“Wherever you go, there you are”
It all BEGAN when...
as a young man attending Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, I realized that my theoretical idea to become a 'constitutional' lawyer (whatever that was) made no sense considering everything else happening in my life. Embroiled in the political, cultural and lifestyle revolutions and evolutions of the day, I didn't know what was next, but knew what wasn't.
Fast forward through a myriad of twists, turns, ups, and downs, and I’m now a credentialed professional coach, working with other men and women who don't know what's next. In coaching I draw on my broad range of experiences as I work with clients to design more intentional, aware lives and make the choices and changes that can improve performance, uplift careers, and enrich life. I’ve added this work to a successful career in business and social enterprises, a record of unusual accomplishment in environmental, and sustainable prosperity, and became a well-known and highly regarded teacher of contemplative disciplines and meditation in action.
The highlights: In the 1970's I became the Executive Director and first employee of Naropa Institute (now University), in Boulder Colorado which grew to become a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies. Starting with this staff of one, Naropa grew to host more than 2200 summer students nine months later, with a distinguished faculty that featured luminaries as diverse as Alan Ginsberg, Gregory Bateson, John Cage, Chögyam, Trungpa, and Ram Das (Dr. Richard Alpert). Years later, I became the University's longest serving (11 years) Chair of the Board of Trustees. During the same decade, I was a founding member and first treasurer of the Ashoka Credit Union. I was also a founding partner in a gem import company (a long story) that grew too quickly to become America's first national gem distributor before imploding in an ignominious collapse (and incredible learning).
In parallel, a chance encounter with Ven. Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, the Tibetan Lama widely credited with bringing modern Buddhism to North America, led to 17 years’ study and practice under his tutelage in meditation and Buddhist perspectives. On his behalf, and continuing under the auspices of his lineage, after his death in 1987, I assumed increasingly responsible positions of leadership and teaching within what has become an international association of Buddhist contemplative centers.
Following Trungpa's death I reinvented myself again. I re-entered graduate school and completed a Masters degree in Environmental Studies focusing on policy formulation and environmental management. This new sphere of learning contributed to my launch into a new entrepreneurial cycle. This included becoming executive director of The Clean Nova Scotia Foundation, a recent non-governmental multi-stakeholder start-up. During six years at the helm of CNS, it grew in staff and resources more than six-fold. I also led the regional planning for major environmental policy transformations, and served on boards and governing bodies, leading think tanks, agencies, and several challenging community initiatives.
I was subsequently recruited to lead the development and operational management of a new national business group at Jacques Whitford Environment, Ltd. the largest dedicated (and employee owned) environmental consulting company in Canada. My success in building this profitable, growing practice led to a series of increasingly significant business roles. Appointed Vice President Environmental Sciences, I expanded the business's geographic and technical reach. I was asked to lead the firm's major strategic renewal as chair of its’ fast track strategic planning Task Force, and then the subsequent corporate renewal transition team. Pursuant to that I became the first Vice President of Marketing and Branding in which role I originated a complete branding refresh and comprehensive national/international marketing program. My interest in sustainable design and planning led to leadership of an ad hoc initiative to develop a business strategy for the rapidly evolving sphere of sustainable development. Be careful what you ask for. I became the company's first Vice President and then Senior Vice President of Sustainability, in which role I pioneered the company's groundbreaking strategic entry into sustainability consulting and corporate social responsibility.
By 2008, Jacques Whitford's success (in significant measure highlighted by its then well-known sustainability market leadership) resulted in acquisition by Stantec Consulting, one of North America's leading diversified engineering, architectural, planning and design firms. I was immediately appointed the company's first Vice President Sustainable Development and once again given the mandate to invent the company's internal and client facing sustainability practices. Fast forward 8 years and Stantec had grown to 23,000 staff across 500+ offices worldwide. I played the leading role in advancing the company's now globally renowned leadership in sustainable design focused on major infrastructure systems and integration, urban design and strategic corporate sustainability and social responsibility.
In these years, I was increasingly invited to serve and consult in a wide range of significant settings - at the White House, U.S. Pentagon, the Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory Board at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (Washington D.C.) Envision® Review Board (the proponent and instigator of the new sustainable design standard). Closer to home my commitment to non-profit initiatives and particularly to active community engagement has continued unabated. I serve as Chair of the Nova Scotia Round Table on Environment and Sustainable Prosperity (government's primary multi-stakeholder advisory body), have been President of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, President of Genuine Progress Indicator Atlantic (an internationally recognized social policy think tank), Chair of the Authentic Leadership in Action Institute (a global leader in progressive leadership training), the Advisory Council of the Dalhousie University MBA program, and the President's Advisory Council on Sustainability at Dalhousie University, among others.
In 2012 I was named to the first Canada Clean 50, fifty Canadians selected for a remarkable contribution to clean capitalism. Over time, I have increasingly found myself speaking to, training, and working with diverse audiences on topics ranging from building leadership capacity, to strategies for sustainable prosperity, new paradigms in urban design, innovative business strategy, and a broad range of social issues. I am quite involved in local and international, Buddhist and interfaith advocacy related to climate change. I have spoken or taught in more than two dozen countries including Russia and in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Over several years, a few of my close friends (some of whom are professional coaches) kept suggesting that I also consider training as a professional coach. They felt that my unusual interlaced interests, experiences, and personal characteristics were naturally aligned with this vocation. Over time I progressed from amusement, to light interest, self-inquiry, exploration, and finally to commitment. That in turn led me ultimately to Newfield Network and its founder, Julio Olalla. In Julio, I discovered the mentor, and rigorous training process I had been waiting for. The deep dive that ensued, into transformational learning and ontological (being based) coaching has been illuminating and challenging from the first day to this. Thank you dear friends.
Married to Susanna for 32+ enormously enriching years and with three grown children living in three countries literally around the world, I’m not slowing down. We spend our year between homes in Canada and Mexico, interspersed with occasional travels. My travel schedule can be intense given my worldwide consulting, speaking, meditation and Buddhist teaching, and volunteer commitments. Avid scuba divers, we’re both pursuing a new burst of avocations. In Susanna's case, mosaic art and I have just re-joined the fellowship of potters. Thankfully, most of my coaching conversations can be conducted utilizing the tremendous online platforms now available from virtually any location. My clients are stretched across 5 time zones and more in the offing.
