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Commission Turnaround & Trust Recovery
When conflict, stalled work, or public distrust has overtaken the mission, start by finding out what is actually broken.
When this service may help
A clear response to a specific need.
Your commission is technically operating, but the work is not moving. Meetings may be tense. Commissioners may be publicly at odds. Staff may be overwhelmed. A town hall or public meeting may have damaged trust. The commission may be attracting attention for the wrong reasons, or it may simply be stuck.
Mare Regina begins with diagnosis. The visible conflict may be the problem, but it may also be a symptom of unclear roles, weak governance, missing resources, poor staff support, mission drift, stakeholder gaps, or a structure that was never designed to support the mandate.
The process
What working together looks like.
Initial consultation
We talk about what happened, who is affected, what has already been tried, and what a stronger outcome would look like.
Document and mandate review
We review the enabling statute or ordinance, bylaws, SOPs, budget information, minutes, reports, and other materials needed to understand the commission's formal responsibilities and operating structure.
Interviews and observation
We speak with the chair, staff liaison, relevant leadership, commissioners or stakeholders as appropriate, and observe a commission meeting when useful.
Constituent listening
When public trust is part of the problem, we may conduct targeted conversations with community members — including people who are angry, critical, or least likely to trust the commission.
Diagnosis and action plan
We identify the interacting causes of dysfunction and develop prioritized actions, responsible parties, timing, and measures of progress.
Implementation support
We help work through the action plan, which may include governance documents, meeting norms, conflict procedures, staff support, community-engagement changes, strategic priorities, or other operational fixes.
Handoff
The engagement winds down when the commission demonstrates that it can move work forward without depending on Mare Regina.
The goal is not to eliminate disagreement. Public commissions often work on issues people care about deeply. The goal is to build enough structure, trust, and process that disagreement does not incapacitate the institution.
Get in touchNot ready for an engagement? Start with the workbook.