On March 25, 2026, 130 people from across Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties gathered at Saint Martin’s University for the Community Foundation’s third annual Community Conversation. We were inspired to see so many neighbors, nonprofit leaders, elected officials, and community builders venturing out on a Wednesday night to be part of a conversation focused on strengthening our South Sound communities.

In her opening remarks, Community Foundation of South Puget Sound President & CEO, Mindie Reule, acknowledged the uncertainty, anxiety, and division so many of us are carrying right now and offered a different perspective.

"I've come to believe that one antidote to so much of what feels fractured or out of our control is local people coming together to solve local problems," Mindie shared. "From where I sit at the Community Foundation, I see that every day. I see neighbors, friends, strangers, solving problems, rebuilding trust, and strengthening connection."

Those remarks set the tone for an evening grounded in shared reflection and our willingness to do the work of building stronger, more connected communities.

Over the past two years, our Community Conversations have invited us into that work in different ways. In 2024, Mónica Guzmán challenged us to engage across differences with curiosity. In 2025, Eric Liu asked us to move from listening to action, taking ownership of the civic fabric we share. Our 2026 conversation with Doug Griffiths built on that momentum with the question, “What are we choosing, individually and collectively, that is shaping the future of our communities?”

With a rancher's directness and a teacher's gift for storytelling, Doug Griffiths—former Canadian legislator, author, and CEO of 13 Ways, Inc.—spent the evening inviting us to look honestly at the assumptions and habits that quietly shape, and often limit, what communities build together.  

Throughout his talk, he challenged us to consider that the community renaissance we long for is possible, but it won't arrive from the outside. It has to be built from within.

The Choices That Shape Our Communities

Griffiths opened with his own story. He was a kid from a small Alberta ranch town who left for the city and returned home to find the rural communities he knew slowly declining.

In response, he helped develop a comprehensive plan for revitalization. Communities embraced the ideas in theory but struggled to act on them in practice. That experience led to a deeper realization that communities, like individuals, often undermine the very outcomes they say they want.

To illustrate this, Doug shared a lesson from his time as a teacher when he asked his high school students to imagine what their realities might look like at 40 if they had completely derailed their lives. The students described futures marked by addiction, instability, and missed opportunity.

Then he asked a second question: what would you do today if derailing your life was your goal?

The students rattled off a long list of small, everyday choices (many they were already making) that would, over time, lead away from their dreams. In reflection, Doug shared, “Every single one of those students had hopes and dreams… but they traded away what they wanted most for what they wanted now.”

That insight resonates beyond the classroom, inviting us to consider how the future of our communities is shaped not only by big decisions or long-term plans, but by the cumulative effect of everyday choices.  

If we want communities that are more connected, more inclusive, and more resilient, what choices are required of us now?

And where might we unintentionally be moving away from our hopes for the South Sound by choosing what is easier, safer, or more familiar?

The Work of Change

Throughout the evening, Doug returned to the gap between what we say we want and what we’re willing to do to achieve it.

Most communities have a clear vision of what thriving looks like. We talk about vibrant downtowns, strong local economies, and a sense of belonging for everyone. But moving toward those outcomes often requires change. And change, even needed change, can be difficult.

As Doug put it, “There isn’t a single person out there that doesn’t want to be successful, but we do things and make choices that undermine that success.”

The same is true for communities. Part of that challenge lies in the fact that the world around us is changing. To illustrate this, Doug walked the audience through the generational forces that have shaped how people experience community—from economic hardship and social shifts to evolving expectations around work, place, and connection. His history lesson struck a hopeful note when he reflected on our young people—a rising generation that doesn't care about titles, that wants walkability and authenticity and diversity, that sees no reason why one person's win must come at another's expense.

"This whole new generation recognizes that you don't have to lose for me to win," Griffiths said. "We're not trying to destroy the other person. We're trying to lift each other up."

There’s a challenge embedded in the optimism and opportunity of that mindset, though. If we want communities that reflect those values, we need to be willing to do the work of aligning our choices with that vision. That might mean rethinking long-standing approaches, making space for new ideas, or embracing change and its related tradeoffs.

Your Community Is You

One thread woven throughout the conversation was the importance of honesty and self-awareness. It’s important to understand who we are, not just who we hope to be. This helps us own our part in shaping our communities.

At one point in his talk, Griffiths described the frustration he felt years ago, sitting in a coffee shop, waiting for someone to fix the problems he could see all around him. "And then I remembered, I'm somebody," he shared. "I need to get on with it."

It's the same, he argued, for all of us as individuals and communities. Real community transformation happens when people stop waiting and start doing, when we stop complaining and get on with the work.

To drive this point home, Doug used the analogy of traffic. People complain endlessly about traffic while sitting inside it, unable to see that they are part of what they're complaining about. Realizing you are the traffic—you’re part of the problem—doesn’t have to be disheartening. Instead, it means you can be part of the solution too.

"Your community is you," Griffiths said. "No one else. It's a reflection of who you are. So, if you want to fix it, own it, and then you'll have success."

Owning it means we don’t have to wait for money, a grand plan, or permission to make our community better. We can paint the slide at the playground. We can sweep the sidewalk. We can give. We can volunteer. We can plant flowers. And even when those actions are small, together they shift what’s possible.

What a Renaissance Requires

So, is community renaissance possible? Doug Griffith’s answer was yes—but not without a lot of us choosing, repeatedly, to invest in our shared home.  

The kind of change many of us are seeking doesn’t arrive at all at once but is built over time through consistent, local effort. It requires investment in places that feel welcoming and connected, support for local entrepreneurship, and opportunities for people to gather, collaborate, and build relationships across differences.  

It also requires space for honest conversation.

Not everything shared during the evening landed the same way for everyone in the room. In the Q&A discussion that followed Doug’s talk, participants raised important questions about structural issues, housing costs, gentrification, disability access, and the real burdens borne by underserved communities.

That kind of honesty and deeper dialogue is what the Community Conversation series is designed to make room for, and it might just be what our own local renaissance is made of.

From Conversation to Action

Community Conversations are one way we create space for reflection and shared learning, but we don’t see them as an endpoint as much as an invitation.

One way the Community Foundation invites you to join in this work is through our Project Connect: Civic Life & Belonging Grants. This program is designed to support community-led efforts that bring people together across differences to build understanding, trust, and shared purpose. Through Project Connect, we invest in local ideas and initiatives that:

• create opportunities for connection across neighborhoods, cultures, and perspectives

• strengthen civic participation

• and foster a deeper sense of belonging across Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties

From collaborative art projects and community storytelling to neighborhood gatherings and civic engagement efforts, these initiatives reflect the same values at the heart of our Community Conversations. To learn more about Project Connect and future opportunities to get involved, visit the Project Connect page on our website. If you’re interested in applying for a Project Connect grant this year, don’t forget to apply by April 27^th, 2026!  

In addition to Project Connect, we're also excited to partner with Community Heart & Soul in the upcoming months. This resident-driven process helps communities identify what matters most so they can take action together. We look forward to sharing more about this work in the months ahead, including how you can get involved!

Thank You

To everyone who joined us for this year’s Community Conversation, thank you for showing up, engaging with these ideas, and contributing to the ongoing work of building a stronger, more connected South Puget Sound.

We’re grateful to be part of this work with you. And we look forward to continuing the conversation, and the work, together in the months ahead.

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