Jacob Bornstein

Jacob Bornstein brings nineteen years of experience in strategic facilitation in Colorado and across the country, specializing in reaching consensus in collaborative initiatives around contentious topics. Bornstein is best known for his work at the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. There he spearheaded the development of the scenario planning process that underpins Colorado’s Water Plan and facilitated the final set of consensus actions detailed in the Colorado Water Plan. This was accomplished through a stakeholder process that he managed. This stakeholder process included nearly 400 stakeholders in nine regional water roundtables and one statewide group called the Interbasin Compact Committee. Stakeholders ranged from conservative cattle ranchers to liberal environmentalists. Below are examples of Bornstein’s strategic facilitation projects:

• Interbasin Compact Committee facilitation and technical support for the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
• Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments strategic plan and retreat facilitation.
• Social-Emotional Learning Initiative strategic plan and stakeholder group facilitation for Denver Public Schools and the City of Denver.
• Healthy Schools Collective Impact stakeholder group facilitation.
• Community Living Quality Improvement Committee group facilitation and strategic roadmap. This stakeholder group seeks to improve the quality of services for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Bornstein was the Director of Consulting for the Spark Policy Institute, where he also managed senior level consultants. Prior to Bornstein’s work for Spark and the State of Colorado, he was the executive director for the Colorado Watershed Network and was the water and land conservation director for the Roaring Fork Conservancy. Previously, Jacob was a statistics and scientific methods consultant helping Ph.D. students design their dissertations. He was also a statistician and methods consultant for large companies like General Electric.

Mr. Bornstein has a M.S. in biology and a B.A. in philosophy and history of science, with a minor in physics. He is also a certified facilitator and Six Sigma Black Belt (a statistical process improvement approach).

Bornstein was the Director of Consulting for the Spark Policy Institute, where he also managed senior level consultants. Prior to Bornstein’s work for Spark and the State of Colorado, he was the executive director for the Colorado Watershed Network and was the water and land conservation director for the Roaring Fork Conservancy. Previously, Jacob was a statistics and scientific methods consultant helping Ph.D. students design their dissertations. He was also a statistician and methods consultant for large companies like General Electric.

Mr. Bornstein has a M.S. in biology and a B.A. in philosophy and history of science, with a minor in physics. He is also a certified facilitator and Six Sigma Black Belt (a statistical process improvement approach).