Joe Erpenbeck

I just finished up working with a group of community builders for a month and spending a weekend at a community building conference.  Over that time you get a better feel for the culture of a community  and can do things like attend the county fair. Strong ...

I have spent the last week in the midwest and Florida and have felt bombarded by political ads. At a time of potential hope, the climate seems to be anything but that when listening to these ads. In contrast I have spent time with groups over the past couple m...

Staying near the town square and watching a local pub/restaurant close down and the void it left but see it was bought and being refurbished by new owners. I see them and others arrive usually by 7 am and work until midnight changing almost everything. Had the...

Citizens, government and business have come together to create a “New Forest in the City” in Brantford, Ontario. In an area surrounded by a highway and industry, 70,000 native tree species and shrubs have been planted to create a 51 acre beautiful ...

I saw this studio as part of an art walk and thought this person collects some interesting things. Great questions can help cover the assets around us. What do you collect? The things people collect can provide insights about their gifts and passions. What are...

Associations are the power-house community builders in our neighbourhoods. Groups such as Westwood Works in Cincinnati and even more informal groups such as Friends of Cornwall Park Disc Golf in Bellingham do so much to build on the local assets and what&#8217...

“We received a grant and realized we had no clue how to do a mural,” said Susan Martinsen. I met Susan over photographs, drawings, charts and lots of paint in Ashland Wisconsin.  She was repairing the aviation mural, part of a Mural Walk. Susan and her pa...

How do you recruit, hire and train talented community building staff was the topic of conversation for 100 managers in Ohio last week. I spoke on an interview process where team members are able to touch and feel the values around our work from first contact. ...

The streetcar in the city of Cincinnati last carried passengers 65 years ago. Now the city once again has new streetcar tracks and shiny sleek new streetcars quietly crossing a 3.6 mile loop through its downtown. I was at the historic Findley Market as I saw t...

On a long flight home, we encountered severe storms that resulted in my flight being diverted to another airport. There, severe lightning emerged and we were stuck for 3 hours. Eventually we were able to arrive at our destination. Unfortunately I had missed my...