Directors' Message
Greetings from Common Ground: Center for Cooperative Solutions.
Common Ground was founded in 1990 as a self-supporting, non-profit program at UC Davis Extension. Since then, we have had the privilege of working with many people, organizations, and leaders throughout the region and state as they worked through complex issues to find mutually agreeable solutions to their challenges. We have been pleased to draw together diverse organizations and individuals and help them reach practical solutions.
We are heartened by the increased use of collaboration in the public and private sectors. Common Ground is committed to providing quality services, courses, and trainings that teach people effective ways to resolve conflict and work cooperatively on issues.
We invite you to view the information on our site to learn more about the breadth and depth of our programs and services.
Sincerely,
Beth Greenwood
Carolyn Penny
Co-Directors
Carolyn Penny, J.D., holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and J.D. from the University of San Diego. She has an extensive background in conflict resolution, issue-framing, meeting design, facilitation of multi-stakeholder decision making, organizational planning, mediation, facilitation of public engagement processes, training, and analysis and writing. Her clients have included private sector companies, community grassroots efforts, nonprofit organizations and public sector agencies. With a certificate in Land Use and Environmental Planning from UC Davis Extension, Carolyn has facilitated problem solving on a variety of issues including water use, transportation, land use, education, public health, the environment and quality of life.
Beth Greenwood, J.D., holds a Bachelor of Arts and J.D. from the University of California, Davis. She has more than a decade of experience as a mediator, facilitator and project manager. During her years of experience in the field of collaboration, she has brought diverse stakeholders to agreement on complex issues such as military base reuse, mobility, watershed planning and landscape visioning. She has also developed mediation systems for school districts and delivered workshops on mediation to state and local agencies. In addition to co-directing Common Ground, Greenwood is the department chair and director of International Programs at UC Davis Extension.
