James Kent

Jim Kent is a social ecologist with more than 30 years of experience in crafting empowered collaborations among corporations, communities and governments. Jim is known for his innovations in place-based strategies involving change in local communities. He writes a policy column for the International Right of Way Association's Magazine under the banner of "Social Ecology: Leveraging the Science of Community." His columns discuss elements of a transparent system on how companies can prevent disruption and ambush from community members in their project endeavors by resolving community issues "up front." The JKA Group, that he heads, assists project personnel to understand, integrate and align with community traditions, beliefs and issues early in the project decision making process.

As author, trainer, lecturer and policy consultant he has pioneered the development of institutional informal change processes in the United States and throughout the Pacific Rim countries. He has participated in creating a broad spectrum of programs for: local, state and national governments, the Philippine government of Corazon Aquino, opened the door in South China for wireless communication development, the City and County of Honolulu, the United States Forest Service, Washoe County (Nevada), the Marine Corps, American Heritage Rivers, and many corporate clients. Jim holds a Masters Degree in Sociology from Kent State University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver.

His creative interpretation of Section 101 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) has brought him national recognition. The many years of his applied work with the productive harmony clause of Section 101 led to a breakthrough in the use of NEPA as a dynamic interactive process rather than solely a regulatory procedure as provided for in its Section 102. As a result, he received the Gifford Pinchot 75th Anniversary Award in 1981 for introducing "socially responsive management" to the United States Forest Service (USFS). Under this program the western United States has been mapped into six scales of Human Geographic Units similar to watershed and biological units. These human units are used to understand the social, cultural, political and economic context within which technical studies, development projects, and improved resource management decisions are evaluated and implemented through an enhancement, rather than extractive, process.

JKA Group is the recipient of a 30 year agreement with the United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to adopt his Human Geographic Issue Management System™ for use by the BLM, its partners, and other federal agencies. The BLM agreement applies action based social and cultural methodology to increase effective public participation, citizen ownership and collaboration in building the capacity for community-based partnerships.

His informal change processes are used throughout the Pacific Rim countries.

JAMES A. KENT
837 Steele Street
Denver, CO 80206
970-618-9240
jkent@jkagroup.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Global community organizer with extensive experience in successfully implementing economic redesign by providing technical assistance to individual and family enterprise start-ups in rural areas. Expert in community-involved issue management and corporate responsibility. International social ecologist who has presented at hundreds of universities, policy forums, and conferences. Authentic caretaker and communicator deeply concerned about community health and well being. Key areas of expertise include:

Bio-Social Ecosystems
National Environmental Policy
Policy Formation and Implementation
Culture-Based Enterprise Development
Resource Management
Citizen Stewardship

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

JKA Group, Basalt, CO - 1988 to Present

World renowned experts in global-social culture analysis, human geographic issue management systems, and culture-based strategic planning, implementation and education.

President
Aligned public policy outcomes with responsive mix of citizen and agency interests.

Generated enormous increase in profitability and productivity for construction company that was bogged down in bureaucracy by interviewing tenured production workers and project managers, listening for core culture, beliefs and traditions and reconnecting mission to grass roots workers.
Stabilized power grid by dismantling counter cultural impact of hierarchy, redesigning organizational structure to resemble local culture, and increasing power plant productivity from 15% to 85% in 18 months.
Increased local earning power by over $270 million and transformed lives from poverty to participation by working with 300 institutions of higher education to develop associate of arts accrediting programs for 40 new career pathways.
Reduced government spending by facilitating new class of democracy that shifted responsibility for community health from regulatory control to empowered citizens.

CENTER FOR SOCIAL ECOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Ashland, OR - 2003 to Present

Non-profit specializing in creation of public policy through direct participation of citizens.

Co-Founder and Senior Analyst

Analyzed and interpreted impact of emerging trends on empowerment of individual citizens.
Avoided consumption of pole and wire raw materials for telecommunication infrastructure across China and India by analyzing social networks, distributing cell phones to cultural leaders, and leveraging resulting demand for mobile technology.
Saved Oregon tax dollars by analyzing emerging trends in recreational activity and aligning long term recreation department development plans.
Increased affordable housing for Japanese community in Hawai`i by listening to elders and designing project to include shaded outdoor gathering places.

NATURAL BORDERS, Kona, Hawaii - 1998 to Present

Production company that prints proprietary geographic maps depicting people and land as one unit.

Co-Founder and President

Revolutionized government decision making by creating system to recognize geographic boundaries of cultural social systems in addition to administrative borders.

Increased cultural acceptance of West Hawaii development project by using historical ahupua`a watershed and community units to supplement administrative boundaries.
Reduced government spending by realigning National Forest Service territories to follow logical boundaries of Sangre de Cristo watershed and four corners region instead of dividing arbitrarily across Colorado and New Mexico state lines.
Reduced traffic fatalities between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, Colorado overriding arbitrary lines dividing three counties and integrating transportation system across Roaring Fork Valley.

PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Department of Health and Hospitals, Director, Department of Applied Social Science
Department of Health and Hospitals, Applied Social Scientist, Community Health
University of Denver, Assistant Professor, Training Center for Delinquent Control

EDUCATION

Juris Doctrate (J.D.) University of Denver, Administration of Justice
Master of Arts (M.A.), Kent State University, Sociology
Graduate Work, University of Denver, Business Administration
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Salem College, Human Relations

BOARD POSITIONS

Foundation for Urban and Neighborhood Development (FUND), Chairperson of the Board
FUND Pacific Associates, Chairperson of the Board
Aspen Institute Community Forum, Board Member

PROFESSORSHIPS

University of Northern Colorado, Adjunct Professor, Environmental Studies Program
University of Hawaii, Guest Lecturer, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
California State University, Monterey, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Social Science
Southern Oregon University, Co-Founder of Field School in Social Ecology and Public Policy
Bureau of land Management National Training Center Social Ecology Instructor

COURSES INSTRUCTED

The Restoration of a Country: Human Geographic and Issue Management
Community Based Partnerships for Ecosystems and a Healthy Environment
Pre-Crisis Management: How to Manage Issues before They Manage You
Horizontal Power: The New Force in Social Policy Formation
Issue Management and Cultural Alignment
Trends in the Pacific

AWARDS

Association of American Geographers Citation Award for Human Geographic Excellence - The Kahuku Wind Farm Project
The United States Forest Service Gifford Pinchot Award for Socially Responsive Management
Washington Association of Professional Anthropologists
Honorary Praxis Award for the Issue-centered
Approach to Social Impact Assessment

SELECT PUBLICATIONS

Selected as a columnist in June, 2009 to write a bi-monthly column on Social Ecology, the Science of Community for the International Right of Way Association Magazine (See our Publications section for all articles up through the May/June 2011 issue) The May/June 2011 issue had a feature article titled: Relocating the Marine Corp: A population surge will overwhelm any environment. Can Chaos be avoided. Also a chapter in an upcoming revolutionary book on climate change, co-authored with Kevin Preister called: Climate Change and the Language of Geographic Place to be published Fall of 2011.
From Stabilization to Sustainability: A Collaborative Approach to Manage the Social, Cultural, Environmental and Economic Change Created by the Marine Corps' Move to Guam (with John Ryan and Kevin Preister). Presented at the University of Guam's Sustainability Conference, September, 2010.
Hawaii and Guam: Strategic Convergence Zones for the United States Forward Defense Strategy in the Pacific Rim (with Eric Casino), Small Wars Journal.com, March, 2011.
People of Guam, Hawaii Must Take Charge, Op. Ed. Guam Pacific Daily News, March, 2011.
Pacific Rim events offer Hawaii and Guam new 21st century opportunities, Op. Ed. Star-Advertiser, Honolulu May, 2011
The Obama Election: Reflections on a National Movement toward Heart and Soul Governance, Op-Ed Article, 2009
The Use of Informal Networks and Gathering Places Allows Denver International Airport to be Built, Op-Ed article, 2008
Cultural Based Management: Re-discovering and Mobilizing the Core Beliefs of the Company, Aspen Earth Moving Company, Carbondale, CO, 2007
Citizen Participation in Designing O`oma Beachside Residential Village, Kona, Hawaii 2007
Reducing Complexity and Conflict in Decision Making: The Holy Cross Energy Experience—Building a Transmission Line and Sub-Station at Snowmass, Colorado. Published by: Rocky Mountain Electrical League, Denver, CO, 2006 and International Right of Way Magazine, 2006
The Pursuit of Goals Using a Social Capital Matrix with the Town of Basalt, Basalt, CO, 2004
Using Social Ecology to Meet the Productive Harmony Intent of the National Environmental Policy Act, Hastings West-Northwest Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2001
The Grand Valley: A Community Vision for the Year 2020, The Valley Vision 20/20 Steering Committee, Grand Junction, Colorado, 2003
Environmental Justice Risks in the Petroleum Industry: William and Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review, William and Mary School of Law, 2002
Methods for the Development of Human Geographic Boundaries and Their Use, Cooperative Agreement Report, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 1998
Notebook for the Office of the Regional Environmental Coordinator: United States Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton, California, 1998
Community Story: The Power of Local Identity, and the Function of Information Flow. Community Cultural Profiling Guide: Understanding a Community's Sense of Place. Washington, DC: Office of Sustainable Ecosystems and Communities, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1998
Community Resources Summary and Recommendations Marine Corps Amphibious Training at Makua Beach. Honolulu, HI: Marine Corps Base Hawai`i, 1997
Social Ecology: A New Pathway to Watershed Restoration. Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices, by Jack E. Williams, Michael P. Dombeck and Christopher A. Wood (eds.), Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society (with Kevin Preister), 1997
Field Report: Strategic Review of the Tanguisson Power Plant Operations, Barrigada, Guam. HEI Power Corporation Guam, 1997
Mack and the Boys as Consultants, Doc's Lab: Myths and Legends of Cannery Row, PBL Press, Monterey, California, 1995
Social Ecology in Ecosystem Restoration. The Role of Restoration in Ecosystem Management, David L. Pearson & Charles V. Klimas (eds.), pp. 199-207, Madison, WI: Society for Ecological Restoration (with Kevin Preister), 1996
Culture Attachment: Assessment of Impacts to Living Culture. (In the George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forests). Woodward-Clyde Consultants, APCo 765 kv Transmission Line EIS, 1995
Thinking beyond Our Borders: A Bio-social Ecosystem Approach to Resource Management on Public Land. Anchorage, AK: National Military Fish and Wildlife (with Dan Baharov, Diane Drigot), 1994