Regional planning commission begins ethical leadership series with Abundant Sun presentation
March 18, 2022 | Grand Isle County, Vermont
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The Northwest Regional Planning Commission on Feb. 23, 2022, opened a multi-session engagement on ethical leadership, data-driven diversity, equity and inclusion with a presentation by consultant Jude Smith Riekelly of Abundant Sun.
Riekelly told commissioners the work should be driven by data about organizational culture, not just head counts, saying, “I absolutely love data and run a practice through Abundant Sun where we are very, very diligent in collecting, data around diversity, equity, and inclusion.” She described the planned engagement as an “ethical performance improvement campaign,” linking questions of social, environmental and economic justice to the commission’s regional-planning responsibilities.
Riekelly introduced VUCA — volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity — as a planning framework and outlined environmental, social and governance (ESG) concepts and triple-bottom-line thinking. She urged the commission to move beyond conventional diversity training toward “enlightened action, not reactionary actions,” and offered this practical definition of environmental justice: “It’s not recycling. It’s not driving an electric car. It’s really looking critically at what environmental justice involves identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on an agency’s programs, policies, activities on minority and low income populations.”
Commissioners asked practical questions about materials and follow-up. Chair Bill Irwin and staff arranged for Riekelly to send a PDF of the presentation and her engagement letter; Riekelly said she would provide those materials to Catherine Dimitrick. Commissioners also raised concerns about restoring in-person connection lost during the pandemic and about how the ethical-leadership work will inform the upcoming regional-plan update.
Riekelly said the commission will meet roughly every other month on this topic over the coming year, including brief one-on-one follow-ups with staff and light reading between sessions. She emphasized linking the learning directly to the commission’s work on planning, public health and built-environment decisions.
The presentation concluded with an invitation for members to reflect on three questions about what ethical performance should mean for the Northwest Regional Planning Commission and what vision they have for its future. Riekelly will deliver the presentation PDF to staff and return for subsequent sessions.
Riekelly told commissioners the work should be driven by data about organizational culture, not just head counts, saying, “I absolutely love data and run a practice through Abundant Sun where we are very, very diligent in collecting, data around diversity, equity, and inclusion.” She described the planned engagement as an “ethical performance improvement campaign,” linking questions of social, environmental and economic justice to the commission’s regional-planning responsibilities.
Riekelly introduced VUCA — volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity — as a planning framework and outlined environmental, social and governance (ESG) concepts and triple-bottom-line thinking. She urged the commission to move beyond conventional diversity training toward “enlightened action, not reactionary actions,” and offered this practical definition of environmental justice: “It’s not recycling. It’s not driving an electric car. It’s really looking critically at what environmental justice involves identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on an agency’s programs, policies, activities on minority and low income populations.”
Commissioners asked practical questions about materials and follow-up. Chair Bill Irwin and staff arranged for Riekelly to send a PDF of the presentation and her engagement letter; Riekelly said she would provide those materials to Catherine Dimitrick. Commissioners also raised concerns about restoring in-person connection lost during the pandemic and about how the ethical-leadership work will inform the upcoming regional-plan update.
Riekelly said the commission will meet roughly every other month on this topic over the coming year, including brief one-on-one follow-ups with staff and light reading between sessions. She emphasized linking the learning directly to the commission’s work on planning, public health and built-environment decisions.
The presentation concluded with an invitation for members to reflect on three questions about what ethical performance should mean for the Northwest Regional Planning Commission and what vision they have for its future. Riekelly will deliver the presentation PDF to staff and return for subsequent sessions.
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