“In a few words, Scott is the best mediator and conflict-resolution expert around.
I have known Scott over eight years through Hands of Peace, a dialogue-based non-profit that empowers American, Israeli and Palestinian youth to be leaders of change. Scott is the San Diego founder of the organization and recruited me to volunteer. He has changed my life and the lives of hundreds of students and colleagues.
Scott has taught me the value of thoughtful dialogue in the most challenging situations. He is a consummate professional in facilitation, mediation and conflict resolution for a reason. He has decades of experience navigating difficult conversations with directness and compassion, and it is his life's work to model and teach others to communicate with compassion as well. He has been a mentor to me and he inspired me to train to become a dialogue facilitator. We are now partnering together to bring dialogue into the community to encourage connection and civil discourse across differences
I have witnessed Scott navigate the most difficult conversations by asking the right questions, listening deeply and leading honest discussions that have literally transformed the trajectory of the people and organizations around him. What I have learned from Scott has changed the way I lead, listen and speak. I highly recommend Scott and Olive Branch Solutions!”
Scott brings with him a passion for advancing civil discourse - and especially a passion for equipping the next generation with the tools they will need to face, and communicate across, differences in a complex global reality. For years, Scott has led youth from war-torn regions in conversation with each other - fostering connection, relationship and trust. His years of experience as an educator allow Scott to feel comfortable with uncertainty and being nimble and flexible to meet an unexpected moment.
My experience working with Scott is that his gentle demeanor and easy laugh can help make a lighter, brighter and warmer experience the intense process of preparing for, what is sometimes, difficult and heavy work.
It is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for my colleague and now friend Scott Silk. Having worked closely together at Pacific Ridge School, primarily in the Humanities department, Scott and I often collaborated on integrated curriculum ideas that fostered conversations of diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the classroom. As Department Heads, we worked on designing units that would not only be engaging for students, but also act as life lessons in our ever changing world. Scott also introduced our faculty to a book called "Difficult Conversations" which helped us navigate the difficulties with conflict resolution challenges between teachers, parents, and faculty. I refer to the book and Scott's mentoring to this day to help me mediate difficult conversations. Scott is a leader in the field-a mentor-who is empathetic, kind, honest, and forthright. I respect him deeply and will wholeheartedly recommend him as a specialist in this field.