Strategic Planning & Meeting Facilitation
Helping organizations create participatory strategic plans grounded in shared vision, alignment, and actionable priorities.
ROOTED IN PROCESS · MEET OUR FOUNDER
Jess Stempien
Founder of Rooted In Process
Environmental & Community Engagement Facilitator
Helping organizations navigate complex conversations through facilitation, participatory planning, and community engagement.
HER STORY
Rooted in community & experience.
Jess is a meeting facilitator who helps groups get unstuck, get aligned, and get moving. With roots in environmental work, leadership development, and community engagement, she designs processes that bring people together to listen deeply, think collaboratively, and move forward with purpose.
Her approach is grounded in Technology of Participation (ToP®) methods and the principles of the University of Florida's Natural Resource Leadership Institute. She has worked with agencies, nonprofits, universities, and communities across the country on conservation, public health, green infrastructure, and other environmental and social issues.
She founded Rooted in Process to help organizations create the conditions for meaningful connection and collaboration.
Her facilitation style is grounded in participatory methods that create space for multiple perspectives while providing enough structure to keep groups moving toward outcomes.
Jessica's work has focused on helping organizations align around priorities, navigate difficult or complex conversations, engage stakeholders meaningfully, build actionable strategies, and strengthen collaboration and trust.
WHERE IT GREW FROM
Drawn to groups — as a participant and a leader.
Girl Scouts & team sports
A first love of teams and group dynamics.
Coaching & youth programs
Mentoring and building programs for young people.
Science club & 4-H
Founded around extra support, fresh foods & native trees.
Organizing neighbors
Residents & officials, together on local flooding.
Rooted In Process
Helping groups get unstuck, aligned, and moving.
CERTIFICATIONS & METHODS
JessFounder & Facilitator
MEET THE FOUNDER
Growing Roots in Facilitation
Jess's professional journey began with environmental science and public service — and the way she facilitates today grew directly out of it.
FOUNDATION
Graduated from Florida Institute of Technology with a BS in Environmental Science.
16 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE
At the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services — agricultural water policy, stakeholder engagement, project management, and collaborative problem-solving. That work shaped how she facilitates today: balancing systems thinking, relationship-building, and practical action.
2020 · ROOTED IN PROCESS
Jess saw that organizations struggled not because people lacked expertise, but because they lacked processes that helped people think together effectively. Rooted in Process was created to fill that gap.
Areas of Expertise
Community Engagement
Designing inclusive engagement processes that build trust, surface diverse perspectives, and strengthen relationships.
Multi-Stakeholder Facilitation
Supporting groups with competing priorities or perspectives in navigating complex conversations productively.
Facilitation Training
Training leaders, staff, and community members in participatory facilitation methods and collaborative leadership approaches.
Team & Leadership Development
Creating custom retreats, workshops, and team processes that improve communication, alignment, and collaboration.
FACILITATION PHILOSOPHY
The best decisions happen when people feel heard, connected to the purpose, and part of shaping the path forward.
Jessica's work is grounded in participatory facilitation approaches including:
She believes facilitation is not about controlling conversations — it is about creating the conditions for meaningful participation, clarity, and collective action.
- Technology of Participation (ToP®)
- Community engagement frameworks
- Consensus-building methods
- Reflective and collaborative dialogue practices
Speaking & Facilitation Highlights
Jess has presented and facilitated nationally and internationally on topics including:
- Community engagement
- Participatory strategic planning
- Environmental collaboration
- Building context before consensus
- Facilitation methods for stakeholder engagement
RECENT PRESENTATIONS
Institute of Cultural Affairs Global Conference on Human Development
University of Florida Urban Landscape Summit
Let’s Work Together
Whether you are planning a strategic retreat, engaging stakeholders, wanting to develop leadership skills, or navigating a complex decision-making process, Rooted In Process can help your group move from complexity to clarity.