Bob Stilger is an organizational leader, teacher, and coach with over 30 years of experience. He co-founded and served as co-president of The Berkana Institute, a nonprofit that works with communities around the world on leadership development. In this role, he helped launch leadership learning initiatives in countries in Africa, Asia, South America, and elsewhere. Prior to Berkana, Stilger spent 25 years leading a community development organization in Washington. He now teaches at Gonzaga University and Bainbridge Graduate Institute while continuing his work with Berkana and other organizations as a consultant and advisor.

1. Robert L. Stilger, Ph.D
Bob Stilger is teacher, coach, and organizational leader. From 2005 – 2009 he was the
Co-President The Berkana Institute (http://www.berkana.org), a nonprofit institute that
works with communities and pioneering leaders in all types of organizations throughout
the world. Stilger was directly involved in Berkana’s many initiatives. He worked with
many people around the world to co-entrepreneur the Berkana Exchange – an
innovative global learning network which supports leadership learning centres in places
like Zimbabwe, South Africa, Senegal, Pakistan, India, Greece, Brazil, Mexico, Canada
and the U.S. He hosts some of Berkana’s Learning Journeys out into the world and has
lead responsibility for developing Berkana’s Learning Services. He worked as a
community and organizational consultant on behalf of Berkana and wrote, made
presentations, and hosted conversations on leadership for transformation in the U.S.,
Canada, Brazil, South Africa and Australila.
Before joining The Berkana Institute in 2000, Stilger spent 25 years as the Executive
Director of an innovative community development corporation in the Pacific Northwest,
Northwest Regional Facilitators. Stilger along with a small group of other younger
leaders all in their mid-twenties founded NRF with a great deal of support from older
leaders in Spokane, Washington. His work touched many areas – citizen participation,
community organizing, affordable housing, work/family issues, hunger, growth
management, community futures, transportation, nuclear waste, community health,
nonprofit organization capacity building.
His work has been to support the many people around the world who are stepping
forward to provide critical leadership in these times. His doctoral research and
continued inquiry in the world is around the emergence of forms of leadership which
create new possibilities in our communities. Stilger works as a coach to many younger
leaders, helping them name their work, connecting them with others, assisting them in
supporting each other, and illuminating their work to the others who are looking for a
sense of what we might do, together.
In addition to his work with The Berkana Institute, Stilger teaches in the PhD in
Leadership Studies Program at Gonzaga University and the Sustainable Business MBA
program at Bainbridge Graduate Institute. He has served as Adjunct Faculty and
Distinguished Visiting Professor at other institutions.

2. Past Employment:
Co-President, The Berkana Institute, 2005 – 2009
President, New Stories, 2000 - 2005
Executive Director, Northwest Regional Facilitators, 1974-2000
Program Director, EXPO '74 Environmental Symposium Series, 1973-4.
Assistant Director, Northwest Environmental Communications Network, 1972-3.
Consultant Services:
Stilger’s consulting work has included the following clients: Municipality of Ethekiwi - Durban, South
Africa, National Disability Services – Brisbane, Australia, State of Washington (including Family Policy
Council, State Energy Office, Department of Social and Health Services, Community Trade and Economic
Development, and Department Of Ecology, Washington State Bicentennial Commission and Alternatives
for Washington Program), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Municipal
League, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott
Foundation, Nebraska State Energy Office, Washington Coalition for Rural Housing, Spokane County,
City of Spokane, City of Renton
Teaching Experience:
St. Mary’s College of California, Adjunct Faculty, Masters of Leadership Program, 2002-03
Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Adjunct Faculty, 2004-2007
Gonzaga University, Adjunct Faculty, Doctorate in Leadership Studies, 2004-
Organizational Systems Renewal Masters Program, Distinguished Visiting Faculty, Seattle University,
2007
Current Volunteer Services:
Member, Board of Directors, Berkana Institute, 2001-Present
Member, Board of Directors, Pioneers of Change, Johannesburg and London, 2001—Present
Member, Board of Directors, Kufunda Learning Village, Zimbabwe, 2002—Present
Member, Board of Directors, The Shire, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2005 – Present
Recent Presentations and Conferences
Shambhala Authentic Leadership Institute Intergenerational Dialogue on Leadership, Halifax, June, 2004
International Leadership Association Conference, Washington D.C., October, 2004
Systems Thinking in Action Conference Intergenerational Dialogue, Boston, December, 2004
The Brazilian Association of Human Resources Congress, Porte Alegre, May, 2005
Global Village Square at the Shambhala Authentic Leadership Institute, Halifax, June, 2005
Washington Family Policy Council Annual Summit, Vancouver, WA, November, 2005
Systems Thinking in Action Conference Concurrent Session, San Francisco, December, 2005
National Summit of the American College of Mental Health Administrators, Santa Fe, March, 2006
Global Village Square at the Shambhala Authentic Leadership Institute, Halifax, June, 2006
Seattle University, Organizational Systems Renewal Program Distinguished Faculty, February 2007
World Affairs Summit, Tacoma, WA, April, 2007
Education:
Carleton College, Bachelor of Arts, 1971
California Institute of Integral Studies, Masters of Human and Organizational Transformation, 1999
PhD in Transformative Learning and Change, California Institute of Integral Studies, 2004
Contact:
Bob Stilger
924 East Ninth Avenue, Spokane, WA 99202
(509) 835 4128, bob@berkana.org