We contracted with Anne to help us develop our Voice of Our Waters workshop for local resource protection groups in Dane County. Anne worked with our planning team to make sure we agreed on purposes and outcomes; to prepare the agenda, handouts, panel presenters, and small group facilitators; and to facilitate the workshop itself. Her skill and generosity were instrumental in our event’s resounding success.

Anne was thorough and thoughtful in the work she did to produce the Community Open Space Partnership Forums, engaging the event design team to push their thinking beyond the “routine” to agree on the goals and expected outcomes. After striving to make sure that we were on the same page regarding our desires, she was tireless in her leadership to ensure that participants would collaborate in an active agenda that produced results. The energy she brought to both the process and outcome was infectious. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again.

Anne immediately puts people at ease. She creates a fun atmosphere in which laughter immediately begins to break down inhibitions and barriers to communication. She also focuses on the hard work that participants need to do — and affirms participants’ efforts by openly recognizing that it is hard work. She is flexible, creative, and always searching for that win-win solution without being pushy or intrusive. I am always impressed with her professionalism and her dedication to continually improving the quality of her service.

The best thing about strategic planning is that it’s strategic. Through the process you learn a lot about your organization and the people associated with it. There’s energy behind a vision and a path to achieve the vision when it’s shared. And you, Anne, are the seeing eye dog through the process! Or, the lighthouse on a foggy night!

Anne’s extensive knowledge of environmental issues made her extremely effective at facilitating a diverse group of stakeholders in a three-day strategic planning session on the water quality of one of the largest watersheds in Wisconsin. Two years later, the strategic plan is still being used as the guidebook for local agencies collaborating to improve water quality.

Anne worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on a new approach to gather information on ecologically significant areas from the people that know an area best — local folks and regional experts. Her work with the Workshop Design Team on how to plan and implement successful workshop strategies was invaluable. Her interaction with participants at the Fox River and Wolf River workshops spurred interest in the process and enticed participants to get involved.

Anne is a gifted facilitator, able to bring groups of diverse individuals together to achieve a common goal. Her ability to keep our board on task and bring out each person’s unique ideas and contributions was crucial to the success of our strategic plan. She made what could have been a tedious process fun and invigorating for the group.

Just wanted to thank you again for the great job you did in getting everyone together to seek agreement on sensitive issues and leading us through the planning process so well. If you told me 2 years ago the Lake District Commissioners and the DNR could come to any agreement I would have said… “ya right.” You did a fantastic job on the design and facilitation of the open house and on the day of the membership vote.

Anne Forbes is a unique individual with the skills to break down barriers and misconceptions in order to discover the motivation and needs of all individuals in contentious situations. Through effective facilitation, she designs and leads groups through processes to provide clear understanding of diverse viewpoints among participants. From there, a fact-based foundation is constructed as a basis for finding common ground from which strong decisions and strategic direction can be agreed upon. There are few things more satisfying than participating in this kind of well facilitated decision making process that concludes with an agreement or direction that works for all parties involved.

Anne is a generous facilitator, and this workshop was comfortably paced yet profound in its impact. I had the opportunity to step back and think about how I relate to a place, my neighborhood, and the way that the place ‘works’ ecologically and culturally. It helped me identify the parts of my world that I most value.

The Growing a Sense of Place workshop changed the way I approach how I facilitate public participation. My starting point with any project now involves inviting people to get in touch with the aspects of their place that they value, and the things that may excite or disturb them. This has the effect of eliciting values, recognizing them, and building upon them, before we directly confront what appears to be the issue of concern on the surface. This new way of engaging participants has proven to be the most useful approach for working in the most challenging of circumstances.

I enthusiastically recommend this workshop to anyone who is seeking to engage more meaningfully with individuals, groups and communities as they consider issues and opportunities that may affect their home place.