About

Bridging Divides - El Dorado came about because many leaders and residents in El Dorado County are concerned about the growing social and political divides and the impact they have on our relationships, our work, and our overall quality of life.  Many of them have been inspired by the work being done in other communities and organizations demonstrating that divides can be bridged and that trusting relationships and respectful communication can be restored even among people with different perspectives and political affiliations.

Mission Statement
The Mission of Bridging Divides – El Dorado is to provide resources and tools to build trust and respect, to depolarize challenging situations, to promote civil and cordial conversations, and to encourage collaboration for the well-being of all El Dorado County residents. We are available to assist any organization impartially and without bias.

The El Dorado Community Foundation, which has long promoted service, collaboration and leadership in the county , is supporting this initiative. Katy Peek, the Foundation’s current Board President and long-time community resident, said, “I suspect like other communities similar to ours, there have always been tensions and discord among residents and civic leaders, but in the past our disagreements have largely been handled civilly and productively. Over the past few years, however, political rancor, the widespread use of social media, and the pandemic have caused the divides among friends, families, and community leaders to widen dramatically in our county. There is less trust and less willingness to listen and discuss our differences in respectful ways. I’m thrilled that our Foundation is taking an active role bridging these divides.”

 The kickoff event for this initiative is a convening scheduled for September 29th, 2022 with approximately 100 participants from these sectors of the community: Healthcare, Public Safety, Education, Government, Faith-based, Youth, Non-profit, Community, and Business. These are the convening’s key goals:

  • Participants will come away with a clearer sense of the personal and organizational impacts of polarization.

  • Participants will learn about and briefly experience the benefits of de-polarization strategies.

  • Community sectors will leave with action plans that name people who will (initially) lead the change, identify the challenges faced, the goals they hope to achieve, the resources they might tap, and additional people that will be involved after the convening.

Convening Activities:

  • Finding common ground in our personal lives

  • Hearing about success stories from other communities and organizations

  • Identifying how the divides affect us personally and professionally

  • Learning about resources available for ongoing support, including funding and partnerships with support organizations, including Living Room Conversations, Braver Angels, Bridge USA, Crucial Learning,

  • Learning about and experiencing de-polarization strategies such as the use of conversation agreements, finding common ground, deep listening, and choosing empathy and curiosity over confrontation.

Project Advisors

  • Ken Futernick, former EDCF Board Member, Professor Emeritus, Sac State. 

  • Paul Zappettini, EDCF Board Member, retired attorney. 

  • Brian Veerkamp, EDCF Board Member, El Dorado Irrigation District Board Member, former County Supervisor.

  • Keri Phillips, Superintendent, Gold Trail Union School District.

  • Ed Manansala, El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools.

  • Lori Veerkamp, Board Member, El Dorado Union High School District.

  • Allan Priest, EDCF Board Member, El Dorado Hills Community Services Board Director