Michael Lesnick

About Michael Lesnick

Dr. Lesnick has over thirty-five years experience working in the U.S. and internationally on issues including: cooperative threat reduction; environmental quality, disaster risk reduction and resilience, energy; climate change; global stability and security; international development; agriculture; public health; critical infrastructure; natural resource management; and sustainable development. His work with decision makers and stakeholders from government, corporations, civil society, investors, donors, international organizations, and scientific bodies has focused on bringing practical solutions to controversial and complex problems such as: the clean-up of chemical and nuclear weapons sites; disaster planning, response and recovery; sustainable forestry and agriculture; biotechnology and nanotechnology; ecosystem management; carbon markets; technology visioning; intellectual property rights; corporate governance and sustainability; and innovative approaches to finance. He works at the site-specific, national, and international levels involving strategy development; negotiations, dialogues, advisory committees, blended capital investments, structured partnerships; complex problem-solving processes. Dr. Lesnick works with the executive leadership of public and private organizations to help them assess factors in the external environment critical to long term strategy, build an internal agreement on the direction for organizational change, and productively engage internal and external stakeholders in the strategic planning process. Dr. Lesnick has authored publications in the area of conflict management and collaborative problem-solving. He holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in Natural Resource Policy and Management, Post Doctoral Fellow in Environmental Dispute Resolution at the University of Michigan,School for Environment and Sustainability. Specialties: Highly controversial and high risk issues. Collaborative processes linked to government, corporate, or donor decision making. Investor coordination. Over the horizon science and technology scenarios. Issue mapping and strategy development. Executive coaching.

Experience

1. Senior Fellow

   Meridian Institute

   Nov 2021 — Present

Education

• University of Michigan

  Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Conflict Management

• Fairfield University

  B.A., Political Science

  1970 — 1974

• Fairfield College Preparatory School

  HS Diploma

  1966 — 1970

• University of Michigan

  Ph.D., Environmental Policy and Conflict Management

  1980 — 1985

• University of Michigan

  M.S., Natural Resource Policy and Management

  1978 — 1980