About us

Founded in 1988, JLA Public Involvement (formerly Jeanne Lawson Associates) is a leading public involvement consulting firm in the Pacific Northwest and the largest group based in Oregon. We are dedicated to building constructive two-way communication between government agencies and the communities involved with their planning and decision-making efforts. Our mission is to create collaborative, meaningful and exceptionally effective public processes that lead to better, more enduring decisions.

At a time when the public debate surrounding facility planning and siting, growth management, and resource protection is increasingly complicated, JLA helps bridge the divide that can exist between agencies, stakeholders, and the general public. Whether the goal is to develop public infrastructure, adopt a master plan, establish a policy, or simply get people working together cooperatively, JLA's expert staff can help ensure that the decision process meaningfully engages people and reflects community attitudes, concerns, and ideas.

JLA is a certified Women's Business Enterprise and a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (Oregon #736), with similar certification in Washington, Idaho and Alaska. JLA maintains offices in Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA.

"The most impressive thing about working with JLA is that they don't use a cookie cutter approach. They assess the needs for every project and recommend a plan that matches the need. In 10 years of working with JLA, I've always been impressed by their creativity and good judgment."

- Michael Pullen
Multnomah County Public Affairs