What is an underlying question that gives form
to your work or interest in this field?
What does it mean to relate to the wholeness of this
situation?
What is your personal experience of collective
wisdom in groups?
The informal colleagial networks of which I have been
a part (private meditation gatherings, Mohonk retreats, etc.) have been
instrumental to my learning and have been remarkable experiences.
What is it about the work in this field that excites
you and connects you to your own deepest self?
At present, my work is not directly related to consulting
or formal OD work. I am simply seeking to be a change agent within the
college where I serve as an administrator (director of alumni relations
and annual fund). Since the early 1980s, I have felt myself to be a
part of a growing network of persons working toward "transformation
of consciousness," especially within organizations.
My approach is an eclectic blend of theory, including
the thoughts of various OD writers/practitioners, 5 Element Chinese
Medicine, and intuition.
Please provide a brief storyline or snapshot of
what brought you to this work.
I worked at Interface Foundation, a holistic education
center that was located in Newton, Mass., from 1981-1984. There, I had
the opportunity to study with many teachers of emerging disciplines
in the fields of holistic health and spiritual development. I founded
the Interface Business Association in 1983, one of the first groups
in the Boston area to involve business and organizational managers in
discussions related to spirituality and ethics in business, social responsibility,
etc. I also served on the steering committee of a group known as OTN
(the Organizational Transformation Network) in Boston, founded by Jim
Ritscher.
In 1985-86, I was a colleague of Sheryl
Erickson at Innovation Associates, and since then I have had the
honor of participating in several gatherings which Sheryl and others
have convened.
The present focus of my intention is addressing
issues of institutional and systemic racism. I do this through my volunteer
position as Chair of the Affirmative Action Committee at the community
college where I am an administrator, and by serving on the steering
committee of NIOT (Not in Our Town), an anti-racism citizen coalition
in Amherst, Mass.
