A Community in Transition

June 7, 2010
Hosted by John D. Schmidt

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Guest Information

Episode Description

Don Hall, Executive Director of Transition Sarasota, joins ZOOM’D to explore the practical steps involved in preparing a community for the coming era of extraordinary change and transition to post-carbon living. Drawing on direct experience with the successful Colorado transition process and current efforts in Sarasota, FL, Don provides a tantalizing and practical look into realities of the transition process, effective community engagement, and expressions of leadership that come with it all. This show builds on the earlier ZOOM’D episode with Transition Towns founder Rob Hopkins and makes even more explicit the central actions and ingredients involved, the roadblocks to overcome, and the energies that must be cultivated to sustain positive efforts over time. Join Don and ZOOM’D host John Schmidt as they describe the leading edge of potential available in the Transition movement and how it can best bring to life meaningful participation across civil society, business, and governments.

ZOOM’D Leadership

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ZOOM’D takes you out to big picture issues of the day, in to up-close-and-personal capacities of leadership, and toward a desirable future of constant renewal.

Whether focused on the economic crisis, energy, climate change, or sustainability at large, ZOOM’D looks at what is really going on. We’ll examine patterns at play, drivers behind them, perspectives of leadership, and the importance of changing the way we pursue the future.

ZOOM’D uniquely interweaves emphasis on the objective and subjective—on tangible shifts needed in systems, institutions, governance, and behaviors; and on intangible values, cultures, and leader mindsets needed to see, shape, and orchestrate the shifts.

ZOOM’D bridges the conceptual to the practical for all in business, government, and civil society to benefit from and to activate leadership around.

John D. Schmidt

John D. Schmidt is the founder and CEO of Avastone Consulting, an international consultancy committed to the vitality and sustainability of client organizations and the larger global community. He serves as advisor to global corporations and nongovernmental enterprises, and is a thinker, designer, and practitioner in integral approaches to complex challenges and human development.

John’s expertise offers a rich foundation for ZOOM’D. He is a seasoned consultant with 30 years experience in getting to the heart of matters, discerning what is really going on, and framing appropriate actions. He focuses on deep understanding—listening for surface realities—and deeper truth. He makes sense of complexity, integrating the long view with the here-and-now.

John values the interiority of life and how the developmental nature of mindsets shapes the world we live in—across economic, social, and environmental arenas. He is dedicated to his own growth and contemplative practice, spending 25 days per year in retreat. He is creatively gifted in developing other leaders through deep immersion experiences.

John serves as guest faculty and contributor to learning institutes, universities, and community service organizations. He is a board member of the SHIFT Foundation (which develops young global leaders) and Kosmos Journal (a voice of global awakening). He passionately pursues active enjoyments of life—he is a road cyclist, skier, fly fisher—and lover of the ocean.

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