Meet Julia

Woman standing outdoors drinking coffee in cold weather

Julia Solomon has twenty-two years of experience facilitating group dialogue and planning processes for nonprofits, universities and governments. With an undergraduate degree in ecology and a master’s degree in conservation biology and sustainable development, she brings a scientifically grounded, interdisciplinary approach to projects. Throughout her career, she has worked extensively in the fields of land and water conservation, land use planning, sustainability planning and community engagement. Julia is the founder of Shadbush Consulting, LLC, a New York State certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE).

Julia's work as a facilitator is shaped by her lifelong commitment to social justice and her early experiences working in the Navajo community of Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle, New Mexico and the town of El Sauce, Nicaragua. She lives in the town of Red Hook, New York, and is active in numerous community projects. Julia is inspired by the work of leaders such as Peter Forbes, Priya Parker, Otto Scharmer, Adam Kahane and Frances Westley. Outside of work, you are likely to find her reading, cooking, tending her garden, hiking, canoeing or cross-country skiing, preferably in the company of her family.

Testimonials

"Working with Julia, I was struck by the wisdom and empathy she brought to a project with many different voices and opinions. In addition to being one of the best communicators I've ever worked with, Julia excelled at interpreting complex situations and strategizing pathways to get us from that complexity to a successful conclusion."

-Dr. Elena Bennett, Professor, McGill University

"Julia is an experienced and accomplished thought leader in the conservation field. She not only understands the nuances of conservation work; she also knows how to work with and build cohesive and collaborative teams. Her secret superpower is her ability to facilitate group conversations, creating a safe space to have deeper discussions about challenging issues."

- Kevin Case, President & CEO, Mohonk Preserve

"Julia is a consistent and clear communicator; the trickier the project, the more thought and care she puts into the work. Julia can convene folks from all kinds of backgrounds and viewpoints to accomplish large and small projects, and she is able to deftly move groups to collaborative and timely conclusions."

- Sarah Imboden, former Town Councilmember, Red Hook, NY

"Julia finds common ground and provides an environment where all parties are heard. Her strategic approach and team leadership skills helped our partnership of disparate organizations succeed."

-Abbie D., project partner

Selected Projects

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Supported the design and development of a $500,000 re-grant program for Connecticut Land Conservation Council to catalyze climate-smart stewardship of protected lands.
Conducted an evaluation and needs assessment for the New York State Conservation Partnership Program, which has provided $34 million for land conservation in New York over 20+ years.
Developed an evaluation strategy for the Hudson Valley Flood Resilience Network.
Developed a strategic plan for Columbia-Greene Habitat for Humanity.
Developed a strategic plan for Greene Land Trust.
Developed strategic work plans for two watershed organizations through a capacity-building project with the Hudson River Watershed Alliance.
Led scenario planning for the future stewardship of a naturally and culturally iconic landscape for Mohonk Preserve.
Led visioning & planning to strategically align the management of Columbia Land Conservancy’s ten public conservation areas.
Guided Teatown Lake Reservation in the establishment of sound protocols for land-related record-keeping, governance and monitoring.
Provide technical assistance and coaching to selected New York land trusts as a ‘circuit rider’ for the Land Trust Alliance.

UNIVERSITIES

Co-led development of McGill University’s first campus-wide sustainability strategy. Designed a community-driven process that engaged more than 1,000 people. Facilitated engagement sessions, wrote strategy documents and secured support of university leaders.
Convened and facilitated a multi-stakeholder working group to resolve conflict around bicycling on McGill University's campus, resulting in a 'shared space' approach.
Led visioning sessions for academic leaders in the University of Wisconsin’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies as part of institutional review and rebranding.

GOVERNMENTS

Leading development of a Natural Resources Inventory for the Town of Shandaken.
Coordinated a multi-stakeholder process to review and revise the legal code of the Town of Red Hook to enhance protection of water, soil and forest resources.
Initiated and sustained partnerships between Wisconsin state government officials and academic researchers to improve invasive species management outcomes and efficiently allocate funding.