Rob Dudra is immersed in Water Quality/Surface Water Management and National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I Municipal Permit functions for Pierce County, Washington. Recently, he was awarded for his significant contributions toward developing and enhancing the internal technical assistance function to help other county entities prepare and participate to a high standard in NPDES Stormwater Permit programs. Rob also leads the development of curriculum and awareness training for NPDES applications. Besides involvement in drafting internal procedural and policy documents , Rob produced an effective standard format for Phase I Municipal Stormwater Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) lauded by the Washington State Department of Ecology and used as a template by other jurisdictions. Rob centers all professional interaction on a collaborative partnering with encouragement model. He consistently participates in intra- and inter-jurisdictional NPDES groups. Because of his people-awareness skills, he is used an observer/evaluator for Pierce County in regional environmental meetings and actions.

Bachelor degree studies in Biological Health Sciences at Central Washington University resulted in a substantial tenure in medico-forensic laboratory sciences. Subsequent substantial professional involvement in negotiating and writing real estate and architectural design contracts have allowed Rob to develop a broad, interdisciplinary landscape of negotiation skills and experience preceding his environmental involvements.

Rob believes that understanding people (including oneself) and the impacts of change upon them are paramount to successful happenings. It is from the platform of the human element that he approaches facilitation, negotiation and mediation.

There is a perhaps apocryphal story about the late, great cellist Pablo Casals. When asked why he, at age of 95, still practiced 6 hours a day, he answered, "Because I still believe I'm improving." Rob subscribes to this philosophy about learning and life, and he applies it to facilitation, negotiation and mediation. He is always focused on being better and encouraging others to do likewise. Rob is substantially involved with the Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution as a volunteer in mediations and a contributor to mediator curriculum special projects. Concurrently, he is engaged in continuing studies with the Psychology Program of The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Rob has been accepted for 2011-12 to the year-long program Giving Psychology Away which focuses on translating and transitioning psychology to the community, specifically developing useful educational modules in conflict resolution. Rob will also continue to participate as a guest instructor/assistant in regional offerings provided by Nelson Facilitation.

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