About Us- Our Method

The Braver Angels Way

We seek to have constructive and connecting conversations with those who think differently by using the following guidelines:

We state our views freely and fully, without fear.

We treat people who disagree with us with honesty, dignity and respect.

We welcome opportunities to engage those with whom we disagree.

We believe all of us have blind spots and none of us are not worth talking to.

We seek to disagree accurately, avoiding exaggeration and stereotypes.

We look for common ground where it exists and, if possible, find ways to work together.

We believe that, in disagreements, both sides share and learn.

In Braver Angels, neither side is teaching the other or giving feedback on how to think or say things differently.

About Us- The Local Group

Braver Angels: Southern Willamette Valley Alliance is a chapter of the National Braver Angels organization. We are working in our local community (Eugene, Springfield, and surrounding areas of Lane County) to bring people of different political perspectives together for communication workshops, discussions, and public presentations designed to bridge the polarizing political divide we experience in our country. These events allow conservatives and liberals to get past the destructive stereotypes so we can better understand one another and problem-solve real issues. We hope you will join us!

We put on our first BA workshop, "Families and Politics," in the fall of 2022 and have been growing ever since. We officially became a Braver Angels Alliance in the beginning of 2024. We currently have an 11-person steering committee, divided evenly between liberals and conservatives. We meet twice a month to plan local area events. Drop us a line if you have any questions or want to attend one of our planning meetings. We'd be happy to hear from you. Please email us at swva@braverangels.org.

Alliance Co-Chair Leadership

To contact the Alliance Co-Chairs, please email lukeg@braverangels.org (blue), grantj@braverangels.org (red), or mary@braverangels.org (purple).

Luke Grossmiller Blue (Liberal) Co-Chair

Luke has been a mediator with Lane County small claims court and a restorative justice practitioner at the Center for Dialogue and Resolution. As a case manager for their Diversion program, he assisted individuals charged with crimes in fulfilling a reparations agreement to address the impacts of their actions, rather than through standard court proceedings. He currently does contract work as an organizational consultant, facilitator, and mediator. He also runs a small gardening business.

Originally from New Hampshire, he has lived in Eugene since 2008, and is a nonviolence practitioner following after the example of Jesus, Gandhi, King, Marshall Rosenberg, and Miki Kashtan. He considers himself a liberal, far left, democratic socialist seeking to transition away from capitalism and other systems that reinforce privilege for some, to alternative systems that represent the needs of all. He has been an activist supporting many causes including campaigning for Bernie Sanders, the environment, Black Lives Matter, and indigenous people at Standing Rock, among others.

Luke immediately found alignment with the Braver Angels' mission when he first heard about it. He recognized that working with Braver Angels provided an opportunity to do something even more fundamental and consequential than just fixing politics. It is being part of a movement that is shifting the kind of societal attitudes and communication norms that lead to dysfunctional relationships and governing in general. He believes that when we stop dehumanizing one another and come from a place of care, nothing can stop us. There is no more important task at this time than helping people develop the communication abilities to build and restore trust between us.

Grant Johnson Red (Conservative) Co-Chair

Grant is a native of Oregon where he has recently returned and become active in the Republican party of Lane County. As a Constitutional Conservative, he believes in the core republican principles versus the current republican platform, and stands firm in the constitutional principles set forth by the founders. He particularly emphasizes that the US is a constitutional republic as stated in Article 4 of the constitution and believes that the separation of church and state is not constitutional. He believes that too much government is the problem and can become tyranny. “People elected to serve are to serve, not rule over us.”

Grant entered the Air Force after high school, serving 20 years in active duty until his retirement in 1998. He then served as a human resource manager for two family-owned companies before being recruited back to the Air Force for civil service as the Dover Air Force Base Training Manager for another 20 years.

Grant reached out to our local Braver Angels group after finding a poster about Braver Angels at the Lane County Republican office. He found the Braver Angels mission to be in alignment with a personal vision that Americans would fare better if in closer unity and communication with others who think differently, rather than continuing the divide that causes the downfall of the American experiment.

Grant understands that Braver Angels does not promise solutions to all social ills, but what it does provide is a choice and the inspiration for every individual to choose to step away from social media and major news outlets, deep dive into the subjects, and share thoughts and insights with fellow Americans in a non-threatening environment. He believes that there is a price to pay when we think in terms of “we” vs. “I”. He believes that Braver Angels offers not only the open door to enter, but also the skill-building opportunities to help us to restructure our posture as Americans

Mary N. Miller Purple (Independent) Co-Chair

A facilitator, mediator, and conflict resolution specialist, she has presented at national and international mediation conferences and has trained over 2,000 mediators.

Professionally, Mary provides consultation services in the nonprofit arena and facilitates meetings and retreats where emotions may be high and where tracking the details is important. For over 30 years, she has delivered a variety of soft skills courses, such as interpersonal, conflict resolution and management skills in the non-profit and business world, traveling throughout the US and internationally.

In 2013 as part of a Beyond War group, she organized and co-facilitated a Guns Rights/Gun Control workshop for the public in Medford – two months after the Sandy Hook shootings - which generated a group of conservatives and liberals who met monthly for several years.

Feeling increasingly disturbed by the intensity of feelings in the political divide, she deliberately set out to research a national organization dedicated to bridging the political divide where her experience and skills could be best utilized. Three years ago she discovered Braver Angels and since then has volunteered her time as an Organizer of national online workshops, a workshop Moderator and, more recently, as the Purple Co-Chair of the local Alliance which she was instrumental in founding.

Mary believes in discovering the Good in all souls and in helping others to bring their better self forward. She finds for herself that tapping into one's higher self is an ongoing project and she still works on being non-judgmental. Ah – but they say you teach that which you most need to learn! Mary has lived in Eugene for ten years.

Steering Committee Members

Blue/Liberal

We are seeking a blue member. Inquire if interested.

John Marshall, who leans Blue, has worked with at-risk populations for most of his 40 year career. He has been a licensed teacher of special needs children from pre-school to adult, has been a hospice worker, and has also been a caregiver in senior nursing facilities, now working part-time with private clients. John has been involved in social justice issues and politics most of his life and considers himself a liberal. He was one of the first of the Steering Committee to join our local Braver Angels group, after realizing that the split in our country was very dangerous. He realized that nobody is right if everybody is wrong. He is now less concerned with his perception of right and wrong and more concerned with building and maintaining positive human connections. He wants to make a difference in this country and “to keep civility alive.”

Barry Nobel has practiced mediation for more than three decades. Since retiring from the practice of law, he has taught mediation, mindfulness, religious studies and ethics at several universities, colleges, and law schools in the West. Barry is also a co-founder of LIFE (Lane Institute of Faith & Education). From these endeavors, he has learned to value diverse viewpoints, and he has come to believe that with honest, respectful, and focused communication, considerable progress is possible on seemingly intractable problems. Barry is happy to participate in Braver Angels’ efforts to meet everyone’s needs but no one’s greed. He hopes you will consider joining us in this worthy enterprise!

Red/Conservative

Jim Glang who, unlike the rest of his family, now leans Red, has always been drawn to music, poetry, and art, reaching out to support minority groups. Jim has three adult children, he founded Crossroads Espresso and has been active in the coffee industry for 40 years, both nationally and internationally – especially as regards to branding. He has been a supporter and member of the Board of Directors of Rose Children’s Theatre. He is deeply concerned about how far the left has moved and finds himself becoming more and more conservative. He was the first conservative to join our Steering Committee. His current goal is to "live from my Heart, not my Head."

Jacqueline “Jakki” McDonald, who leans Red, has been active in leadership all her life. Having adopted a special needs child, she became a regional consultant for COPE (Coalition for Parent Education). She created and facilitated support groups and workshops in five counties for parents and guardians of special needs children to help teach advocacy, negotiation, and conflict resolution. She has also created and presented curriculums on race relations and depression. Jakki has had a varied work life as a hospice worker, NODA (No One Dies Alone) worker, pianist, water aerobics instructor, dental assistant, hospital chaplain, and is a clown school graduate and offered her clown services at fundraisers, She also volunteers in the women’s unit of the Eugene Wellness Center. Jakki feels strongly about abortion and was the development director for Rachel’s Vineyard Post-Abortion Healing Retreats. She is passionate about conflict resolution and has been active in our local Braver Angels Steering Committee, coming up with creative ideas to reach out to others. She sees learning the hard skills of listening compassionately and responding respectfully as necessary to change how America does politics and to work toward peace in our small corner of the world.

Debbie Bosche is a long-time resident of the Eugene/Springfield area and proud mother of six grown children, all of whom attended the 4J and Springfield school districts. With a professional background in sales and marketing across western Oregon, Debbie’s career has evolved to focus on her passion for helping others as a Direct Support Professional, assisting children and adults with disabilities.

Debbie has a long history of community involvement, serving as chair for several support groups and boards that aid families coping with addiction and mental illness. Her commitment to service extends to volunteering with faith-based organizations, including Oregon Right to Life.

In addition to her community work, Debbie is an active member of the Lane County Republican Party, serving as a Precinct Committee Person (PCP) and most recently as an alternate delegate on the Executive Board. Her journey with Braver Angels began when the organization was invited to speak at a local conservative group meeting. Inspired by the BA message, Debbie joined the Southern Willamette Valley Alliance as a Red Conservative Republican.

Debbie is deeply grateful for the friendships and alliances she has formed through Braver Angels. She is passionate about fostering understanding, building relationships, and encouraging honest dialog within the community. She is excited to see the local chapter grow and thrive as more people come together to listen, learn, and connect.

Purple/Center or Other

Awab Al-Rawe was born and raised in Baghdad, Iraq. After the 2003 war in Iraq, and while still a child, he moved with his family as refugees to Syria. He came to Oregon as a student and earned his B.A. in International Studies and his M.S. in Conflict and Dispute Resolution from the University of Oregon. Awab currently works for Pintrest as an Ombudsman. Previously he was an ombudsperson with the Oregon Health Authority where he investigated complaints from the public, advocated on behalf of Oregonians, and worked on healthcare system improvement. He has also worked for the Department of Human Services, the Eugene Police Department. Awab has been active in leading community dialogues on issues like Israel and Palestine, and regularly presents about his experience living in the Middle East. Awab loves to play soccer, practice mediation, learn languages, and write about economic and political issues. Now leaning Purple, Awab is passionate about peace building, democracy, freedom, and justice; and this is why he is involved with Braver Angels.

Diane (Dee) Ryan leans purple. After growing up on the East Coast and being in the Navy, Dee relocated to the DC suburbs where she spent upwards of 40 years working as a budget analyst in the Federal government and then as a designer specializing in high-end interior renovations and new construction. Her projects center around kitchens and bathrooms with a compassionate focus on aging in place and universal design for people experiencing varying levels of abilities.

Her reputation as a designer led to her becoming a corporate instructor for a major firm, and an adjunct professor at a community college. Considering it a kind of ministry, Dee's proudest achievements were in helping students of all ages find their passion and launch their own successes.

Now living in Oregon since 2017 and experiencing the heavily liberal environment, Dee found herself being a kind of amateur mediator among social groups she participated in. Always by nature finding herself able to see and understand many sides of an issue or ideal, once introduced to Braver Angels by someone close to her, the concept fit like a glove.

Dee enjoys travel, exploring other cultures and cuisines, coffee, a holistic lifestyle, art, painting, "the arts", writing poetry, chess, beauty, nature, helping other souls, embracing life, humor, and meaningful conversation.

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