Rethinking Mandates (and Decision Trees)

Bio: Ms. Paige Douglass is a problem-solver and consultant with experience in strategic planning, organizational development, and priority implementation for a range of U.S. federal, municipal, private sector, and international clients. Her primary responsibilities have included design and execution of facilitation services for issue resolution, creative brainstorming, and decision-making. In addition, she has +10 years of project management and staff mentoring experience. Paige has partnered with clients to create innovative solutions in city planning, logistics and supply chain management, information technology, and human resources lines of business. Her experience in human dynamics helps Paige support the leaders and groups who are tackling complex problems: City of Calgary collaborative city planning, whole-of-government international logistics in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, federal agency strategic and regional business alignment, AstraZeneca (AZ) human resources global systems roll-out, and associations' strategic planning and interactive conference design.

Education: Paige earned a B.A. in Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.

Key Publications: The PRIMES: How any group can solve any problem by Chris McGoff - editor

Past Assignments: • Designed and facilitated over 130 planning and alignment sessions to calibrate teams and get projects back on track for on-time delivery. • Facilitated public-private partnership to build the National Geospatial—Intelligence Agency (NGA) New Campus East facility at Ft. Belvoir. • Facilitated the development of the first Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Management Directive, giving central authority to headquarters over the human capital, information technology, and administrative functions of 23 agencies.

Bio: Whitney is the Manager of Strategic Initiatives in the Planning, Development & Assessment department at The City of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She is responsible for providing the overall leadership and coordination required in The City’s efforts to transform its planning system through engaging City staff and stakeholders – industry, communities, citizens – to design and deliver a high-performing, outcome-focused planning and development system. Prior to this, Whitney was the Manager of Business Plan & Budget Coordination in the Chief Financial Officer's Department at The City of Calgary, where she delivered the award-winning Our City. Our Budget. Our Future. program. She led a multi-disciplined team in developing a transformational process resulting in business plan and budget documents that met Council's imperative for putting citizens first, demonstrating value for money, and finding efficiencies. Previous to this, Whitney worked as both a professional planner and a leader in various business units at The City of Calgary. Before joining The City, Whitney gained experience with consulting engineering firms in the private sector, and in the not-for-profit sector. Whitney is a full member of the Alberta Professional Planning Institute, and the Canadian Institute of Planners.

Education: BA (Honours, Urban Development) - University of Western Ontario Master of Enviromental Design (Planning) - University of Calgary

Bio: Rollin Stanley is the Planning Director for the Montgomery County Planning Department of the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission. Formerly the Director of the Planning & Urban Design Agency for St. Louis, he previously worked in Toronto for 21 years. His planning experience is diverse, having worked in one of the most vibrant urban economies in the world and then in a city rebuilding from one of the largest declines in the U.S. Mr. Stanley’s five-year tenure in St. Louis includes authoring a comprehensive strategic plan that outlines ways to revitalize the historic city. Mayor Francis Slay and Mr. Stanley recently accepted their second World Leadership Award in recognition of their efforts. As Planning Director of Montgomery County, Mr. Stanley leads one of the largest planning agencies in the country. They are leading the discussion on urbanizing a diverse county which includes urban centers like Bethesda, while implementing the pioneering “agricultural preserve” policy through transfer of development rights.

Education: Degree in Urban Design from Ryerson University, Toronto

Past Assignments: Mr. Stanley has lectured and consulted in China, Canada, England and the United States