For leadership teams and boards of directors
who have the intention to be more effective,
we help them imagine the future
and decide how to be sustainably successful
no matter what shows up.

Unlike generic business consultants or
single-issue subject matter experts,
our services raise understanding of the big picture
so that client visions, plans, and decisions integrate
business, social, and environmental considerations.

We use proven processes that get breakthrough results:

Future Scenario Development
Sustainability Assessment
Strategic Design Sessions (Visioning, Strategic Planning, and Sustainability Balanced Scorecard)
Change Management
Leadership Development
Team Building
You too can begin making real progress toward economic, social, and environmental performance improvements.

Call 619-659-1234 or Email: Joe@SterlingInsights.com or Rita@SterlingInsights.com

SoCal Rebuilding Summit. The U.S. Green Building Council and the San Diego Natural History Museum hosted a day of discussion on rebuilding in a fire resistant, resilient and appropriate manner — highlights included a keynote by Rick Fedrizzi, Chief Executive of U.S. Green Building Council and luncheon at the Prado with keynote by John Garamendi, Lt. Governor of California.

The big questions for the day included: How can we take advantage of the best practice technologies, techniques
and talents to rebuild after Southern California’s recent wildfires in a sustainable manner? We need to rebuild 1700 homes in San Diego county. How can we use this opportunity to help our local builders, architects, building departments, and home owners make better choices that improve area sustainability and fire safety? What conflicting requirements and barriers exist to overcome between fire resistance, codes and green buildings/sustainability? What new programs, initiatives and organizations are available to address rebuilding in a manner that allows owners and their design/construct teams to “rebuild it right the first time?”

Sterling Insights provided graphic facilitation for the conference to help everyone see what they were saying and provide a record of the conversation. Unfortunately, the Lt. Governor’s speech was not captured as it was done outside the main auditorium. But everyone else’s was! It was a great event all around. Click the picture to access the web gallery of conference graphics.

I have been assigned to assess Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Bernardo, and Poway. Three communities that suffered the combined loss of hundreds of homes.

The photos I shot while exploring these areas and talking with folks working in recovery centers and behind the scenes give some sense of the scope of damage in this small part of the San Diego county.

This approach to do-it-yourself recovery and disaster relief should be helpful to all those working to clean-up, heal and rebuild after disasters of almost any kind. This week’s firestorm in San Diego, just like hurricanes like Katrina and Rita in 2005, remind us just how important these practices are for robust and resilient neighborhoods.

Our “Top 10 Tasks - Quick Start Your Neighborhood Disaster Recovery” is based on first hand experience bootstrapping our own recovery after the 2003 Cedar Fire that destroyed 400,000 acres in San Diego County, CA.

Most of our area is rebuilt four years after that fire. However, in our neighborhood, the “Top 10 Tasks” approaches made the difference between suffering and recovering, between continuing losses and immediate community self-help.

In 2004 we received loads of recognition from all the relief agencies that came to our neighborhood for how well run our do-it-yourself recovery center turned out to be.  Our rural neighborhood of 100 properties has become much more prepared and resilient as a result of weaving these ten practices into the fabric of our community. The experience this week showed us how far we have come, and is already showing us how to be even more resilient in the future.

Hopefully these lessons learned will spark useful ideas for those preparing for disaster or in recovery from disaster. For the many who wish to be helpful to folks in this situation, these ideas may bring a ray of hope and order to what otherwise may appear hopeless.

1. Make a Place to Meet and Coordinate Efforts
2. Post Signs About Your “Relief Center”
3. Establish a Designated Toilet and Bathing Area
4. Make and Share Lists
   - Neighborhood Directory
   - Lists of Needs
   - Resource Lists
   - Volunteer Sign-Up Lists
5. Prepare for a Mountain of Paper
6. Conduct Good Meetings
7. Organize for Security
8. A Place to Stock Supplies
9. Care for the Care Givers
10. Stop and Celebrate Every Small SuccessPlease pass this along to anyone who may find it as useful as we did.

(more…)

The immediate fire danger has passed for our valley…for now. The whole place is desiccated from the hot winds and still a tinderbox that we will have to monitor very closely.

We moved back onto the property - Rita, dogs, and carloads of stuff. The horse comes home today. We piled up all of our repatriated belongings in the middle of our big meeting room. I figure at least half of what we left behind, willing to let burn when we left it, should be tossed out. ‘Tis one way to prioritize for house cleaning and general en-lighten-up-ment.

When we came back into the valley after dinner we were greeted by last night’s sentry contingent. Four neighbors in highway vests, all lights flashing, and so on, but there were some new safety elements added to give the post more pizzazz.

The headgear for a silver fireproof suit had been added. So when the driver (surely terrified) of the incoming vehicle was approached for identification, the sentry was wearing the alien headgear with (more…)

Rita and I are AOK. The skies over Peutz Valley are now clear, the birds are singing, there is no wind, and the smoke here has cleared. Rita is down in San Diego proper with our friend Eileen Clift. She’s got the dogs and a mountain of our possessions and business equipment.

Our valley has not burned, thank goodness. In 2003 it was nearly all reduced to blowing ash. This time fires came within a few miles to the north (Tuesday night). That fire front became the top priority for water bombers Wednesday morning and they knocked it down. There is still fire to our south but it is 10+ miles away. We’re pretty confident that, unless there is a sudden and significant weather shift, we won’t be directly affected by it.

Heavy wind Sunday night took down a three of our major sycamore trees and some shingles, but otherwise we’ve suffered no property damage. Cutting up and dragging off an 18″ diameter x 20′ long sycamore trunk blown down and blocking the driveway was a bonus workout. 

Evacuation orders for our valley have not been lifted yet. I’ve been staying day and night in the valley anyway. After taking six loads of possessions down into San Diego, I have continued to prepare for attack as long as I’ve had energy and (more…)

Thanks for your calls about our safety and well being as we begin recovery from the San Diego wildfires. Below is an update on our small part of this very big story.

Joe Sterling

Rita and I have made Eileen’s house in the College area of San Diego our temporary bed and breakfast. We’re both tired but well. Dogs are with us. Horse it at a neighbor’s who has very defensible space and is staying.

Re: Peutz Valley Conditions - our valley is untouched so far. There are reports from neighbors who stayed overnight that fire is moving southward along both sides of El Capitan Reservoir which is the bottom of the drainage for our valley. This means that we’re likely to see fire move into the valley today or tomorrow. Current reports are that wind conditions are not driving the flames into the valley, but this could change at any moment.

As of this morning fires are burning

to the east of us (Descanso)

to the south (Portrero westward to Otay Mesa) and

to the north/northwest of us f(rom Ramona to toward the I-5)

Our intention for the morning is to offload yesterday’s two car loads of posessions and head out again to the property. We’ll load up again, then start wetting down the building and make adjustments to the spinkler system for hourly wetdowns.

Quote for the morning:

“Be cheerful and resourceful in the face of adversity.” - Marcia Bilbao, MD (my mom)

What is it?
The site is making available for the first time, and in one place, the diverse visions and goals of groups from all over the region: government, non-profit, and commercial organizations. We are cataloguing the dreams and goals of as many regional stakeholders as possible from 1900 to date. These are the ideas that have made San Diego what is today, and give us some insight into what it could become in the next 100 years.

What is included and who is represented?
The site includes everything from land use and the environment to economic growth and social programs. You will find visions focused at the level of neighborhoods as well as at the level of the entire trans-border region. You will also find concise overviews from different San Diego area writers, architects, and historians, that give the thumbnail sketch of what area planners and visionaries have been dreaming about for the last 100 years.

Why is this important?
This dynamic and beautiful region in the southwest corner of the United States evolved and grew dramatically during the 20th century. As the 21st century gets underway, the San Diego region is being faced with many challenges and presented with tremendous opportunities. Finding common ground and aligning around shared visions will enable the regions residents, business owners, and governments to manage the challenges and maximize the opportunities to the benefit of everyone.

What can I do?
Visit this site to discover what 100 years of dreaming looks like and how it has shaped the region so far. If your community group, company, or local government has a vision you would like to see included, please contact us directly or contribute a comment at the site following the entry that gets your juices flowing.

What’s your vision for the San Diego region?

Go to www.lulu.com/content/263485 to preview the book and order electronic or print copies. A portion of the book procedes support increasing neighborhood readiness in rural Alpine, CA and low income areas. Please call us with your questions and comments.

Preparing for Pandemic Avian Flu - Family & Neighborhood Workbook for Emergency Readiness
by Joe Sterling , Rita Sterling
This easy to use 91-page workbook will help you answer 43 common questions about Pandemic Avian Flu and how to prepare for it. It is based on planning assumptions used by the Federal Government. The checklists help you easily and affordably build 14 different Emergency Readiness Kits. The kits improve your family’s ability to weather a pandemic and other emergencies. You will also gain access to information from over 20 agencies and institutes working to ready the nation. With these tools you can make informed decisions about how to prepare your home and neighborhood. The authors, Joe & Rita Sterling, have almost 20 years professional experience guiding corporations and communities through successful planning, improvement, and recently, disaster recovery. The Sterlings were recognized by federal, state, and local agencies for leadership and humanitarian efforts after the 2003 San Diego wildfires. Marcia Bilbao, MD a physician and survival expert provided editing support.