WHO ARE WE?

Community Strengths offers a team of experts with considerable experience and knowledge working with systems, communities, organizations, groups, teams and individuals addressing opportunities for transformation and learning.

KRISTIN BODIFORD
Kristin brings 18 years of strategic marketing & communications experience to her work with communities, offering skills and expertise in working with groups of people and organizations to create a positive future.

Kristin is currently examining the implications of economic inequality on policy and planning and is doing work in creating aging-friendly communities, community capacity building and violence prevention.

Kristin received an MBA from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

GORDON FREEMAN
Gordan Freeman has been involved in community building for almost four decades as a congregational rabbi. Gordon has participated in agencies providing services to the elderly, as well as serving on the boards of Diablo Valley Foundation on Aging and Contra Costa for Every Generation.

Gordon received a Ph.D. in Political Science from UC Berkeley with an emphasis on behavior, theory, and public policy.

JOHN KINYON
John Kinyon is a trainer of the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), a leading member of its global network and organization, and a co-founder of the BayNVC organization.

John facilitates communication training and conflict resolution with individuals, groups, and organizations in settings ranging from workshops, presentations, and practice groups to coaching in personal and professional contexts. John also has a long study of spiritual practice and principles of nonviolence.

John received an M.S. degree in clinical psychology from Penn State University.

ALAN MOBLEY
Alan Mobley has worked extensively in urban reentry and justice planning, and assists community groups and all manner of entrepreneurs in building inclusive justice collaborations. Alan is Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Urban Studies at San Diego State University, and Associate Director of the Northwest Center for Juvenile and Criminal Justice.

Alan received a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of California at Irvine.

CHRIS PANOS
Chris Panos is currently a founder and principal of Fundamental Investment Advisors. He has studied Tibetan Buddhism, Korean Zen, and American Japanese Zen since 1975. Chris has founded several successful businesses over the past 25 years: among them are Panos Financial, Tibet Café, Groundswell Productions, Athena Mills, and Fundamental Investment Advisors.

Chris founded the Bay Area Peacemaker Circle, has been extensively involved with Tibetan refugees, and serves as President of the Board of Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco. He is a Social Action Dharma Holder in the Zen Peacemakers Sangha and Co-Chair of the Zen Peacemakers Board.

Chris received a BA from Indiana University and a MBA from the University of Chicago.

SAMUEL WATSON-ALVÁN
Samuel Watson-Alván brings expertise in the areas of: large-scale systems reform dealing with education, family policy, mass-scale emergency planning, and criminal justice; strategic analysis and planning; process design, and facilitation; community needs assessments, leadership development, and self-governance; systems thinking; learning conversations; and dialogue.

Sam has over 20 years of experience in public service and private consulting in the non-profit and public sectors and has worked internationally in a variety of settings, particularly in Latin America.

Currently, Sam is a senior strategist with the Washington State Department of Health and also consulting in private practice. His current interests include the social dimension of sustainability, the spirituality of community and work, and speaking with leaders, children and youth about these issues.