Testimonials for the Community Catalyst™
What people are getting out of using the “Community Catalyst™”
Government
“When our Planning & Zoning Commission recommended that we sponsor a Community Catalyst to jump start our process for updating our Comprehensive Plan, I fully supported them. As our county’s elected leader I was looking for a vision that came from the citizens, rather than just from me. What our team of elected and appointed officials, experts, community leaders and concerned citizens produced achieved so much more, so fast. We got a thorough strategic plan with clear objectives and priorities with a higher level of citizen commitment and support than we ever experienced before. The ‘ComCat™’ is a comprehensive process with strong facilitators, and I recommend it.”
Steve Pendery, County Judge Executive
Citizens Group
“It was amazing how many issues we got through in three days, and how different groups worked well together. We all got a better understanding of what was going on and what we needed to work on most. The ‘ComCat™’ helped people who care about balancing preservation of green infrastructure with balanced growth to influence the vision for our community, and to help transform our planning process. It is an excellent tool to work through difficult processes where honest, and sometimes brutally honest, input is necessary to get to a goal that is understood and accepted by all stakeholders.”
Dennis Walter, Chairman, Farmland Work Group
Planning Commission
“I have worked on updating the Comprehensive Plan using a traditional process and also the Community Catalyst. We got more continuity with the ‘ComCat™’ and more efficient use of our time. That’s important for volunteers. It was more transparent, the output was better, we engaged people around their own vision, we set clear strategic priorities – and people got excited.”
Chuck Heilman, Planning & Zoning Commissioner
Sustainability Committee
"The Catalyst gave the mid Maine area a tremendous opportunity for organizing our collective knowledge, resources, and enthusiasm in a very short period of time. The commitment to sustainability is very strong in this region, and I believe we will see very positive evidence of this commitment in the very near future."
Norm Anderson, Environmental Health & Air Quality Expert
Not for Profit Group
“I am pleased with the direction and focus we have achieved through using the Community Catalyst. In the few months I have been director, I have listened to passionate stakeholders talk about CPE, where it is, where it should go, and how it should get there. Attempting to synthesize it all has been impossible. Furthermore, knowing that each of us—including me—holds only a part of the entire picture has dogged me in my attempt to sort through and develop a plan. The catalyst has done it for us. We now have a vision and an action agenda which we all own. Together they provide a comprehensive picture of how CPE can best help create peaceful people, families, organizations, and communities in this region and beyond.“Finally, I truly appreciate that the process has been quick, if not completely painless. We have emerged energized and committed to taking the next steps. We have produced both a very usable plan and a motivated group of people to insure we execute it effectively.”
Jane Rega, PhD, Executive Director