In November of 1979, Alice Shorett launched Triangle Associates, a for-profit environmental consulting practice providing mediation and public involvement services in the Pacific Northwest. With two contracts, a business license, a desk, and a phone, Triangle began as a sole proprietorship on the first floor of the Colman Building in Seattle. Thirty years later, and employee-owned, Triangle is still located in the Colman Building. Now working across the United States, Triangle has become a nationally known and respected practice providing mediation, facilitation, and public involvement services. Beginning in 1989 Triangle also began providing environmental education to students, K-12, now a thriving part of our business.
We believe that good information, genuine dialogue, and participatory problem-solving among diverse groups and people are the foundations of a healthy democracy and sustainable society. This ethic infuses all of our work.
As mediators, facilitators and public involvement professionals, we use our communications, analytical and people skills to help cities, counties, state, federal and tribal governments as well as businesses and nonprofit groups work collaboratively to resolve public policy and planning issues. Tools such as sounding boards, charettes, online collaboration and live meetings are just a few of the techniques Triangle pioneered in the facilitation and public involvement fields. Our successes have included resolution of such compelling challenges as how to manage Washington State’s old growth forests, clean up the Hanford site, reduce noise at Sea-Tac Airport, restore dwindling salmon runs to health, manage our state’s watersheds sustainably, facilitate the resolution of challenging issues that allowed redevelopment of the Northgate area of Seattle to proceed, and many others.
As educators, we offer award-winning environmental education programs that help local school children develop ecological consciousness and make wise choices. We design dynamic school assembly programs for agencies that ignite school-wide interest. We then supplement assemblies with well-designed classroom workshops that enhance student learning. We also provide training and materials that motivate teachers to continue the discussion throughout the school year. Our initial focus on recycling and waste reduction has expanded as new issues have emerged to include water quality, household hazardous waste, electrical safety, climate change, and renewable energy including geothermal power.
Triangle’s three decades of practice is unique in the Pacific Northwest and nationally. As we embark on our fourth decade, we are excited about opportunities to continue to work with clients and project partners to tackle and resolve important and challenging issues that matter to us, to our region, and to the nation.