Approach

Leading and shaping public involvement, 30 years and counting

Our mission

To create collaborative, meaningful and exceptionally effective public processes that lead to better, more inclusive outcomes.

Core principle

We believe those affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the process. It’s the first principle of our professional association, IAP2, and the premise that underpins our work.

A focus on equity

Engaging diverse communities in a meaningful way is the most pressing issue facing our profession. We’re leaders in creative and effective strategies for engaging multicultural communities. We work with trusted community leaders, partnering with them to design public involvement frameworks, meeting formats, and discussion questions. Our goals are to create inclusive, relevant engagement programs and also build the capacity of our community partners to work with public agencies.

JLA is a proud member of Partners in Diversity, an organization that works toward a thriving, diverse and welcoming community in which all people can work and live.

Committed to sustainability

Environmentally sustainable practices are at the core of our operations and our work for clients. We think of ourselves as part of an environmentally sustainable supply chain with our clients, partners and suppliers. JLA began certifying our sustainability practices with the City of Portland in 2008 (RecycleWorks) and has held Gold-level certification from the Sustainability at Work Program by the Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability. We love sharing conversations about best practices and lessons learned—so let’s start a conversation!