Organization Background
Midwest Facilitators' Network

MFN Mission MFN Beginnings MFN Events
MFN Organization MFN Constituency MFN Event Chronology
MFN Directors MFN Highlights Year 2000 Schedule
Back to MFN Home Page Links to Related Resources Year 1999 Schedule


Mission
(Top Organization Background)
The purpose of the Midwest Facilitators' Network is to promote quality facilitation practices and to help our customers' business grow by:
  • Sharing Information
  • Enabling Professional Development
  • Building a Support Network
We Promote Information Sharing and Enable Professional Development by:
  • Providing Professional Education and Development
  • Providing a Facilitator's Support Network
  • Promoting the Awareness, Acceptance, and Benefit of the Use of Facilitation
We provide a Support Network by being the primary source of Facilitation Expertise and Information in the midwest, comprised of:
  • Facilitators, Documenters, Mediators, Moderators, Negotiators and other people interested in the Facilitation Process
  • Internal and External Consultants
The values of the organization are:
  • Involvement
  • Integrity
  • Creativity
  • Openness
  • Mutual Trust
  • Respect


Beginnings
(Top Organization Background)
The Midwest Facilitators' Network is a not-for-profit professional organization and support network for practitioners of and users of facilitation.  The organization was founded in September of 1992 by Sue Leonard of Amoco Corporation and Paul Collins of Jordan-Webb.  The initial goal in launching the organization was to provide a forum where participants could:
  •  share experiences and expertise
  • exchange information & materials
  • obtain education/training in the application of facilitation techniques in specific areas
  • learn how expert practitioners integrate facilitation with processes, methodologies and tools
The planning group felt that the best way to accomplish these goals would be to produce an event that would attract facilitators and users of facilitation from a wide variety of practice areas.  The first event was a full-day conference, hosted by Amoco Corporation in January of 1993.  This conference drew over eighty participants.
 

Organization
(Top Organization Background)
The group received such positive feedback from the first conference that it expanded the planning committee and decided to produce additional conferences.  An extended planning committee is still in the stages of defining and developing a non-traditional, non-hierarchical organization structure.  The organization's funding comes from event fees and the support of sponsors in the form of grants, services and facilities.  There are currently no formal membership requirements or dues.

 
 
 
 
 



Constituency
(Top Organization Background)
The organization's mailing list has grown to over 1,200 names and its focus has evolved from that of a local forum to regional network.  The list includes management and staff from Fortune 2000 companies, both large and small consulting firms, educational institutions, government agencies, not-for-profits, community organizations, religious institutions, military organizations and independent consultants. 

These "people who facilitate" practice in areas including Organizational Change & Development, Strategic Business Planning,  Marketing Planning, Process Re-engineering, Process Improvement, Information Technology, Human Resources, Product Research and Development, Quality Management, Training, Education, Environmental Protection, Mediation, Community Development and Conflict Management and Resolution. 

Participants have come not only from the midwest region (Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, Minnesota & Iowa) but also from Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Washington (State) & Washington, DC.


 
 
 
 
 


Event Overview
(Top Organization Background)
The organization currently sponsors three full-day Facilitator Conferences each year (Winter, Spring, Fall), and a 2-day Skills Development Workshop (Summer), as well as other special interest group activities as needed.  The majority of events have been in the Chicagoland area.

Presenters have included well - known subject-area experts, authors, trainers, consultants as well as organization members.  Programs include both lecture-presentation seminars and interactive-participatory workshops.  Event attendance averages between 50 and 80 participants.  Certain events have attracted over 100 participants.

2001 Events:

  • Winter Conference @ Summit Executive Centre (Downtown)  - Friday, January 12, 2001
  • Spring Conference @ Accenture (Downtown) - Friday, April 27, 2001
  • 2-Day Summer Workshop TBA
  • Fall Conference @ Sears, Roebuck & Co (Hoffman Estates) - Monday, October 15, 2001


Event announcements and periodic announcements are distributed by e-mail, snail mail (USPS) and word of mouth (the best way).


 
 
 
 
 


MFN Directors
(Top Organization Background)
Phillip Armour Paul Collins David De Witt
Corvus International, Inc Jordan-Webb DSC Logistics
armour@corvusintl.com pcollins@jordan-webb.net david.dewitt@dsc-logistics.com
http://www.corvusintl.com http://www.jordan-webb.net n/a
(847) 438-1609 (773) 463-2288 (847) 635-4963
(847) 438-1638 (fax) (773) 463-1830 (fax) (847) 390-7276 (fax)

 
Dan Heck Linda Romansic Joan Smith
Mgmt & Emp Training Services lsr Systems Group Computer Associates
danheckjr@cs.com romansicl@aol.com smijo10@cai.com
http://www.metservice.com n/a n/a
(847)-480-3558 (847) 566-0644 (847) 670-7261
(847)-400-0880 (fax) (847) 566-8665 (fax) n/a

 
Reginald Taylor Nancy Winkler
Taylor-Made Management Consulting Services La Salle National Bank
rtaylor@taylor-made-consulting.com nancy.winkler@abnamro.com
http://www.taylor-made-consulting.com n/a
(312) 664-1948 (312) 904-4646
(312) 664-1948 (fax) (312) 904-8449 (fax)

(Top Organization Background)


MFN Mission MFN Beginnings MFN Events
MFN Organization MFN Constituency MFN Event Chronology
MFN Directors MFN Highlights Year 2000 Schedule
Back to MFN Home Page Links to Related Resources Year 1999 Schedule