HomeMy WebLinkAboutScience of Hope PresentationBuilding a Hope-Centered
City of Port Angeles
From community learning to a shared framework for goals, pathways, willpower,
and employee well-being
Hope Navigators:
Fire Chief Derrell Sharp
Carmen Geyer, Senior & Community Center Manager
City Council Presentation • 2026
Hope is more than wishing
A simple, teachable framework for moving from adversity to action.
Hope is the belief that your future will be better than today, and you have the power
to make it so.
GOALS
Where are we going?
A clear, meaningful
Target.
PATHWAYS
How can we get
there? Multiple
routes and the ability
to explore all others.
WILLPOWER
What keeps us
moving? Agency,
motivation, and the
belief that our actions
matter.
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When barriers appear, hope asks: What is our goal?
What is getting in the way?
What other pathway can we create?
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope
Why this framework resonated with us
Hope gives teams a shared language for solving problems together
From “stuck” to actionable
Hope reframes
challenges around
what we are trying
to build —not only
what we want to
avoid. It creates
room for creativity,
collaboration, and
another route
forward.
A leadership practice
Leaders can define a
meaningful goal,
invite employees
closest to the work to
identify pathways and
barriers, and
strengthen the
willpower to keep
moving.
A well-being practice
Hope is not a slogan.
Used consistently, it
can become a
practical framework
for communication,
connection,
problem-solving, and
organizational well-
being.
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope
The regional spark: January 26, 2026
A North Olympic Peninsula conversation about helping more adults and kids flourish
Community invitation
Dr. Suzy Ames, Peninsula College
President brought Author and
researcher Dr. Chan Hellman to
town as part of PC’s work to
become a Hope Centered
Organization. They also invited
leaders from across Clallam and
Jefferson counties to gather at 7
Cedars for an introduction to the
Science of Hope.
Science + connection
Dr. Hellman introduced
Hope Science, followed
by a dinner, networking,
reflection, & conversation
about a shared path
forward for our
community.
A movement begins
The gathering was supported by
Peninsula College, the Clallam
Resilience Project, and
Olympic Community of Health
that inspired 50+ organizations
to become more hope-
centered, with Olympic
Community of Health investing
over $50,000 to sponsor 50
local Hope Navigators.
That evening left us with a question:
What could this look like in our community and inside the
City of Port Angeles?
From interest to action:
Becoming Hope Navigators
We applied,
were selected,
and we
invested in
learning how to
move Hope
Science into
practice for the
City of
Port Angeles.
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope
What we have done inside the City
An initiative designed to build understanding, ownership, and pathways from within
- May 27, 2026
Hope Awareness Training for
Department Directors
- April 14 & 15, 2026
Hope Navigator Training for
Chief Sharp and Carmen Geyer
- July 28, 2026
Hope Awareness Training for
Hope Champions
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope
Why Hope Champions matter
The people closest to the work often see pathways —and barriers —that
leadership cannot see alone.
LEADERSHIP
Defines the Destination
• What matters most?
• What outcome are we
trying to achieve?
• What does success look
like?
HOPE CHAMPIONS
Expand the Map
• What pathways could work?
• What barriers might we
encounter?
• What are we missing?
Hope becomes something we can do together, not something leadership rolls out as
“another thing”. We are already doing work together, might as well have a shared
framework that’s easy to understand and apply.
The opportunity: a shared language across the City
Goals. Pathways. Barriers. Willpower. A common framework we can use across roles & departments.
• Make goals clearer and more actionable.
• Normalize identifying barriers without treating
them as failures or something to be scared of.
• Encourage multiple pathways instead of relying
on one solution.
• Invite employee voice and cross-department
collaboration.
• Connect everyday problem-solving with
organizational well-being.
• Strengthen relationships among teammates
who may not otherwise work together.
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope
Next chapter: Council Work Session in September
& Partner with Human Resources in 2027
Listen first. Learn from employees. Then build the pathways together.
1.LEARN
Results from
employee
culture
survey
2.ALIGN
Connect
Hope
Science to
existing City
priorities.
3.EXPAND
Design
practical
citywide
learning &tools
for daily work.
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope
What a Hope-Centered City organization could look like
Our aspiration is not a campaign. It is a framework embedded in how we lead, communicate, and care for our workforce.
Leadership & strategy
Leadership shares a clear vision for how
hope informs policy, practices, culture, and
strategic action.
Shared understanding
Leaders and employees can define hope and use
Goals + Pathways + Willpower as a framework for
action and communication.
Communication
Internal and outward-facing communication
consistently reinforces goals, pathways, agency,
and possibility.
Stakeholders
A hope-centered communication approach helps
partners and community members understand where
we are going and how we can get there.
Well-being
Hope Science becomes part of the City’s
commitment to organizational well-being,
connection, and a healthy workplace culture.
Identity
“Hope-centered” becomes something people
experience in how the City works —not simply
language we place on materials.
Where can we go from here?
A City where employees understand our shared goals, have meaningful
goals of their own, see multiple pathways forward, and feel empowered
and supported to succeed - with well-being at the center.
KEEP LEARNING
Continue building our
own skills as Hope
Navigators, learn
from regional
partners, and share
what we know.
KEEP ENGAGING
Use employee and
leadership’s voice
to guide what
comes next with
our City’s goals.
KEEP BUILDING
Partner with HR and
City leadership to
create practical
pathways toward a
hope-centered
organization.
Hope can be taught. Hope can be practiced.
Hope can become part of how we work together.
City of Port Angeles • Science of Hope • Thank you
Hope Is A Strategic Leadership Advantage
In a time of rapid change, uncertainty, and global complexity, hope is whatenables leaders to move people forward. It is measurable, actionable, andtransformative. As research confirms, hope is the single most important qualityfollowers seek in their leaders—and as research demonstrates, it is also one of themost powerful predictors of organizational success.
Hope Strengthens Workforce Well-Being
Hope is one of the strongest predictors of well-being andpersistence across adversity. Hopeful employees are moreengaged, committed, and more resilient under pressure.
Hope Enhances Cohesion And Success
Collective hope creates alignment across teams. Whenleaders elevate hope, they increase belonging, psychologicalsafety, and pathways thinking for success.
Hope Creates a Shared Future
Organizations high in collective hope show strongalignment around shared purpose and a measurableincrease in engagement, innovation, and problem-solving.
Hope Builds Trust and Reduces Suffering
Our published research confirms that hope buffers againststress and burnout by giving employees a sense of controland direction, which in turn strengthens trust in leadership.
Hope As A Framework
For Effective Leadership
Gallup’s 2025 Global
Leadership Report found that
56% of all leadership attributes
named by employees were
tied to hope, outpacing trust,
compassion, and stability.
Employees described the
most influential leaders as
those who provide vision,
direction, inspiration, and a
better future—all core
components of hope.
Hope As A Leadership
Imperative
Hope is not wishful thinking,
blind optimism, or a fleeting
emotion—it is a measurable,
teachable, and strategic
psychological process that
drives individual and
organizational performance.
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