National Faculty
William L. Burton
In
addition to his work as a Certified Harwood
Coach, William is the Principal Consultant and
CEO of Common Ground Resolution Services, LLC
(CGRS). Founded in 1999, CGRS is dedicated to
providing conflict management, facilitation and
training to a wide variety of businesses,
organizations, and community groups. William
has extensive experience working in the not for
profit sector as a facilitator, mediator, and
trainer.
William holds degrees in Psychology
and Counseling and has also been certified as a
mediator and trainer of mediators by the State
Court Administrative Office (SCAO) in the State
of Michigan.
William has also served his community in various capacities over the years. He is currently a member of the Battle Creek Public Schools Board of Trustees, a Board Member for Battle Creek Unlimited, and a founding member of the Battle Creek Committee on Community Affairs. He has worked in local government and the private sector in various roles and responsibilities ranging from juvenile court officer, program developer, executive director and consultant.
John Creighton add as friend send an Hmail
John Creighton joined The Harwood Institute in
2004 as a Senior
Fellow.
Creighton will play an integral role in several
of the Institute's
on-the-ground initiatives. His focus areas will
include News Media
and
Society as well as Civic Engagement and Public
Agencies.
Creighton is the founder of Conocer, a Colorado-based company dedicated to helping public leaders make informed decisions. He previously served as Director of The Harwood Institute, and as Vice President of The Harwood Group.
Creighton is a graduate of the University of Kansas and holds a Master's of Public Policy degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Karen Aldridge-Eason
In
addition to her work as a Certified Harwood
Coach, Karen currently serves as the Foundation
Liaison for the state of Michigan. Before
being appointd in 2003, Karen spent nearly 10
years as a Program Director at the Mott
Foundation. She has extensive experience
in Michigan government, having held the
positions of Director of the Office of Health
and Human Services for the State and Budget
Director for the City of Flint. Karen has
also worked as a Legislative Assistant to the
Michigan State Senate and worked in the State
Department of Commerce, first as a Senior
Budget Analyst and later as Deputy Budget
Director. Prior to her work in Michigan,
Karen administered and operated a mission
boarding school in Liberia, West Africa.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Public Administration from Western Michigan University.
Karen lives in Flint, Michigan with her husband Gregary Eason. They have three young adult sons. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, theater, concerts and fitness walking. Karen is a longtime volunteer and mentor in her community and church. She currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors for Genesys Health Systems and as a board member for a local dance troupe, Tapology, Inc.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Public Administration from Western Michigan University.
Karen lives in Flint, Michigan with her husband Gregary Eason. They have three young adult sons. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, theater, concerts and fitness walking. Karen is a longtime volunteer and mentor in her community and church. She currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors for Genesys Health Systems and as a board member for a local dance troupe, Tapology, Inc.
Rosemary Flores
Rosemary Flores is President/CEO of Bilingual Consulting Services in Las Vegas, Nevada facilitating focus groups, strategic planning sessions and community conversations. She also co-founded the Family Leadership Initiative, a non-profit organization which helps families become involved in community while encouraging children to succeed in school and life.
Ms. Flores holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Reno in Secondary Education. She’s a 2004 fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute and received the Executive Program Certificate from JFK’s School of Government at Harvard University.
Ms. Flores was Executive Director of Nevada Hispanic Services (1987-1994); Sierra Pacific Power Company’s Community Relations Director and Ombudsman (1994-1997); School-to-Careers’ So. Nevada Regional Coordinator (1998-2000); B.E.S.T. Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Nevada Executive Director (2000-2003); and Educational Achievement Services’ Senior Associate facilitating the Family Leadership Institute in So. Nevada (2004-2009).
Ms. Flores’ community service includes serving on the board of directors of a variety of organizations that focus on youth and immigrant issues and services, as well as business related activities. In her spare time, she also teaches English to new immigrants at goodwill Industries.
Married for more than 30 years, she is also the proud mother of two grown children and grandmother of five year-old twins.
Melanie Kadlic Meren
Melanie Kadlic Meren focuses her work
on improving education and
communities.
At The Harwood Institute, Melanie supports members of the Public Innovators Corps—a network of coaches who are trained and certified to share Harwood content with groups, communities and individuals. She also supports coaches in the Kellogg Foundation-funded Community Engagement Initiative, helping communities use the Harwood approach in order to support vulnerable children and their families. Melanie previously worked with Harwood to support public broadcasting stations through another of the Institute’s Community Engagement Initiatives.
Since arriving in Washington in 2002, she has worked for government offices, nonprofits and private companies to help children succeed. Melanie currently leads her own consulting practice, MKM Strategies, working with a variety of organizations focused on improving outcomes for individuals and communities through learning and engagement. Previously, she worked at Collaborative Communications Group, a premier consulting organization working to strengthen public education in America. Melanie worked to help national and local leaders create change to move organizations effectively to their goals of helping children and communities.
Melanie has also worked at the U.S. Department of Education, where she managed, evaluated and supported programs serving the nation’s most disadvantaged students, particularly those in early childhood education programs. She also worked at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on regulations for education, as well as in local government to improve systems management.
Melanie holds a Master’s of Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University at Albany, New York. She enjoys traveling and learning about new people, places and ideas—and helping others learn, too.
At The Harwood Institute, Melanie supports members of the Public Innovators Corps—a network of coaches who are trained and certified to share Harwood content with groups, communities and individuals. She also supports coaches in the Kellogg Foundation-funded Community Engagement Initiative, helping communities use the Harwood approach in order to support vulnerable children and their families. Melanie previously worked with Harwood to support public broadcasting stations through another of the Institute’s Community Engagement Initiatives.
Since arriving in Washington in 2002, she has worked for government offices, nonprofits and private companies to help children succeed. Melanie currently leads her own consulting practice, MKM Strategies, working with a variety of organizations focused on improving outcomes for individuals and communities through learning and engagement. Previously, she worked at Collaborative Communications Group, a premier consulting organization working to strengthen public education in America. Melanie worked to help national and local leaders create change to move organizations effectively to their goals of helping children and communities.
Melanie has also worked at the U.S. Department of Education, where she managed, evaluated and supported programs serving the nation’s most disadvantaged students, particularly those in early childhood education programs. She also worked at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on regulations for education, as well as in local government to improve systems management.
Melanie holds a Master’s of Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University at Albany, New York. She enjoys traveling and learning about new people, places and ideas—and helping others learn, too.
Brad Rouke is a writer,
consultant and essayist on public life. Rourke
was senior project manager and then
director, external initiatives at
The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation and
vice president for
public policy at the Institute for Global
Ethics. He has been active in public
affairs at all levels,
having served on the staffs of then-Controller
of California Gray
Davis and Congresswoman Jane Harman, and also
served as deputy
California campaign manager for the National
Health Care Campaign and
as state government relations representative
for Northrop Grumman
Corporation.
Rourke has also been an advocate for
alternative transportation,
lobbying successfully to change the state
vehicle codes in all of the
Pacific states.