Jeffrey Stec grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and was deeply moved by the decline of that urban center and the subsequent racial polarization. Consequently, after moving to Cincinnati to practice law at a big firm, Jeffrey has helped the communities, local governments, and non-profits collaborate more effectively by humanizing tough conversations.

A certified mediator (from his time as a family lawyer) and accredited public participation facilitator, Jeffrey guides groups through complex problems involving diverse stakeholders. Moreover, believing empathy and connection are the foundation of change, Jeffrey leverages skills from his 15 years of teaching lawyers empathy-based negotiation to ensure that all voices are heard in a public conversation or planning session, thereby transforming problems into opportunities for growth.

As Executive Director of Citizens for Civic Renewal, Jeffrey has a variety of initiatives to strengthen civic life, foster meaningful public dialogue, and build societal bridges. Among hundreds of projects, his work includes:

• Lakota Local Schools: Facilitated Community Conversations to engage residents in the district’s strategic decision-making.

• City of Covington Visioning Process: Designed and led a one-year partnership among the city administration, chamber of commerce, and citizen groups to plan the city’s strategic direction.

• Butler County Opioid Abuse Prevention Coalition: Facilitated a county-wide process to align agencies to identify service gaps and strengthen collaboration among prevention programs.

• Delhi Township: Led a leadership team retreat with trustees and facilitated ongoing community engagement around development needs.

• One Westwood: Facilitated a coalition of Black and white community leaders to develop initiatives to heal racial divides and unify Westwood and East Westwood.

Jeffrey's work has deepened since entering recovery in 2022 and rebooting his life at 55. It now includes “future-catalyzation” retreats that tap into a team’s latent emotional agility to reinvent the team in the face of existential uncertainty, laying the foundation for cohesive and powerful action.

During Jeffrey’s retreats, teams learn the Playbook for Liminality, Leadership for Uncertain Times, which offers resilience-building strategies the team can use to navigate everyday challenges with grace and productivity. Jeffrey has facilitated teams that include state and county student mental health workers, municipal leadership teams, public health workers, and business coalitions.

Finally, Jeffrey trains and coaches young lawyers from around the country transitioning from school to work.

Jeffrey lives in Wyoming, Ohio, and is grateful for his two children and three granddaughters!