Put the HEART Back in Your Community: Unifying Diverse Interests Around a Central Theme

Every community has a story to tell, although sometimes the story has been buried by development without design. With a thoughtful approach to planning, your community can find the stories that will help bring social, economic, and environmental interests together around a central theme. Put the HEART Back in Your Community defines a process that will engage your civic leaders and residents in open discussions as they develop Community Experience Plans that help everyone to get a finger on the pulse of what makes your community unique.

Lisa Brochu and Tim Merriman consult in the field of heritage and science interpretation as Heartfelt Associates from their home office in Kealakekua, Hawaii. They have a combined 80 years of experience in the recreation, tourism and heritage interpretation fields and have worked as planners, trainers and curriculum developers in 24 nations and every state in the U.S. While serving as the executive staff of National Association for Interpretation (NAI), they developed an internationally recognized certification program for heritage interpretation professionals. Since leaving NAI in 2012, they have worked in Rwanda, Tanzania, Sweden and Korea as well as being involved with NASA in FAMELAB competitions where Tim served as a trainer and Lisa as a judge. They have co-authored two novels and half a dozen planning and training texts.