Ed Everett, community engagement coach, Ed Everett Consulting In today’s environment the public and government most often are at odds with each other. However, the current economic realities combined with the complex problems we face means separation between citizens, business and local government is a major liability for all players. Partnering between the public, business and local government is not an “interesting concept” or “nice vision,” but rather an essential reality we must achieve. In this session you will learn: * Why this separation between citizens and local government exits * How the public and government contribute to this separation * A different model for partnering * What true civic engagement really means * Why community building is more important now than ever