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

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.

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.

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).