Bennett Brooks is a Senior Mediator at the Consensus Building Institute. Bennett, based in New York City and London, has facilitated dozens of complex and highly contentious collaborative dialogues on issues related to coastal adaptation, ecosystem restoration, water resource conflicts, fisheries, and infrastructure improvements throughout the U.S. Bennett has facilitated a number of post-Hurricane Sandy, coastal adaptation-related dialogues in the New York City area. Bennett’s recent work has included: (1) supporting Piermont, NY, and other Hudson River communities’ efforts to plan for and implement short- and long-term flood risk adaptation strategies, including leading sensitive conversations with residents considering the need to move away from the water’s edge; (2) helping develop and pilot a statewide framework in New York State to monitor natural and nature-based features; and (3) facilitating dialogues to better understand the potential impacts of surge barriers on Hudson River estuaries; and For the past three years, Bennett has been working closely with The Nature Conservancy and a coalition of 80-plus organizations to strengthen New York City’s urban forest so its benefits are shared broadly and equitably through the city’s many diverse neighborhoods. Bennett has lived and worked in the New York metropolitan area, California, Alaska and Japan. In Alaska, he worked frequently with Alaska Native communities, particularly in Bristol Bay.