questions, how our advocacy entities relate and what our staffing has to look like, as he was about the vision.”

Joe Bower, Chief Operating Officer, Michigan Environmental Council

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Michigan Environmental Council Strategic Plan

We designed and implemented a four year strategic planning process, in collaboration with organizational leadership, to revise the outcomes and strategies of the council. We engaged the Board, senior leadership, staff, and members organizations, ensuring that a diversity of needs and perspectives were integrated into the final strategic plan to set the organization up for success for the next four years.

Client: Michigan Environmental Council
Consultant: Resilient Community Consulting

Detroit Sustainability Action Agenda

We managed the development of Detroit’s first citywide strategic sustainability plan. Throughout this plan, we engaged over 6,000 Detroit residents through surveys, town halls, focus groups, and 14 ambassadors engaging residents in person. The final deliverable was a strategic plan to guide future city efforts in four outcome areas, including ten goals, and 43 action items.

Client: City of Detroit
Consultant: AECOM

Detroit Sustainability Action Agenda

We managed the development of Detroit’s first citywide strategic sustainability plan. Throughout this plan, we engaged over 6,000 Detroit residents through surveys, town halls, focus groups, and 14 ambassadors engaging residents in person. The final deliverable was a strategic plan to guide future city efforts in four outcome areas, including ten goals, and 43 action items.

Client: City of Detroit
Consultant: AECOM

Engagement & Facilitation

Meaningful change is cultivated through the active involvement of key stakeholders. Listening to and acknowledging the perspectives of those impacted by a project is crucial for navigating transitions. Initially, open dialogue allows for a deep understanding of a project's reception. As plans are drafted, engagement should focus on the specific content. Ultimately, involving stakeholders before the finalization of any plan ensures a sense of shared ownership and considered direction.

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“Joel created a clear, practical, and accessible approach to sharing data with residents. He started by listening to department leaders across city government, then built technical solutions to their problems, all in service of providing actionable, understandable data and information to Detroiters that helped rebuild their trust in City government.”

Garlin Gilchrist II, 64th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan; Former Director of Innovation & Technology, City of Detroit

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Detroit Master Plan

In partnership with SmithGroup, we supported internal and external engagement to integrate climate resilience and equity into the master plan process, specifically with City staff whose responsibilities include sustainability and climate outcomes.

Client: City of Detroit
Consultants: SmithGroup; Public Sector Consultants

Wastewater Feasibility Study

The Great Lakes Water Authority received a Department of Energy Grant to assess the feasibility of using hydrothermal liquefaction to process their sewage solids. We developed and implemented an engagement process, including in-person consensus workshops, a survey, and a newsletter with public, NGO, and professional stakeholders.

Client: Great Lakes Water Authority
Consultant: Public Sector Consultants

Data Center Forum

Planned and facilitated a full day convening with 50 attendees to explore the opportunities and impacts of data centers in the state of Michigan.

Client: Michigan Environmental Council
Consultant: Resilient Communities Consulting

Project Implementation

The success of process implementation hinges on how much those who are responsible for implementing changes feel included in the process. Individuals must feel heard before processes are re-envisioned or new procedures are introduced. Those most intimately connected with existing processes often hold the most insightful perspectives for enhancement. Ideally, these direct contributors are engaged without the presence of leadership, fostering an environment where candid feedback can be shared freely.

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“Joel consistently worked to make sure our systems ran smoothly so that our customers received the best service possible.”

Catherine Stafford, Director of Enterprise Data & Analytics, DTE Energy

Diagram of a proposed synthetic community solar approach showing relationships among the nonprofit entity, developer, utility, project host municipality, managing member, participant members, and low-income participants.

MI Next Cities

NextEnergy received a grant to conduct a pilot of smart city climate technology in three mid-sized Michigan cities. The Cities of Dearborn, Marquette, and Flint were selected and chose to implement air quality and flood sensors, electric fleet vehicles, and home electrification. We engaged public and professional stakeholders throughout the process to understand the challenges and opportunities before, during, and after tech implementation.

Client: State of Michigan EGLE
Consultants: NextEnergy; Public Sector Consultants

Community Solar Feasibility Study

Utilizing a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission, we assisted the Cities of Lansing, East Lansing, and Meridian Township to explore the economic, regulatory, and legal barriers to establishing a community solar project in their cities. We benchmarked multiple existing community solar projects, interviewed various stakeholders, and developed an alternative legal framework that could be used to develop a community solar project.

Client: Michigan Public Service Commission
Consultants: Rivenoak Consulting; Public Sector Consultants

Michigan Water Assistance Study

We collected data from over 450 water utilities across the state and built a publicly accessible dashboard to better understand the impact of different policy regimes on potential subsidy levels for those struggling with paying for water services.

Client: Statewide Non-Profit
Consultant: Public Sector Consultants

Sustainability & Climate

As organizations endeavor to embed climate resilience and sustainability into their strategic frameworks and operations, they must decide on the scope and desired outcomes for these initiatives. This involves discerning whether initiatives are directed towards external programs, internal operations, or a blend of both. It further requires questioning whether the primary driver is public relations or significant operational transformation. Defining the metrics for success becomes paramount. The commitment of executive leadership and the clarity of desired outcomes are vital for the successful realization of such an initiative.

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“Joel excelled at developing an inspiring vision, strategy, and implementation plan for sustainability at the City of Detroit. He skillfully navigated limited resources and internal politics to move the City forward.”

Bradley Dick, Senior Associate VP & Deputy Chief Business Officer, Wayne State University; Former Chief Operating Officer & Director of Sustainability, City of Detroit

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Regional Greenhouse Gas Assessment

We developed a regional greenhouse gas assessment for the seven county SEMCOG region through data collection, modelling, and a final report used as the basis for their EPA preliminary climate action plan, in partnership with ICLEI USA.

Client: SEMCOG
Consultants: Public Sector Consultants, ICLEI

Detroit Climate Vulnerability Assessment

Facilitated the process for the Climate Vulnerability Assessment, which including identifying critical facilities with a multi-departmental workgroup, developing resilience indicators with a community workgroup, collecting and verifying data for indicators, and publishing a resiliency dashboard based on geography.

Client: City of Detroit
Consultants: EcoWorks, Data Driven Detroit

Wayne County Resilience Hub Planning

Developed communication protocols, branding, and an educational curriculum for a network of 11 resilience hubs based at community based organizations across Wayne County.

Client: Wayne County
Consultant: Resilient Communities Consulting