Gracious reader,
Earlier this June, nestled in a magnificent, tranquil setting at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, something remarkable happened in the Colorado Springs region.
Leaders from three neighboring communities gathered for a Civic Renaissance Leadership Retreat. They came to step back from the urgent demands of daily life and public leadership. They came to reflect, to dream, to build relationships, and to imagine what a flourishing future might look like for the region they call home.
That kind of space is increasingly rare.
Most leaders spend their days reacting to problems, responding to crises, and navigating conflict. Yet renewal requires something different. It requires time to think. Time to listen. Time to cultivate friendship. Time to ask not merely what must be managed, but what might be built.
The setting itself was part of the argument.
Surrounded by mountains, gathered around beautiful tables, and nourished by extraordinary meals prepared by a Greek chef, participants experienced a vision of abundance. Beauty matters. Hospitality matters. Shared meals matter. They remind us that a richer, more human way of life is possible, and that communities can be shaped by something greater than scarcity, cynicism, and conflict.
That lesson felt especially significant in this region.
In recent years, Palmer Lake became the epicenter of a controversy surrounding a proposed Buc-ee’s development. The debate drew national attention, generated headlines in the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, and exposed painful divisions within the community.
But the leaders who chosed to gather with us at the retreat understood something important: the past is not prologue.
Rather than allowing division to define their future, they chose renewal.
That is why it was so meaningful that the retreat was hosted in Palmer Lake itself. Together, local leaders chose to tell a different story. Not a story of polarization and conflict, but of friendship, trust, imagination, and a shared commitment to building something better.
Over meals, conversations, walks, and strategic planning sessions, participants explored what it would take to cultivate flourishing communities and create the conditions for people to thrive across differences. They left with new friendships, renewed hope, and practical plans for what comes next.
This video captures a glimpse of that work.
Thank you to the leaders in Colorado
Thank you to Andrew Gunning, Lisa Brandt, Lori Leander, Nancy Henjum, Kimberly Gold, Dennis Stern, Mitch LaKind, and so many others who chose to invest in a better future for their region.
You remind us that renewal is possible.
You remind us that we have more power than we realize.
Each of us has the ability to help shape the story of the places we call home. We can step back. We can gather others. We can cultivate beauty, friendship, trust, and purpose. We can choose to build.
Today, I am honored to share your story with 4,500 leaders at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship Conference in London during my session on The Soul of Civility.
If you’re at ARC, come by the Civic Renaissane booth and receive a gifted packet of wildflower seeds to help remind us that we each have a role
You can’t miss us. We’re the only booth with fresh peonies and olive branches—naturally!
I hope this story of Colorado Springs inspires others as much as it inspired me.
This is what a Civic Renaissance looks like.
