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.

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. 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), ldayton@braverangels.org (red), or dryan@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.

Lisa Dayton Red (Conservative) Co-Chair

Lisa moved from a suburb of San Diego to Oregon in 1987 to attend Western Oregon University (WOSC) and pursue a career as a Sign Language Interpreter. Over the past 37 yrs. she achieved national certification and established the first privately owned ASL interpreter coordination agency in Oregon. Her business management experience has supported her work and contributed to the growth of the industry. In addition, Lisa has served as a director of youth ministry, where she developed an active and comprehensive program that included teaching high school religious education, coordinating volunteers and developing a middle school program.

In addition to her professional achievements, Lisa volunteered with Safe Families, providing support to young parents. This experience further reflects her commitment to fostering strong, supportive communities and helping families thrive.

Born with spina bifida, Lisa was the first student mainstreamed under Title VI, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) giving her firsthand experience to policies that impacted the direction of her life. Her family emphasized capability and independence, instilling in her the values of community responsibility in pursuit of excellence through education and hard work.

Lisa has lived in Eugene for 25 years with her husband, five children, and ten grandchildren. Concerned by divisive rhetoric in society, she sought constructive engagement and found a fitting platform for her skills with Braver Angels. She remains dedicated to leaving a positive legacy and better future for her family and community.

Diane (Dee) Ryan Purple (Independent) Co-Chair

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.

Steering Committee Members

Blue/Liberal

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!

Lisa Allen arrived in Eugene in the spring of 2024 with husband Dan in tow. The two met at The Juilliard School where music distracted them from the political dissonance of their hometowns: Lisa from deep-blue Berkeley, and Dan from dark-red Wichita. Their forty-five-year marriage is a poster child of the Braver Angels way: speaking freely with respect, learning from each other, neither side teaching the other, weaving together larger perspectives, and all without killing each other. (Yet.)

A retired music educator, Lisa is passionate about life, our country, and the world. Leveraging her deep background as a Juilliard-trained musician, elementary music teacher, choir director, mindfulness educator, and student of non-violent communication, Lisa founded a forest preschool among the northern California redwoods at the outset of the COVID crisis. As vision-holder for the school, called “A Wilder Harmony,” Lisa defined the school motto as, “Expanding our capacity for life” nurturing emotional stability within this rapidly changing world. The small school setting served as a pilot program for a larger vision that has grown to encompass collective healing within the background of American polarization.

Lisa, still leaning toward the blue side, has lived in a veritable rainbow of locations, including Paris, New York, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico, Idaho, California, and now Oregon. She and Dan are delighted with life in Eugene: a perfect place to indulge their love of hiking, nature, skiing, creativity, community, and drizzly grey winters. They enjoy spending time with their daughter in Portland, son and family in Boise, and extended family and friends in San Francisco.

Laura Ray grew up in a Blue/left-leaning family in New Hampshire, where those values were instilled, and she was active in her community and politics from a young age. She served as an AmeriCorps member in the southeast U.S. right after Hurricane Katrina. In her first year of college, she participated in an “intergroup dialogue” process, which showed her the impact that deep conversation can have among people from different backgrounds—she has been hooked on dialogue across divides ever since. After living, studying, and working in Vermont for several years, Laura and her husband built a tiny house on wheels and then drove it across the country to Oregon!

They settled in their tiny house in Eugene in 2015. Since then, Laura has worked in various roles, mainly doing public outreach and communications work for environmental nonprofits (Lane County Farmers Market and the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides) and for the City of Springfield. She has also done facilitation work, including for a pilot project in a small Colorado community with Unify America. Laura also worked as a coordinator for the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program, placing skilled AmeriCorps members with capacity-strapped community organizations in rural Oregon.

Laura has also spent time raising her adopted son who is now a teenager, going on weekend trips in her family’s converted school bus, and writing a book/memoir that she is working on getting published. She enjoys creating art, reading, singing, volunteering, drinking tea, playing pickleball, laughing with her twin sister and other family members that live locally, and experiencing the changing seasons in beautiful Oregon.

Ann Walker has always valued learning about the world, exploring big ideas, and engaging in meaningful discussions. She was drawn to Braver Angels for these reasons and because we’re living in increasingly polarized times and need more than ever to hone communication skills that teach us to listen to one another with respect and understanding.

Throughout her life, Ann has been an activist, standing up for causes she believes in and engaging with issues that can be deeply divisive. Growing up in San Luis Obispo, California, she became concerned about protecting the environment and, at 21, participated in protests against the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, an experience that led to her detainment by the police, along with many others, for trespassing. Ann also attended rallies with her father, who was involved in the Socialist Workers Party and advocated for workers' rights.

Over the years, her activism extended to anti-war protests, opposing the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War, campaigning for Bernie Sanders, and defending animals. She has rescued animals from abuse and neglect, including goats, dogs, and rabbits, and started a Meetup group called Speaking Up for Animals to promote animal advocacy.

Ann was also drawn to Braver Angels because she has experience navigating conflict and bringing people with different perspectives together. Before becoming an instructor at Lane Community College, Ann worked at a Creative Care after-school program, where she helped children navigate challenging behaviors and conflicts. She received her master’s degree in teaching from Pacific University in 2005 and has spent 18 years teaching at LCC, working with students of diverse backgrounds, ages, and educational experiences. Among the subjects she teaches are government and political science, which often involve controversial issues and differing political perspectives. Teaching these subjects requires instructing students on how to create a safe, respectful environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their views.

Braver Angels brings together many of the values that have guided Ann's life and helps apply them in her teaching, activism, and relationships.

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, and through her business, Balanced Path Life Coach.

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.

Julie Nowacki (No-Vahtz-Kee) has spent much of her professional and community life bringing people, ideas, and resources together. Her varied background includes the creative arts, communications, event planning, ministry, education, nonprofit service, and political campaigns. Throughout it all, Julie has developed a passion for building relationships and connecting people around a common purpose.

Julie currently serves as Director of Junction City Local Aid, helping individuals and families access basic needs. She has a special passion for encouraging teenagers and young adults to discover their gifts, purpose, and potential.

Beginning in the late 1990s, Julie worked in artist management and promotion with singers and songwriters and later with media companies, film producers, authors, and speakers. In 2016, she founded Convergent Promotions, and in 2018 partnered with a licensed professional counselor to help open a creative arts and therapy center for children. Julie is also a licensed minister and has been involved in faith-based and community initiatives throughout her career. In 2020, her work expanded into the political arena when she was asked to assist with statewide and local campaigns. In 2023, she partnered with an educator to establish a K–8 homeschool co-op emphasizing academics, creative arts, and life skills.

Julie brings to Braver Angels a natural ability to connect people from different backgrounds and perspectives. She believes strong communities are built through relationships, service, honest communication, and a willingness to listen to one another. As a member of the Southern Willamette Valley Alliance Steering Committee, Julie hopes to use her experience and passion for people to help bridge divides, strengthen relationships, and encourage the next generation to become engaged in their communities.

Purple/Other

None at this time

Founder

Mary N. Miller is the founder of our local alliance and served as the purple alliance co-chair for two years, 2024 and 2025. She served on the Steering Committee through August of 2026. She is a facilitator, mediator, and conflict resolution specialist who 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. In 2019 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 plus years.

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