Affiliates and Partners

Senior Affiliate: Pat Hughes

Pat Hughes is the primary author of Gracious Space: A Practical Guide for Working Better Together, published in 2004 by the Center for Ethical Leadership. Pat serves as senior partner for the Center’s national Gracious Space Initiative, teaching and facilitating on Gracious Space across the country and providing support to hundreds of practitioners. She specializes in helping groups have honest conversations and reach their full potential.

Affiliates:

Linda Benson has 30 years of leadership, management and fund development experience in the non-profit sector. Prior to her current role as the leader for Nourishing Network Institute, Linda spent 20 years at

Linda Headshot

Hopelink as Vice President for Community Initiatives and prior to that as Development & Communications Director where she was charged with creating a name, an image and a robust fundraising and leadership base for Hopelink’s vital mission.

Her most recent leadership roles include co-founder of Nourishing Networks and Nourishing Network Institute; the development and launch of the Eastside Timebank; strategic planning and organizational development for Eastside Baby Corner; and as a founding member of a new entity called One Redmond.

Linda’s passion for the infinite capacity of human potential and an unwavering belief that we have the ability to imagine and elicit a different kind of community is what grounds her work. She has a bachelors degree in business management from Brigham Young University and is thrilled to be a new affiliate at CEL.

James Whitfield is the Executive Director of Leadership Eastside and a co-founder of the

Nourishing Networks Institute. His experience includes being appointed by the White House to oversee the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pacific Northwest Region, serving on the Executive Management Team for the Washington Health Foundation in Seattle, serving as COO of a high-tech company, and managing his own small business.

A graduate of the University of Iowa, James has studied health care policy at Harvard, is a noted public speaker on leadership issues; is the author of the hospital patient guide, “Just What the Patient Ordered”; and is a member of the board of elders at Overlake Christian Church - one of the largest congregations in the Pacific Northwest.

Saroeum Phoung, is a masterful circle keeper, teacher and spirit leader. Saroeum has many years of Saroeum head shot experience leading circles process to provide healing and transformation for individuals and communities dealing with the challenges of violence, racism, inequity that are present in many of our communities. Saroeum was born in Cambodia and immigrated to the US during the Pol Pot regime via refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines. Settling in East Boston he faced the all-to-common difficulties of immigrant life --- cultural difference, racism, and violence. Through his work with Roca, a community values-led youth serving organization, he experienced personal transformation and became a staff member. Saroeum learned to lead peacemaking circles from the Tagish Tlingit First Nation as a way to share power, include more community voices, and build relationships that foster healing and hope. Saroeum continues to bring healing and transformation to communities across the United States. Saroeum lives in Boston.

Gracious Space Affiliates:

Diane AD head shot Diane Altman-Dautoff, known for her positive approach—empowering individuals and teams to address issues and behaviors that affect their abilities to succeed. Recognizing that change is constant, Diane works to improve collaboration, communication, effectiveness and management practices.

Using a collaborative approach, Diane draws on a variety of tools and methods to engage clients, inspire focused action and create solutions. She actively engages participants to ensure accountable sustainability for project outcomes.

Michael Beebe, Mike Beebe head shot has served as the Program Director for Penny Harvest Seattle/King County since September of 2004. Mike has over 20 years of experience managing youth & adult leadership programs and is passionate about partnering with young people to create positive social change. His experience includes managing JustServe AmeriCorps, a youth anti-violence program, TEEN LINK, a hotline for youth answered by youth, and serving on the Board of Directors for COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere), a national organization advocating for the rights of GLBT families.

In addition to his professional experience, he is a dedicated community volunteer. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Casa Verde, is a member of Social Justice Fund Northwest, and is a member of Homestead Community Land Trust.

Jeff Leinaweaver is passionate about helping people, communities and organizations achieve their highest potential. He is a social ecologist, organizational development professional, executive coach, Permaculture designer, storyteller, and Gracious Space practitioner.

Jeff has a PhD in organizational and human system dynamics and is a global professional in human resources (GPHR). Additionally, Jeff is an associate with The Natural Step, certified as a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporter USA, a fellow at Fielding Graduate University’s Institute for Social Innovation, on the graduate faculty of Capella University’s School of Business and Technology, and has received his Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC).