Our Team

Jeanne Lawson

Principal

The founder of JLA, Jeanne is recognized as one of the pioneers in the field of public involvement, having dedicated most of her professional career to community engagement and public decision-making. Jeanne helped establish the International Association for Public Participation and co-authored IAP2's core values, our industry's professional standards that have been adopted by agencies and organizations across the U.S. and internationally. Since 1978, Jeanne has brought her values-based decision-making approach to resolve complex and contentious issues throughout the West. Her respectful, easy-going style, depth of knowledge about policy development, and ability to connect with people of every background and persuasion make Jeanne a highly-sought-after facilitator. Jeanne lives in the Hillsdale neighborhood with her husband, Scott Mills, and children Hannah and Andrew. Their dog, Xena, is a fixture in JLA's Portland office.