Michael Fraidenburg

Mike is the principal of The Cooperation Company, a firm best known for its work on improving natural resource agency management effectiveness through conflict resolution and strategic thinking. He is a trustee for the Northwest Fund for the Environment, National Speaker’s Association Member, a Senior Mediator at the Thurston County Dispute Resolution Center, Washington Mediation Association Certified Mediator, and American Fisheries Society Certified Fisheries Professional.

Mike completed a 30-year career with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after working up through the ranks from fish biologist to agency executive. He:

• Was the Executive for the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commission,
• Served on the United States' delegation negotiating the Pacific Salmon Treaty,
• Represented Washington State at International North Pacific Fisheries Commission negotiations with Japan and Canada,
• Chaired numerous scientific committees, and
• Worked on shellfish, habitat, marine fish, and salmon management issues.

Recognized by the U.S. delegation for “...leadership and dedication that sets a high standard to be followed…”, Mike was Chairman of the Pacific Salmon Commission's high-profile Chinook Technical Committee that developed and communicated non-partisan, scientific advice for international negotiations. Mike received Washington State Fish and Wildlife commendation awards for his leadership and participation on the United States' negotiation delegation for the Pacific Salmon Treaty. 

Mike recently completed a book, Intelligent courage—Natural Resource Careers That Make a Difference. He decided to write Intelligent Courage to share lessons learned that can help other professionals prepare for the challenges they will face in their career. Mike will provide information on how to show courage in difficult situations, show compassion in making tough decisions, provide innovation in the face of pressure to preserve a dysfunctional status quo, and show leadership when incentive systems reward timidity. 

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Ben Garber

It happens all the time in all kinds of organizations. Someone is placed in a position of leadership, but they lack the skills to engender loyalty, attract followers and use risk as a technique to grow and learn. These are the positional leaders that can bring organizational growth and employee achievement to a halt. What kinds of leaders are there at all levels of your organization? Are they Compelling Leaders who lead by the power of their competence, are leaders from any position, take action, are always actively learning, take risks, learn from risks that fail or succeed, and are followed? Or are they Positional Leaders who lead by the power of their position, only lead when they are the “top” player, manage the actions of others, use only their current knowledge, play it safe taking minimal risks, blame others for failure, are obeyed – or are they?

Ben Garber has used the lessons he learned as a business owner, manager, consultant, social worker, and trainer to develop his training and consulting business, Compelling Leadership. Ben works with organizations to strengthen and develop Compelling Leaders by delivering leadership principles, strategies, and actions. Ben began portraying Theodore Roosevelt as a service project in middle schools, providing living history and motivational programs. Through his extensive study of Theodore Roosevelt for these programs, he realized the wealth of knowledge and experience TR has to offer to business, governmental, and non-governmental organizations tying practical lessons for work and life in with the incredible results of active risk taking. Ben will provide a motivational, stimulating, and humorous program - while delivering action-oriented and practical how-to steps that you can use today to become a Compelling Leader and an Active Risk-Taker!

“Fearlessness is not recklessness. Acceptable risk should be calculated, based on the value of the endeavor at stake.” - Theodore Roosevelt