It is with ever-increasing awareness that we understand that today a SpectrumEngagment approach to Constituent Engagement is essential to fulfilling the prospect of achieving the vision of a pluralistic, inclusive, democratic society.

The United States began with a “Declaration” which initiated a journey as stated in the Constitution, “to form a more perfect union.” The Constitution and its amendments outlined the infrastructure for the engagement of “the people” in the process of governing.

The founding generation conceived of the United States as a nation which would flourish from its richness as a flowing stream of humanity. For centuries, subsequent generations contributed to sorting out that concept, from its initial representation of only some of humanity in the stream, with others on the shore.

“We the people…” has now expanded to include a diversity of subsets, delineated by, but not limited to, gender, race, religion, and nationality. Those individuals who were recognized yet excluded, and other individuals not even recognized, were all excluded from the mainstream of the United States.

Hence, the inability to achieve the guiding principle – “a more perfect union” — For All.

Yet, that guiding principle positioned the United States, in belief and in politics, as a transformational platform.

With every advance of that principle came the increased centrality of “Constituent Engagement.” The primary use of “Constituent Engagement” centered on elected representatives engaging eligible voters, significantly in the process of gaining their vote.

SpectrumEngagement looks at the necessary nature of Constituent Engagement as a three-way process: (a) constituents engagement with their elected representatives, (b) elected representative engagement with constituents, and (c) constituents engaging with each other mutually.

It is with ever-increasing awareness that we understand that today all three components of Constituent Engagement are essential to fulfilling the prospect of achieving the vision of a pluralistic, inclusive, democratic society.

What has changed over the last century has been the ever-increasing number and a greater diversity of people who represent that increasing mix of identity, beliefs, and politics included in the stream of humanity determining the path of this nation.

At various points in our journey, we have reached junctures in which some people have gone one way, some the other. At times, people on divergent paths have come simultaneously to a juncture which resulted in continuing on divergent paths or proceeding more focused on a common path.

What challenges us today is achieving a new paradigm, of structure and language, for the increasingly critical task of all constituents navigating the vicissitudes of a common path, engaging with each other as they travel.  

The infrastructure which provided the framework of 1776 is not the infrastructure which can serve as a framework for governance today – “of the people, by the people and for the people” – All The People.

There are several of these paradigm shifts which fall in the realm of Constituent Engagement.  Key is recognizing that Constituent Engagement is not seeing segments along a line, but recognizing that the array of constituents are scattered throughout a circle. 

SpectrumEngagement is about enabling us to join in sorting out the infrastructure and corresponding language to advance Constituent Engagement which is (a) inclusive enough to include all constituents on the journey, and (b) participatory enough to enable all constituents to have a voice in the discourse.  

This will better serve us in our journey to that more perfect union “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

About Jay Miller

A leader in transforming the individual and collective spectrum of society:

  • Master the vocabulary of full spectrum constituent engagement;
  • Articulate consistent and balanced statements related to hearing and giving voice to every segment of the community;
  • Extend modes of community education and outreach;
  • Deepen and diversify civic engagement and public service;
  • Partner in the delivery of programs and services;
  • Design strategies to establish and sustain relationships which mutually empower every segment of society;
  • Frame the structure and language for your involvement with distinctive communities you do and do not look like;
  • Achieve a community dialogue which fulfills and demonstrates an inclusion of people of every demographic and geographic in your region;
  • Involve staff in broadening outreach and securing support on critical issues in every aspect of their scope of work;
  • Demonstrate exemplary leadership which promotes an inclusive, pluralistic democratic society.

Education

BA, Political Science, UC Berkeley

MA, Judaic and Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew Union College

Certificate, Harvard Business School, “Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management”

Diversity Equity Training and Consultation

Established trainer and consultant, framing multi-cultural awareness to (a) recognize and resolve systemic bias and systemic power imbalance as a dynamic related to serving constituents, clients and staff, and engaging community, and (b) address perceptions and misperceptions which effect an individual’s advancement, civic involvement and sense of a civil society.

Community Achievements and Recognition

  • 2012 California Governor’s Community Service Award
  • Consultant on religion diversity for EXPO 2010, Shanghai, China, “Better City, Better Life”
  • Coordinator and presenter, Shanghai university seminar during EXPO 2010, “Religion and City Life”
  • Directing the 10-year series of 31 Regional Dialogues, among civic sector’s leaders
  • 2002-2012, Executive Director, Peninsula Clergy Network, 2012 named Executive Director Emeritus
  • 2007-2012, directed Sequoia Healthcare District and San Mateo County funded project to design and implement model for inclusion of all congregations in Office of Emergency Services systems
  • 2005, California State Training Institute (CSTI) one-week course with certificates in Emergency Incident Management and National Incident Management Systems (NIMS)
  • 2000, President’s Honor Roll of the American Professional Society on Child Abuse for exemplary work engaging cross sector collaboration
  • Interim Executive Director for seven social service agencies
  • 1977-97, two decades as rabbi for colleges and universities in San Diego CA, working with students, faculty and administrators
  • Five years as a congregational rabbi

Board Positions

  • Vice-Chair, Regional Advisory Board of the Florida Department of Drug Rehabilitation
  • Chair, Committee on Adolescents, San Diego County Commission on Youth and Children
  • President, San Diego Community Child Abuse Coordinating Council, San Diego County
  • Executive Committee, California Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
  • Board: Thrive – The Alliance of San Mateo County Non-Profits
  • Board: Daly City Peninsula Partnership Collaborative
  • San Mateo County Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council (Education)
  • San Mateo County Housing Our People Effectively/HOPE (State mandated 10-year plan)
  • Board: Center for Civility and Democratic Engagement – Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley

Clients

The City of San Mateo  

The County of San Mateo

Santa Clara County

Sequoia Union High School District

San Mateo Union High School District

Habitat for Humanity, San Mateo County

Office of Education, San Mateo County

US Census Bureau

Department of Senior Services, Westchester County, NY

The City of Riverside, CA

The League of California Cities

PICO – San Mateo County (PIA), Santa Clara County (PACT)

Pudong District, Shanghai, China, EXPO 2010

Children Now

California State Assembly Member Kevin Mullin

Los Altos United Methodist Church/Circuit

(Partial list)