Linda Blong, Phd Email & Phone Number

San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

The Public Dialogue Consortium (PDC) is a network of communication and engagement experts who work collaboratively with clients in the public and non-profit sectors. We co-create events and processes for the effective and meaningful engagement of stakeholders, communities, and the public. In addition to event and process design, PDC provides a full range of customized services including training, coaching, research, and meeting facilitation. We are about transforming communication for the public good.

Since 2016, directing Project READ, a statewide, federally funded professional development project focused on improving literacy in California's most challenged middle schools.Previously provided program development and evaluation expertise to the California State Performance Plan Technical Assistance Project (SPP-TAP). SPP-TAP is a special project of the California Department of education that provides training, technical assistance, and Community of Practice facilitation to school districts throughout California working to address racial and ethnic disproportionality in special education, more restrictive educational settings, and school disciplinary actions.

Provided leadership for the award winning DDPE Certificate Program. The DDPE program focuses on developing mastery in making wise choices for bringing dialogue, deliberation, and engagement into situations where they are most effective. It is composed of four component courses: Two involve learning at a distance (online and video calls), and the other two are face-to-face workshops. Designed and delivered in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustained Dialogue, the Kettering Foundation, and the Public Dialogue Consortium, the DDPE program is led by an outstanding faculty of scholar-practitioners who have played key roles in developing this field. It also features widely recognized guest scholar-practitioners who join us on the phone, and we are proud to partner with the National Association for Dialogue and Deliberation and other organizations that lead the field.

Co-Leader and faculty member for 17 week graduate certificate program aimed at developing mastery in making wise choices in the practice of dialogue, deliberation, and public engagement.

For 10 years, served as Project Director for California Services for Technical Assistance and Training (CalSTAT), a special project of the California Department of Education providing stakeholder planning processes, training, technical assistance, and information dissemination to families, schools, and education agencies. For three years, served as Project Director for the Improving Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities project under contract with the California Workforce Investment Board with funds from the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy; and as Project Director for the California Health Incentive Improvement Project, a federal Medicaid Infrastructure Grant assisting the state in building capacity around health care supports for people with disabilities at work.

Phd, Ma, Human And Organizational Systems

Activities and Societies: Dialogue, Deliberation, and Public Engagement Certificate, Emphasis in communicationDissertation: Making Public.

A.B. Magna Cum Laude, Linguistics, Minor In Portuguese

Activities and Societies: Graduated with distinction in Linguistics; Certificate in Applied Linguistics; 1982-1983 studied abroad.