Fwd: [searchnet] Saddest news
First, thanks to all who have shared their experiences with Sandra and Future Search.
Ironically, as I was sharing that opportunity with you on this Open Space list, Sandra shared the news on the Future Search list that Marv Weisbord, her friend and partner in developing Future Search, has died. I figured enough people on this list knew Marv or knew of him that you might want to know.
Sandra’s message is below.
I didn’t know Marv well but had the privilege of attending a Future Search workshop near Berlin, organized by Michael Pannwitz, in 1999. Marv was an amazing storyteller and teacher. His book, Productive Workplaces, was also seminal in my learning journey.
Some of you may know Marv was a terrific jazz pianist. In 2020, at age 89, he and his 102-year-old friend Alan Tripp created the Senior Song Book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf-lWz0ErEY&list=PLQKvvUrmYiJgdGxhLnVV9z52jSFB2JURh - an album with Alan's lyrics and Marvin's music, with vocals by a few local Future Search Network Members. Makes me smile to think of it now.
Peggy
Begin forwarded message:
From: Sandra Janoff sjanoff@futuresearch.net
Subject: [searchnet] Saddest news
Date: March 20, 2025 at 10:16:05 AM PDT
To: Peggy Holman peggy@peggyholman.com
Cc: "Michael Donnelly" mdonnelly@futuresearch.net
Reply-To: searchnet@list.nea.org
Dear Future Search Network,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Marv Weisbord, my dear friend, mentor, and co-developer of Future Search, has passed away.
Many of you knew Marv as a visionary, a generous teacher, and a leader who shaped the way we engage whole systems in planning and action. He co-directed the Future Search Network with me for many years, trained and mentored so many of us, and co-authored the books and principles that guide our work. His wisdom, humor, and deep commitment to bringing people together left an indelible mark on our community and the world.
Marv stepped back from co-directing Future Search about eight years ago, but his presence—his thinking, his voice, his spirit—has never left us. I know that for many of you, as for me, this is not just the loss of a colleague but of a true friend. In the coming days, I will share ways we can honor Marv together. For now, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on his impact, to carry forward his legacy in the work we do, and, as he would have wanted, to keep finding ways to bring people together.
Marv’s words: “When you make the circle bigger, things get better, when you make the circle smaller, things get worse.”
With those words in our hearts, may Marv’s memory be a blessing for all of us, ❤️🙏❤️
Sandra
Sandra Janoff and Marvin Weisbord, Founders, Future Search Network
Sandra Janoff, PhD, Co-Director, Michael Donnelly, Co- Director
Emails: sjanoff@futuresearch.net, mdonnelly@futuresearch.net
Mobile: +1 610 909 0640, +44 77 395 18998
See www.futuresearch.net for stories of positive social change around the world.
You are currently subscribed to searchnet as: peggy@peggyholman.com mailto:peggy@peggyholman.com.
To unsubscribe click here: https://listserv.nea.org/u?id=1226400.34cac2bd26175e8b5a541e423de8939e&n=T&l=searchnet&o=475538
(It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken)
or send a blank email to leave-475538-1226400.34cac2bd26175e8b5a541e423de8939e@list.nea.org mailto:leave-475538-1226400.34cac2bd26175e8b5a541e423de8939e@list.nea.org
Peggy Holman
peggy@peggyholman.com
Bellevue, WA 98006
206-948-0432
www.peggyholman.com
Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity https://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/
"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become
the fire".
-- Drew Dellinger
So many of the elders in the OD space are moving onward beyond our plane.
Being a relative neophyte in the world of OD, I had no idea about Marv's
background in jazz. May his memory be a blessing.
On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 12:28 PM Peggy Holman via OSList <
everyone@oslist.org> wrote:
First, thanks to all who have shared their experiences with Sandra and
Future Search.
Ironically, as I was sharing that opportunity with you on this Open Space
list, Sandra shared the news on the Future Search list that Marv Weisbord,
her friend and partner in developing Future Search, has died. I figured
enough people on this list knew Marv or knew of him that you might want to
know.
Sandra’s message is below.
I didn’t know Marv well but had the privilege of attending a Future Search
workshop near Berlin, organized by Michael Pannwitz, in 1999. Marv was an
amazing storyteller and teacher. His book, Productive Workplaces, was also
seminal in my learning journey.
Some of you may know Marv was a terrific jazz pianist. In 2020, at age 89,
he and his 102-year-old friend Alan Tripp created the Senior Song Book
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf-lWz0ErEY&list=PLQKvvUrmYiJgdGxhLnVV9z52jSFB2JURh
- an album with Alan's lyrics and Marvin's music, with vocals by a few
local Future Search Network Members. Makes me smile to think of it now.
Peggy
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *Sandra Janoff sjanoff@futuresearch.net
*Subject: *[searchnet] Saddest news
*Date: *March 20, 2025 at 10:16:05 AM PDT
*To: *Peggy Holman peggy@peggyholman.com
*Cc: *"Michael Donnelly" mdonnelly@futuresearch.net
*Reply-To: *searchnet@list.nea.org
Dear Future Search Network,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Marv Weisbord, my dear
friend, mentor, and co-developer of Future Search, has passed away.
Many of you knew Marv as a visionary, a generous teacher, and a leader who
shaped the way we engage whole systems in planning and action. He
co-directed the Future Search Network with me for many years, trained and
mentored so many of us, and co-authored the books and principles that guide
our work. His wisdom, humor, and deep commitment to bringing people
together left an indelible mark on our community and the world.
Marv stepped back from co-directing Future Search about eight years ago,
but his presence—his thinking, his voice, his spirit—has never left us. I
know that for many of you, as for me, this is not just the loss of a
colleague but of a true friend. In the coming days, I will share ways we
can honor Marv together. For now, I invite you to take a moment to reflect
on his impact, to carry forward his legacy in the work we do, and, as he
would have wanted, to keep finding ways to bring people together.
Marv’s words: “When you make the circle bigger, things get better, when
you make the circle smaller, things get worse.”
With those words in our hearts, may Marv’s memory be a blessing for all of
us, ❤️🙏❤️
Sandra
Sandra Janoff and Marvin Weisbord, Founders, Future Search Network
Sandra Janoff, PhD, Co-Director, Michael Donnelly, Co- Director
Emails: sjanoff@futuresearch.net, mdonnelly@futuresearch.net
Mobile: +1 610 909 0640, +44 77 395 18998
See www.futuresearch.net for stories of positive social change around
the world.
You are currently subscribed to searchnet as: peggy@peggyholman.com.
To unsubscribe click here:
https://listserv.nea.org/u?id=1226400.34cac2bd26175e8b5a541e423de8939e&n=T&l=searchnet&o=475538
(It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken)
or send a blank email to
leave-475538-1226400.34cac2bd26175e8b5a541e423de8939e@list.nea.org
Peggy Holman
peggy@peggyholman.com
Bellevue, WA 98006
206-948-0432
www.peggyholman.com
Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval
into Opportunity https://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/
"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get
burnt, is to become
the fire".
-- Drew Dellinger
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Rijon "Ryan" Erickson
Collaborative Change Consultant
YouTube:* @riffingwithrijon https://youtube.com/@riffingwithrijon*
513-375-8350
Book time with me here https://tidycal.com/rijon!