James Wood, MA, CED

Awakening Sustainable Communities

James' supportive facilitation approach is guided by the skills he has developed throughout his international Community & Economic Development career.

As a Community Economic Development specialist, engaging in international & multi-cultural settings with public, private, third-sector and community groups since 1998, one of my greatest assets that I bring is my natural ability to build relationships and facilitate collaborative decision-making processes, with and between members, departments, boards, commissions, and community organisations. In diverse environments, I have worked to crystallize the larger vision, and to utilise my planning, facilitation, conflict resolution, project management, outreach, and communication skills to find common-ground solutions that positively contribute to local and place-based visions. I cultivate strong teams by encouraging their best individual strengths towards aligned processes. 

My work is steeped in the training and principles of strength and place-based (ABCD) Community Economic Development (CED), and Social Enterprise support. My academic research focused on applied Sustainable Development initiatives that utilized multi-stakeholder consultation, community engagement, and public education; my Action Research Master’s thesis, in particular, was foundational to the creation of an Ethical Purchasing Policy adopted and implemented by the City of Vancouver.

SELECTED career highlights

Experience

Education

Facilitation Training

  • Associate Learning Facilitator training, Social Enterprise Academy, 2023

  • Council Facilitation – Level I & II (2015/16)

  • Compassionate Communication – NVC (2014/15)

  • Project Management Professional – PMP Prep (2012/14)

  • Organizational Change, and Tools & Techniques for Sustainability; Planning Active Community Environments (PLACE); Cultural Competencies, Conflict Resolution, Change Management — Various 2012

Current Boards & Committees — Scotland and UK

  • Community Development Alliance Scotland (CDAS), Board Member, 2018 –2024, Vice-Chair 2023-2025

  • Scottish Community Development Network (SCDN), Board Member, 2017 –2021

  • International Association of Community Development (IACD), Member, 2018 –2023

  • Gift the World (GtW), Trustee, 2024-2025