Team

Thirty-two years ago, Jim was introduced to Jerry Millhon while visiting his cousin Bob. Jerry and Jim felt an instant heartfelt connection and have been co-exploring the themes of wonder and thriving ever since. When Jerry felt the emergent call to give birth to Thriving Communities, he asked Jim if he would consider jumping into this new sandbox. All of Jim’s being instantly shouted YES! And off they went on an adventure that challenged Jim to the core, illuminated and cleared many of his subconscious blind spots and prejudices, and invited him to be a part of a life-giving community of courageous change-makers.

Over the past few decades, Jim has built a successful and fulfilling consulting and executive coaching practice supporting his clients in learning to embrace disruption as a catalyst for growth and innovation rather than as a source of disturbance or threat. Jim specializes in helping individuals and teams who want to improve leadership skills, develop subtler presence and self-awareness, and expand their capacity to grow meaningful, sustainable relationships and to consistently achieve results.

Faraji is an aspiring abolitionist who uses Somatic embodied practices to peel off the years of oppression he experienced through the foster care-to-prison pipeline. Part of his service is working with the Seattle Public School District, Treehouse, and TeamChild as an independent contractor. He also is the community engagement specialist for Yoga Behind Bars, and wellness director for the Black Prisoner's Caucus Community Group. Poetry and spoken word are his passions, and he helps liberate incarcerated voices through a program called Underground Microphone.

Danita Rountree Green, M.A., TLSC, is an author and transformational storyteller. As Co-founder and Executive Director of Coming Together Virginia, the local chapter of a non-profit committed to racial healing and social equity. The largest of over 50 chapters, engaging nearly 3000 members online, CTVA facilitates the "courageous yet clumsy" conversation on race and the legacy of the American Slave Trade in the former Capital of the Confederacy, working to bridge the racial divide. Green facilitates difficult conversations on race and generational trauma nationally. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today. To learn more about Danita's publications, storytelling workshops, and vision of a transformed world, go to:  https://danitarountreegreen.com/.

Lisa Holden lives in Milwaukee, WI, with her husband, Dan. Lisa was the Vice President of Accountable Care for Independent Health Care Plan (iCare) from 2014-2022. Thriving Communities featured iCare’s unique Care Management model in 2020. Holden has extensive and varied experience in nonprofit leadership and board service, government affairs, public policy, coalition building, and leadership. She recently co-founded an Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) business with her husband, Dan, Espiritu Horse. In addition, Lisa and Dan are offering services for veterans through their nonprofit, Veterans Equine Alliance.

Anne practices the art of graphic recording, creating visuals in the moment - to capture the
energy, the stories, the meaning. Everything I have ever learned goes into my work: Deep
Listening, Analysis, Synthesis, Creative Expression. I believe in the power of visuals.

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Anne has always been a visual thinker. In the math and computer science fields, she honed her skills in systems thinking, analysis, process mapping, deep-listening, and synthesizing skills. She has always appreciated the arts, and now blends her business skills and artistic flair to create Live Graphical Recordings (visual representations) for change initiatives. Anne also facilitates using large Visual Templates (guides) and creates Synthesis Charts (timelines and story maps). Anne's experience includes software development, systems analysis, database design, organizational consultation, coaching, and facilitation. She received her MA in Organizational Development at Seattle University. She believes in the power of visuals. See examples of Anne's work at TheDoodleBiz.com.

Michael combines his experience with media production and media equity to help bring a human-centered approach to strategy and design.
 

Michael B. Maine is a socially engaged artist who focuses his work primarily around issues of identity, systems, and social equity. The goal of his work is to encourage people to think beyond their assumptions help reach their own conclusions on how to change themselves and their environment. Michael finds inspiration within the various communities in which he is engaged. He organized We Out Here, a six-day festival celebrating Black excellence in the Seattle area in 2019 and has served as board president for both Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking and Reel Grrls.

“There is in this world beauty, and there are the humiliated. And we must strive, hard as it is, not to be unfaithful, neither to the one nor to the other.”

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Rhea Miller is a social artist, community organizer, and author of Cloudhand, Clenched Fist: Chaos, Crisis, and the Emergence of Community. She served over 10 years as County Commissioner of San Juan County. Currently, she’s the Community Liaison for the Lopez Community Land Trust which focuses on affordable housing and regenerative agriculture. Her TEDx talk “When We Change the Way We look at Things (the Things We Look At Change)” includes stories of unlikely alliances that spurred community action. Rhea combines deep listening with the challenge articulated by Camus:

Dale Nienow is the Former ED Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle, WA. Dale creates Gracious Space where people can work across boundaries to form collective leadership. He is known for helping people open up to deeper dialogue and new relationships that will move groups and communities forward on their compelling issues.

James and Joyce Skeet are the co-founders Covenant Pathways, a 501c3 non-profit organization. They are passionate about reconnecting all peoples to the land through Indigenous Regenerative Intelligence that integrates the ancient wisdom of Native cosmology to create a haven where soil health, nutrient-rich foods, human health, and free markets can prosper for another 10,000 years. James’ heritage has assisted in grounding him in the work he does as a full-blooded Navajo Native American from Vanderwagen, New Mexico. Joyce, born and raised in Pennsylvania, was introduced to agriculture, animal husbandry, and food preservation from an early age. Together, in 2016, they launched an experiential and research farm, Spirit Farm, in Vanderwagen that uses only natural practices including microbiological composting, to heal the high desert southwestern soil, to be a living example of how we can recover and reclaim traditional farming and spiritual practices to transform our way of life and health, reducing the dependency on the very food system that is harming us.

Chris Thorsen provides strategic counsel to both our Advisory and Leadership Teams. He brings 50 years of corporate experience in leadership development and a deep commitment to heartfelt presence and open awareness to the Thriving Communities dialogue.
 

As founder of Quantum Edge, Chris has advised senior executives of major corporations and non-profit organizations for over 50 years. He has helped CXOs exponentially grow companies, revitalize moribund cultures, develop entirely new technologies and establish global presence. He taught conflict resolution to representatives of opposing factions from the war in Cyprus. A teacher of Aikido, Chris pioneered the application of the principles of Aikido [The Art of Peace] and Bohmian Dialogue [from the work of David Bohm] to intuitive leadership development, team synergy, and organizational strategy. He is also a master of Haiku, the Zen poetry of deep presence in Nature.

Carolyn helps imagine into, design and facilitate Thriving Communities gatherings as well as serving as a sounding board to the leadership team.  She attends to the energy in relationships ranging from 1:1 to large groups.

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Rooted in love, Carolyn cultivates deep relationships so she and others can courageously face their reality and be energized by the possibility of what wants to emerge. Founder of CataQuest Consulting, Carolyn’s leadership development work is grounded by her first-hand experience leading large-scale corporate initiatives as well as her personal journey to overcome roadblocks of her own making. Her work is a catalyst for challenging the status quo by talking about what really matters to inspire reflection and conscious action.

Jeff advises members of the leadership team regarding strategy and direction, including how Thriving Communities can connect with aligned initiatives in other countries.

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Jeff Vander Clute is a veteran technology entrepreneur, coach, and organizational transformation consultant committed to harmonizing human systems with Earth’s ecosystems. Jeff has built companies in multiple domains, including online and social enterprise, and he has consulted to a wide range of life-aligned businesses and charitable ventures. In addition to his work with organizations, Jeff offers retreats, pilgrimages, and other alchemical experiences for people who are ready to dive fully into their potential as change agents. Jeff is a longtime member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle, past chair of the Source of Synergy Foundation, and a co-founder of Sourcing The Way -- jeffvanderclute.com.