Kristin Bodiford, Ph.D.

Georgia

Email: bodiford@communitystrengths.org
Phone: 925-915-1195
Web: communitystrengths.com
Twittertwitter.com/KJBodiford
LinkedInwww.linkedin.com/in/kbodiford/

Kristin believes that magic can happen when people come together around issues they care deeply about. She embraces human-centered relational approaches that engage diverse strengths and perspectives to address complex issues and support positive change in organizations, communities, and systems. Kristin is Principal of Community Strengths, working with organizations and communities to support generative possibilities.

The following are examples of projects in which Kristin engages with teams to co-design and implement innovative solutions:

  • Kristin serves as Health Advisor for HelpAge USA developing global health strategies and building partnerships for HelpAge USA to improve health of over 50,000 older persons and their families in low- and middle-income countries. She has led teams globally in data digitization, collection, analysis and visualization. She currently works to embed human-centered design approaches program and policy responses in HelpAge USA health work.
  • Kristin serves as a consultant to Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse, supporting efforts to create a more trauma informed system in a project called Families Thrive.
  • Kristin serves as a consultant in patient experience approaches to improve health from clinical trials to care delivery.

Past projects include:

  • Strategic consulting and facilitation support for OvationNet with large-scale Appreciative Inquiry-driven initiatives including the American Society for Association Executives Global Summit on Social Responsibility and the Houston Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools Summit.
  • In partnership with iCohere, supported large scale change projects including the America’s Promise Alliance Action Forum and the What Works: Strengths-based Approaches to Early Childhood Education Conference.
  • In partnership with UC Berkeley and the CDC Healthy Aging Research Network, co-designed and managed an international community of practice with more than 3,000 members focusing on creating more aging-friendly communities.

Kristin currently serves as a representative to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Department of Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations for Generations United.

Kristin is an adjunct professor at Dominican University School of Social Work and faculty of the Taos International Diploma in Social Construction and Professional Practice.

Kristin is passionate about relationally-engaged research and embraces a social constructionist orientation to designing research. She and Celiane Carmargo-Borges developed an approach and give workshops on Designing Research. She is one of the core team members who started and continue to support the Taos International Relational Research Network.

Kristin holds a Ph.D. from Tilburg University and an MBA from University of California, Davis. Kristin’s doctoral research focused on the power of engaging voices that may be marginalized in communities through collaborative dialogue that leads to personal and collective social action.


You can find writing by Kristin at https://medium.com/@KJBodiford. Below are several of her publications.

Butts, Donna and Bodiford, Kristin (2018). Family and Intergenerational Relationships. Social Isolation in Later Life: Strategies for Bolstering Health and Well-Being, New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Bodiford, Kristin and Araali, Arthur Namara (2018). Youth and Older Persons as Agents for Change: Creating an inclusive and age-friendly society for all. The Global Age-friendly Community Movement: A Critical Appraisal. New York: Berghahn Books

Bodiford, Kristin and Araali, Arthur Namara (May 2015) Appreciative Intergenerational Community Building: A strengths-based approach in Uganda. Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner “Intergenerational Appreciative Inquiry in Conversation and in Action”.

Bodiford, Kristin and Camargo-Borges, Celiane (August 2014) Co-editor of Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner “Appreciative Inquiry: Bridging Research and Practice”.

Bodiford, Kristin (2013) “Youth-led dialogues for positive change/ Diálogos Dirigidos por Jóvenes para el Cambio Positivo” La Revista Eleuthera. Revista Volumen 8 Enero – Junio 2013

Bodiford, Kristin (2013) “Choppin’ it Up – Youth-Led Dialogues for Positive Change” in Exceeding Expectations: Stories of Appreciative Inquiry in the Schools. Dole, Dawn; Godwin, Lindsey & Moehle, Matthew (Editors) Taos Institute Publications. Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Hunter, Rebecca; Anderson, Lynda; Belza, Basia; Bodiford,Kristin; Hooker, Steven; Kochtitzky, Chris; Marquez, David; Satariano, William; (April 2013) “Environmental Issues in Promoting Healthy Aging: Linking Applied Prevention Research and Public Health Practice through the Healthy Aging Research Network” Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD).

Bodiford, Kristin (2013) “Intergenerational Community Building” Aging in Community. Blanchard, Janice & Anthony Bolton (Editors), Second Journey Publications. Chapel Hill, NC

Godwin, Lindsey; Kaplan, Pascal; and Bodiford, Kristin (2013), Organizational Generativity: The Appreciative Inquiry Summit and a Scholarship of Transformation, in D.L. Cooperrider, D.P. Zandee, L.N.

Godwin, M. Avital & B. Boland (eds.) Organizational Generativity: The Appreciative Inquiry Summit and a Scholarship of Transformation (Advances in Appreciative Inquiry, Volume 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp.89‐ 113

Godwin, Lindsey; Kaplan, Pascal; and Bodiford, Kristin (2012), “Beyond the Room: Leveraging Collaborative Technology to Engage the Whole System” The International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry Practitioners. The Appreciative Inquiry Summit: Explorations into the Magic of Macro-Management and Crowdsourcing

Bodiford, Kristin (2012) “Choppin’ it Up” The International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry Practitioners. Innovation and Appreciative Inquiry: Positive Images, Positive Action.

Kristin Bodiford, Ph.D. Resources