Fermilab launched its Community Envoy Program with training about active listening and initiating the first conversation.

In the 1980's, when the Department of Energy proposed Fermilab as a possible site for the Superconducting Super Collider, a local citizens group spearheaded community opposition to the project. "Fermilab is no longer a good neighbor," proclaimed a full-page newspaper advertisement sponsored by CATCH, or Citizens Against the Collider Here. Fermilab doesn't want to make the same mistake twice. That's one reason why Fermilab has instituted a Community Envoy Program. The main goal of the programme, however, is to create and maintain meaningful relationships with people in the surrounding communities.

"We have good relationships with our community, and the people who know us generally trust us. But that is not going to do it for what we need for the future," said Judy Jackson, Fermilab's Director of Public Affairs, during the Community Envoy training session on 5 September. "We are going to need better relationships with our community than ever before."

Designed as a programme that matches up employees with key stakeholders, such as mayors and school superintendents, the envoys will provide information about the lab and become the stakeholders' personal connections to Fermilab. While the envoys will discuss progress on plans for the ILC, the programme is intended to keep the community informed about all the lab's projects, scientific goals and achievements. "We don't envision the envoys as a sales force for the ILC," Jackson said. "Don't go out and try to convince everyone. Go out and build a relationship with a couple of people with whom Fermilab badly needs a relationship."

Judy Jackson explained that the envoy programme is not supposed to be a sales force for the ILC. "Don’t go out and try to convince everyone. Go out and build a relationship," she said.

With training about active listening and initiating the first conversation under their belts and facts sheets and brochures in hand, Fermilab's twenty-eight envoys will meet with their stakeholders about four times a year. Expected to expand to a larger number of envoys in the future, this programme will be a crucial step for selecting members for the Fermilab ILC Citizens Task Force -- a group of community members who will provide input into key aspects of ILC planning and decision-making. Strong community involvement will be essential for siting the ILC in any region of the world, and Fermilab's initiatives are an important first step.

"It will take some effort to get these programmes started, but it is an important thing to do," said Fermilab Director Pier Oddone. "This is about us partnering together with the community. We are really teaming together because it is a worthwhile thing to do, and you as envoys are an important part of that."

Information about the Fermilab Community Envoy Program, including talks from the training session, is available online.

-- Elizabeth Clements