Sarah Augustine is the Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Center of Yakima and Kittitas Counties. She also remains an adjunct professor of Sociology at Heritage University. Sarah received a BA in Sociology and Psychology from the University of New Mexico, and an MA from Antioch University in Whole Systems Design with an emphasis in group conflict transformation. She received the United Nations Association human rights award in 1994. Sarah is the co-founder of Suriname Indigenous Health Fund (SIHF), where she has advocated for Indigenous Peoples whose health and communities are threatened by resource extraction since 2004. She has represented the interests of Indigenous community partners to their own governments, the Inter-American development bank, the United Nations, the Organization of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the World Health Organization, and a host of other international actors including corporate interests. Sarah employs shuttle diplomacy and group decision-making strategies to deescalate conflict and establish common ground between communities and external interests. In addition to her work with SIHF, Sarah has worked as an organizational consultant in strategic planning, facilitation, and mediation. (Session 4.2)
Rice Baker-Yeboah is an author, actor, athlete, mediator, and co-founder of Theatre of Mediation. His mediation practice began with Alhadeff and Forbes and he has completed the King County ADR Practicum. His writing can be found in the King County Bar Bulletin and his most recent novel, Venom Is The Healer, is available at Third Place Books and through Amazon. He can be reached at ricebakeryeboah@gmail.com. (Session 5.7)
Eileen Barker is a forgiveness teacher, forgiveness coach, and leader in the movement to integrate emotional healing and forgiveness in conflict resolution. A practicing litigation lawyer who rejected the traditional adversarial role, Eileen focused her practice on mediation for over twenty-five years, helping thousands of people resolve disputes outside of court. This work led her into a deep exploration of forgiveness as it relates to resolving conflict and making peace, both with others and oneself. Eileen is the founder of the Forgiveness Training Institute, dedicated to promoting understanding about the role forgiveness can play in resolving conflict and training mediators, lawyers and other professionals how to help their clients forgive. Eileen has led forgiveness trainings internationally and forgiveness retreats at the Esalen Institute and elsewhere. In 2016, Eileen was recognized by the Worldwide Forgiveness Alliance as a “Champion of Forgiveness,” along with Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (Session 4.3)
Franca Baroni is an award-winning author, speaker, intuitive, actress, mediator and practicing immigration attorney. She holds a doctorate in law from the University of Basel, Switzerland and a Masters in Comparative Law from the University of Miami School of Law and is a member of the New York and Swiss Bars. For the past eighteen years she has guided countless individuals and groups, helping them to connect to their deeper selves and highest potential and to navigate their dark side as a way to reclaim inner wisdom. Franca possesses the unique capacity to articulate the voice and wisdom of the heart, personally and collectively. In her blogs, Franca translates current events through the lens of the public heart to deepen our understanding and experience of the power of Love. In 2011 her deep intuitive exploration intersected with her academic credentials with the publication of her first book ON GOVERNANCE, an award-winning template of governance and law for a heart-intelligent society. Franca has spoken at several events in Europe and the United States and has begun offering Continuing Legal Education programs to lawyers and mediators. She was a presenter at the 2003 and 2016 Annual NW Dispute Resolution Conference. (Session L 2.2)
Carrie Griffin Basas (JD) is the Director of the Washington State Governor’s Office of Education Ombuds and serves on Governor Inslee’s small cabinet. Carrie is a former civil rights and labor law attorney. For many years, she was a law professor, specializing in disability rights, criminal justice, and ethics. She has taught at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Penn State University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Tulsa College of Law, and Saint Joseph's College of Maine. In 2014, Carrie returned to graduate school to attain a MEd in Education Policy, Organizations, and Leadership from the University of Washington. Carrie is also a graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School. (Session 1.7)
Jeff Bean is a mediator, facilitator, and counselor at law. Jeff’s mediation practice at The Bean Law Firm PLLC serves the Seattle metro area and the Pacific NW, and includes practice areas of Business, Trusts & Estates, Probate, Class Action, Collaborative Law, Corporate, Employment (Non-Union), Real Estate, Environmental, and Land Use. Jeff facilitates strategic planning, problem-solving and other decision-making processes, including organizational, stakeholder and complex multi-party groups. (Session 4.4)
Craig C. Beles has arbitrated and mediated over 300 complex commercial disputes. He earned a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz, a JD (magna cum laude) from Gonzaga University, and an LLM in International Practice from UC Berkeley, with High Honors. Craig is a member of the AAA, ICDR, WIPO, ICC, and FINRA arbitrator rosters. He is also a WSBA disciplinary/settlement officer and a U.S. Federal Court mediator & arbitrator, and has been elected to the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals and the London Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In 2010, Craig was named a Fulbright Scholar teaching International Dispute Resolution in Prague and Brno, Czech Republic. In 2013, the U.S. State Department named him a Fulbright Specialist in International Peace & Conflict Resolution. In 2015, Mr. Beles conducted several ADR workshops in the Republic of Mauritius to help “Foster a Culture of ADR.” He is a past chair of the WSBA ADR Section and the immediate past chair of the Board of Bar Examiners. (Session 6.1)
Monte Bersante is a partner in the Davies Pearson law firm in Tacoma, WA, with an active practice focus in the areas of medical malpractice, healthcare disputes, serious personal injury and wrongful death claims. Monte represented defendants in civil and criminal cases for several years before shifting to a plaintiff-oriented civil practice. He has been named by Seattle Magazine as one of the area’s top lawyers in medical malpractice and a Super Lawyer in personal injury by Super Lawyers magazine for the past five years. Monte has worked in the federal and appellate courts, and he has tried approximately 30 civil and criminal cases to jury verdicts in superior court. In 2013, Mr. Bersante joined Washington Arbitration & Mediations Service (WAMS) and currently provides mediation and arbitration services through that organization. (Session 7.3)
Carmen Best is the Interim Police Chief for the Seattle Police Department. She grew up in Tacoma and joined the Army before beginning her law enforcement career with the Seattle Police Department in 1992. Since then, Carmen has taken on various assignments such: Uniformed Patrol, School Safety, Department Spokeswomen, Patrol Supervisor, Media Relations Supervisor, Watch Commander, Operations Lieutenant, Narcotics Proactive Commander, Robbery/Gangs/Fugitive Commander, Community Outreach Commander, South Precinct Commander, and Assistant Chief of the Criminal Investigations Bureau. (Session 4.5)
Richard Birke is the Executive Director of the JAMS Institute, the teaching and training arm of JAMS. In that capacity, Birke leads a team of educators and professionals committed to providing JAMS with exceptional internal training. Prior to joining JAMS, Birke was a trial lawyer in the greater Boston area, a graduate student at Harvard Law, Associate Director of the Stanford Center on Conflict and Negotiation, and a lecturer in law at Stanford Law School. In 1993, he became a law professor at Willamette University and director of its Center for Dispute Resolution. While at Willamette, Birke led the program to a top five ranking as well as the Ninth Circuit's ADR Education Award. Birke has won two national writing awards for his work in the psychology and neuroscience of mediation and negotiation, taught dozens of innovative courses around the world, given hundreds of invited lectures and speeches, and mediated complex disputes ranging from international child abduction and class-action civil rights to creation of national wilderness areas and more. He remains active in all areas of his practice, including writing, teaching, training, consulting, and mediating. (Session 5.1)
Simon Boehme is a mediator in San Francisco. He is the Founder and CEO of Dupro Services (www.dupro.io). Simon specializes in online dispute resolution and access to justice issues. He is also a member of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Advisory Committee for Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Industrial and Labor relations and received his M.A. in Mediation and Conflict Intervention as a Mitchell Scholar at Maynooth University in Ireland. Simon may be reached at sboehme@sfbar.org. (Session 7.5)
Karen Bonnell (ARNP, MS) is a board-certified clinical nurse specialist with 35 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and parents. As a divorce and co-parent coach, Karen is dedicated to thoughtfully resolving conflicts one person, one couple, and one family at a time. Highly active and respected in her field, Karen is a regular presenter on topics related to divorce, co-parent and stepfamily coaching, as well as advanced communication skills. She is the author of “The Co-Parenting Handbook,” “The Parenting Plan Workbook,” and upcoming “Stepfamily Handbook.” She lives in the Cascade foothills outside Seattle. (Session 6.3)
Chuck Branham is a mediator, mentor mediator, and trainer at the Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County where he regularly contributes to leading the Basic Mediation 40 Hour Training. He and co-presenter Warren Olson share an interest and curiosity about resolving human conflict. This has led them to apply decision theory, behavioral economics, and honor culture to mediation. As a retired educator in science and physiology, Chuck values effective presentations. Chuck holds a Master’s degree and began his mediation career at Pepperdine University. He has been actively mediating and training in Washington since 2008 with more than 400 mediations in that time frame. During his career, Chuck was also active in labor negotiations. Currently, Chuck is active in family mediation, small claims mediation, land use mediation, and foreclosure mediation. Chuck has been recognized by the DRC as Outstanding Volunteer of the year, and have made presentations at the Northwest Dispute Resolution Conference and at the Washington Mediation Association Conference. (Session 5.4)
Bryan J. Branon is the Director of ADR Services for the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in their Seattle regional office and was previously the Regional and International Liaison for the AAA and their International Centre for Dispute Resolution where he helped found the International Mediation Institute. A former law clerk on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and intern in the Irish Parliament and U.S. Court of International Trade, Bryan has worked for the ADR Center in Rome, Italy where he co-authored a study on the implementation of the 2008 E.U. Mediation Directive into Member States’ national legislation and helped establish the Afghanistan Center for Commercial Dispute Resolution. Bryan graduated with a B.S. in Political Science from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont and earned his J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, New York where he received his mediator certification through the New York Peace Institute in conjunction with the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution. (Session 3.2)
Lisa Brown is a shareholder at Bullard Law in Portland, Oregon. She has served on the American Arbitration Association’s arbitration panel since 1992. She also has mediated and arbitrated cases through the Arbitration Service of Portland, court mandated arbitration programs, and the Oregon State Bar Fee Dispute Resolution program. Lisa is currently Chair-Elect of the Federal Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and also serves on the Oregon State Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Executive Committee. Having litigated commercial and employment cases for many years, Lisa enjoys the opportunity to assist parties in resolving disputes through arbitration and mediation as a cost effective alternative to litigation. Lisa is a frequent speaker on alternative dispute resolution, recognizing the importance of educating litigators, in-house lawyers, business owners and transactional attorneys on the value of using arbitration agreements as a risk management tool. Lisa also works with employers to facilitate internal employment disputes before they escalate into litigation, and relies on her extensive experience litigating ADA claims to facilitate discussions between employers and employees in the ADA interactive process. Lisa can be reached at lbrown@bullardlaw.com. (Session 3.2)
Lori Buchsbaum (JD, MPH) has more than 25 years’ experience promoting community dialog and collaboration. She began her career fostering cross-border (U.S.-Mexico) communication and joint programming in health. After leading and contributing to domestic and international health programs, Ms. Buchsbaum received her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law, in 2004. She has served as staff attorney on legal health policy issues with Northwest Health Law Advocates and consulted on legal and public health issues with state and local governments and nonprofits. She currently spends the majority of her time mediating and facilitating conflict resolution. Ms. Buchsbaum has mediated hundreds of family, employment, foreclosure, housing and small claims issues. She trains mediators and settlement conference attorneys, and is currently working with the Center for Dialog and Resolution on training related to creative conversations in the face of homelessness. Ms. Buchsbaum is on the Leadership Team for the King County Bar Association Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and serves on the Board of Directors of Northwest Health Law Advocates. She has served as a pro bono attorney with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the King County Housing Justice Project, and volunteers with the King County Superior Court’s Partnership for Youth Justice. (Session 1.2)
Paul Charlton (MD) is completing his residency in 2018 through the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center. In addition to his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School, Paul obtained a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University. Paul has also been a Course Director at Creighton University Graduate School in Omaha, NE. There he taught graduate level courses on healthcare conflict management for the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution graduate program. Paul was also the Session Director for De-escalation Training at the EM Intern Orientation & R2 Boot camp. He has developed new curriculum on verbal de-escalation for University of Washington Emergency Medicine residents. As a Co-Director of the Healthcare Conflict Management course at the Dartmouth Institute, he developed a trimester-long (24 contact hours) graduate school elective for 40 students. (Session 4.7)
Ken Cloke is Director of the Center of Dispute Resolution, and a mediator, arbitrator, consultant and trainer, specializing in resolving multiparty conflicts and designing dispute resolution systems for organizations. He is the author of Mediating Dangerously: The Frontiers of Conflict Resolution; Resolving Conflicts at Work: Ten Strategies for Everyone on the Job; Resolving Personal and Organizational Conflicts: Stories of Transformation and Forgiveness; The Crossroads of Conflict: A Journey Toward the Heart of Conflict; Conflict Revolution: Designing Preventative Systems for Chronic Social, Economic and Political Conflicts; and The Dance of Opposites: An Exploration into Mediation, Dialogue and Systems Design. He holds BA and JD degrees from UC Berkeley, and PhD and LLM degrees from UCLA. He did post-doctoral work at Yale, is a graduate of the National Judicial College, and teaches at Pepperdine University, Southern Methodist University, Saybrook University and USC. He is co-founder and President of Mediator Beyond Borders. (Sessions 1.3 and L 1.1)
Carole Conn is the Director of the Public Service Programs for The Bar Association of San Francisco’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Services which includes private mediation and two grant funded projects to help resolve conflict in the areas of affordable housing and special education. Carole also directs the nationally recognized San Francisco-Marin Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS), the Community Law Practice Incubator and the Immigration Legal Defense Program (ILDP) of the Justice & Diversity Center of BASF. Her passion for increasing access to justice and resolution of differences drives her inspiration to expand services when possible, to innovate new approaches to law and mediation service delivery, and to build community partnerships that help accomplish the above. Carole can be reached at cconn@sfbar.org. (Session 7.5)
Michelle Corsi has practiced law since 1994 and is currently a shareholder in the Lee Smart firm in Seattle, WA. Her practice has an emphasis in the areas of professional negligence, including real estate, accounting and legal malpractice matters, employment discrimination and personal injury. She has frequently appeared on Seattle Met Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” list and has been named a Super Lawyer in Washington. In 2013, Michelle became a member of the mediation and arbitration panels of Washington Arbitration & Mediation Service (WAMS). Additionally, she has served as an arbitrator for King and Snohomish county mandatory arbitration programs and as a sole and panel arbitrator in UM/UIM proceedings. She is a Rule 39.1 certified mediator in the Western District of Washington. (Session 7.3)
Sarah Cudahy was appointed as the first Executive Director of the Indiana Education Employment Relations Board in 2016. Prior to that, Sarah served as General Counsel to IEERB. Sarah began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for Justice Theodore Boehm of the Indiana Supreme Court. She then worked in Chicago as a Labor & Employment Associate at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, and later the labor and employment law firm of Laner Muchin, Ltd. Sarah graduated summa cum laude from Boston University with a B.A. in Education, Public Policy, and European Studies. She earned her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Sarah is currently a Government Fellow for the State and Local Collective Bargaining Committee of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section. Sarah also serves on the Executive Board of the Association of Labor Relations Agencies. (Session 5.5)
Marti Kantola Dane is a founding Director of Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center. Over the past 16 years she has launched hundreds of mediators into the world, settled thousands of disputes and operated a non-profit organization serving 2 states and 7 individual counties in the Columbia River Gorge. She has developed a specialty in conflict analysis and spends her free time assisting local leaders to find practical solutions to political conflicts. She has a degree of antiquity, having received a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech: Rhetoric and Communication. Ms. Dane has made a living in Communication and Conflict Resolution for the past 25 years. (Session 2.2)
Polly Davis is assistant Program Manager with the King County office of Alternative Dispute Resolution, which provides services to prevent, resolve and manage workplace and civic conflict for King County departments, labor organizations, courts, and public entities. She is leading the Restorative Mediation Program for King County Juvenile Court. (Session 4.5 and 5.7)
Louis Dekmar is the Chief of Police of the LaGrange (GA) Police Department and also serves as the President/Chairperson of the Commission. He is a member of the International Association Chiefs of Police, the past President of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, a former Council Member for the Georgia Peace Officer's Standards and Training Council, a current member of the Georgia Board of Public Safety and has served as a Federal Monitor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. Chief Dekmar holds a Bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s degree in public administration from Georgia College and State University. He is also an adjunct professor for several colleges and institutions. The LaGrange Police Department has been CALEA Law Enforcement Accredited since 1999. (Session 3.4)
Hon. William L. Downing (Ret.) handled thousands of cases in his 28-year tenure as a King County Superior Court Judge, and is widely respected by the legal community as being fair and genuinely neutral. As a judge, he concentrated almost exclusively on civil litigation of all types. He has established a reputation as being hard-working and even-handed, and has keen insights into the perspectives of litigants and attorneys as well as the jury’s likely view of a case. An author of many high school mock trial exercises, Judge Downing’s goal has been to help young people appreciate the importance of examining any issue from all sides, a skill he employs every day as a neutral. In addition to his experience as a jurist and attorney, Judge Downing has mediated hundreds of disputes involving the balancing of interests involved in access to public records as Chair of the Bench-Bar-Press Liaison Committee. Judge Downing is also a sought-after lecturer and has spoken on topics such as Discovery, Electronic Evidence, Expert Witnesses, Technology & the Courts, and Trial Practice. (Session 5.1)
Bruce A. Edwards (JD) is one of the Judicial Arbitration Mediation Services founding partners and most experienced attorney mediators. Mr. Edwards has served as a mediator, arbitrator, and special master since 1986. During that time, he has developed extensive expertise in handling complex, multiparty cases with emphasis on construction, engineering and infrastructure, business, employment, and traumatic personal injury matters. He frequently writes and teaches about the benefits of ADR throughout the United States and Western Europe. (Sessions 5.3 and 6.4)
Kevin Fong is the Founder and President of Elemental Partners based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kevin is a nationally recognized and respected facilitator, trainer and speaker in leadership and executive development and organizational systems, philosophy and design. Kevin has extensive experience in working with clients in the public and private sector, especially with diverse, multicultural/multi-lingual groups. He serves as lead faculty in several leadership training programs and fellowships, facilitates board, executive and teambuilding retreats, coaches corporate and nonprofit executive leaders, and plans and facilitates seminars and conferences on governance and leadership. (Session L 2.1)
Patricia D. Galloway has over 40 years of experience and is an international arbitrator specializing in energy and construction matters. She is a Fellow in both the College of Commercial Arbitrators and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is a member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. She holds a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Law School-Straus Institute, a Diploma in International Arbitration, and is a member of several arbitral institution panels including CPR, ICC, ICDR and the AAA, where she also serves on its Board of Directors. She has lectured and written numerous articles regarding mediation and arbitration. (Session 2.1)
Page Todd Garciahas served as a mediator and adjudicator with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) since 2012. In 2015, Page joined PERC's training team, which delivers training to Washington public sector employees and employers on topics such as interest-based and collaborative bargaining, collective bargaining, labor-management committee, improving relationships, and custom training. Page joined the King County Bar Association ADR Section Leadership Team in 2016 and continues to enjoy collaborating with her team to offer quality section meetings and programs to the KCBA community. In 2016, Page received a three-year fellowship from the State and Local Bargaining Committee of the American Bar Association Labor & Employment Law Section. Page is also a member of the NW ADR Planning Committee. Currently, Page is very excited to incorporate her new-found knowledge of Multi-Party Restorative Facilitation into her work. She has presented at numerous conferences, including the Labor and Employment Relations Association Seattle Conference, King County Negotiation Nuts & Bolts Conference, and the Washington School Personnel Association.
Ilsa Govan (MA) is a co-founder of Cultures Connecting. She has more than fifteen years of experience as a classroom teacher and anti-racist community activist. She began her work for social and environmental justice in high school with her involvement in advocating for Native American rights. Since then she has facilitated, organized and participated in numerous workshops, study circles and conferences across the country. Ilsa worked as an Equity and Race Specialist for Seattle Public Schools, addressing institutional racism in a large organization. She has also served on the planning teams of the Seattle Race Conference and the White Privilege Conference. Ilsa earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education from Western Washington University and her Master’s Degree in Bicultural Human Development from Pacific Oaks College Northwest. For her thesis, she spent a year studying effective European American teachers of African American students in three Seattle elementary schools. (Session 2.4)
Leslie Ann Grove attended Gonzaga University and graduated from Central Washington State College (now, University), Ellensburg, WA, (B.A. in Music Education, Hon., 1970). She pursued graduate study at Gonzaga in education, philosophy and law, receiving her JD from G. U. Law School 1985. Her mediation training includes Community Boards of Spokane, Mediation Consortium of Washington, Conflict Resolution Service, Northwest Arbitration and Mediation Service, and Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University. Leslie practices primarily facilitative mediation, and teaches conflict resolution skills. She is a board member of Washington Mediation Association, and holds WMA’s mediator certification. She is currently executive director of Northwest Mediation Center, a non-profit dispute resolution center in Spokane. (Session 6.2)
Najibullah Hakimi obtained his bachelor of law degree at Balkh University in Afghanistan. He earned his LLM from the University of Washington in 2015. Currently he is a PhD candidate at the UW School of Law. Mr. Hakimi has lectured introduction to law and commercial law for more than a year at Balkh University during 2015 – 2016. He also worked as an English Instructor for LESPA in Afghanistan. Hakimi has published an article titled Designing an Emergency Commercial Arbitration Mechanism for Afghanistan: A Composite of Successful Models from the International Community. (Session 7.6)
Kevin Harris is a neutral facilitator with the Ruckelshaus Center, and helps community, regional and state leaders achieve consensus around health transformation innovations, interventions and related challenges. Kevin previously served as community mediator for ten years with the Dispute Resolution Center of Snohomish County. Kevin has over 30 years of national health policy leadership, working with state agencies, providers, associations, community leaders, unions and advocates in more than 40 states’ Medicaid and other vulnerable populations. His work includes stakeholder facilitation around complex health policy design and resulting program implementation, including population health issues, benefits and eligibility expansion, Medicaid provider reimbursement methodologies, and care delivery innovation. Kevin is both a practitioner and Assistant Professor at Washington State University Extension, and has degrees from the University of California at Davis (Bachelor of Science); San Francisco State University (MBA in Finance), and the University of Washington (Master of Public Administration). (Session 4.7)
Abdul Mahir Hazim is a Ph.D. student at University of Washington School of Law. He worked as Assistant Professor at Albironi University Faculty of Law and Political Science, taught Civil Procedure, Family Law, Comparative Constitutional Law, and Labor Law. He received his LLM degree from the University of Washington School of Law in 2016. Additionally, in 2016 Hazim interned at the Law Library of Congress. He is a member of the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association and is a defense attorney. For five years he worked with Global Rights-Partners for Justice as a Senior Program Officer. He recently published an article at the George Washington International Law Review titled Toward Cooperation Between Afghanistan and the International Criminal Court. (Session 7.6)
Will Henderson is a recent graduate from the University of Puget Sound where he received a B.A. in International Relations. Will assists in mediation services and consulting departments at the Center for Dialog & Resolution. He is on track to becoming a certified mediator by early 2018. Will was raised in San Rafael, California. (Session 1.2)
Tim Hicks has been involved in conflict resolution as a mediator, facilitator, trainer, teacher, and consultant since 1993. From 2006 to 2014, he was the first director of the Master’s degree program in Conflict and Dispute Resolution at the University of Oregon, building the program to a position of national prominence. In addition to directing the program, Tim taught a number of courses including Managing Conflict in Organizations, Environmental Conflict Resolution, Perspectives on Conflict, and Mediation Skills. He is the co-author of The Process of Business/Environmental Collaborations: Partnering for Sustainability (Quorum Books, 2000); and author of Barriers to the Use of Mediation in Environmental Dispute Resolution (Antioch University, 1997); Last Stop Before Tomorrow (iUniverse, 2015, a novel on climate change); Embodied Conflict: Perspectives on the Neural Basis of Conflict. (Routledge, forthcoming 2018). He is currently in private practice working from Eugene, Oregon. (Session 1.4)
Devin Howington is an ADR Associate at ICMresolutions. She has a PhD in Social Psychology and a MS in Conflict and Dispute Resolution from the University of Oregon. She has extensive experience in assessing the attitudes and behaviors of individuals, providing key support for facilitation, polling, assessment, and public involvement strategies. Devin’s teaching experience and background in social psychology provide her with a large base of knowledge of group dynamics and human communication. She is also a trained mediator and has interned at Lane County Family Mediation. Devin is also trained in facilitation and has taken the Collaborative Governance seminar provided by the National Policy Consensus Center at PSU. (Session 3.4)
Sam Imperati is the Executive Director of ICMRESOLUTIONS, a NW-based national provider of mediation, facilitation, decision-making, and training services. We have extensive experience in the intersection of policy, politics, science, business, and law. Because of our multi-disciplinary approach, we combine classic facilitation with the result-oriented tools of mediation to help diverse groups and parties reach consensus in a focused exploration of the technical merits, cost-benefits, regulations, and community impacts. We do it in a way that is transparent, technically sound, and easily understood. Sam has been an attorney for 38 years and enjoys Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating. He appears in 2006 – 2017 editions of Best Lawyers in America. Sam has served as a Judge Pro Tem and as Chair of the Bar’s ADR Section. He has taught at Willamette University’s MBA Program, and Lewis and Clark Law School. (Session 3.4)
Sherman W. Kahn has more than twenty years of experience with litigation and counseling in matters raising complex technological issues. He has litigated dozens of patent cases as well as handling other litigation involving technological issues such as computer copyright, trade secret and IT outsourcing disputes. He also has experience litigating “soft-IP” issues such as trademark and copyright. Sherman acts as an arbitrator and represents clients in international arbitration proceedings presenting complex technical and commercial issues and has arbitrated under the AAA, JCAA, ICC, and other arbitration and dispute resolution rules. The subject matter of these arbitrations has ranged from patent and trademark issues to IT outsourcing, construction, mining and commercial issues. He provides advice regarding clause drafting and pre-dispute issues in connection with major construction and infrastructure projects. He also provides advice to clients regarding structure of investments with respect to arbitration pursuant to bilateral investment treaties. Sherman also acts as a mediator and assists counsel and parties with resolving complex technology disputes and other commercial issues. Sherman’s practice is international and he has practiced in Tokyo for five years. During that time he was licensed as a gaikokuho jimu bengoshi and a member of the Dai-Ni Tokyo Bar Association. Sherman can be reached at skahn@mkwllp.com (Session 4.1)
Margo Keller is a full-time neutral with Washington Arbitration & Mediation Service and has mediated and arbitrated hundreds of cases involving a wide range of issues, from catastrophic personal injury claims to complex commercial/contract disputes, employment-based grievances and real estate matters. With over 25 years experience, Ms. Keller is often lauded for her effectiveness in resolving sensitive family business and estate disputes and for handling tough cases while successfully assisting parties and attorneys in preserving ongoing relationships. She has worked as a mediator and facilitator with numerous Indian Tribes in the Northwest to assist with conflict resolution and new business formation issues. She also serves as a Special Master, swing and sole arbitrator in tort, commercial, employment, estate, real property, Lemon Law and MAR proceedings. Formerly a partner in the Lasher, Holzapfel, Sperry & Ebberson law firm, Ms. Keller graduated cum laude from UPS Law School and has served as an adjunct professor of Dispute Resolution at Seattle University School of Law. (Session 7.1)
Randall Kiser is the Principal Analyst at DecisionSet®. His research integrates the fields of law, statistics, psychology and economics. He is recognized as "a brilliant scholar" and “an internationally acclaimed researcher and consultant on legal decision making and trial risk assessments.” Mr. Kiser is the author of three books. His most recent book, Soft Skills for the Effective Lawyer was released in August 2017. His previous books, Beyond Right and Wrong: The Power of Effective Decision Making for Attorneys and Clients and How Leading Lawyers Think: Expert Insights Into Judgment and Advocacy are cited by practitioners and scholars in North America, Europe and Asia. Mr. Kiser also is the lead author of the widely read study on settlement decision making in civil litigation cases, “Let’s Not Make A Deal: An Empirical Study of Decision Making in Unsuccessful Settlement Negotiations” (Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Vol. 5, Issue 3, September 2008). Mr. Kiser received his law degree in 1978 from the University of California at Berkeley and was awarded his undergraduate degree with Highest Honors in 1975 from the University of California at Davis. In 2002, he returned to graduate school to obtain a certificate in leadership from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University. (Session 1.1)
Dee Knapp is president and owner of Accord & Collaboration Dispute Resolution Services (ACDRS), a firm that provides facilitation, mediation, team-building conflict coaching, conflict assessment and training. She has also been a part time visiting professor at Seattle University School of Law for the last eight years directing the Mediation Clinic and teaching Mediation Skills. Ms. Knapp has over twenty five years of experience as both a litigating employment attorney and a conflict resolution expert. Organizations hire her to address their conflict, both internally and with external customers, and to train their employees in communication, negotiation and conflict resolution skills. As a certified mediator, Ms. Knapp serves on panels for the American Arbitration Association, Federal Court Rule 39.1, the EEO Commission, the U.S. Postal Service, the Interlocal Conflict Resolution Group of King County and the Seattle Federal Executive Board. Ms. Knapp holds a law degree from the University of Washington and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Colorado. (Section 2.6)
Jennifer Kresge is a mediator and licensed psychology professional in private practice. She has provided mediation services for 30 years and mediated over 4,000 cases. She is nationally known for her work as a neuro-strategist and for her specialized training in the application of brain research in a variety of settings, involving conflict, negotiation, and leadership. She teaches nationally and internationally, sharing her knowledge in neuroscience and her experience in negotiation, mediation, systems thinking, psychology, human development and communication. She is a practitioner/trainer with Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), a member of the Family Association of Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and the American Bar Association (ABA), a past President for the California County Boards of Education, an elected trustee on the Napa County Board of Education, a member of the Napa Valley Leadership Council, a past President of the Board of Directors for the Association for Dispute Resolution of Northern California and a member of the Learning Omnivores and the Brainy Bunch. (Session 6.5)
Serena Lee is the Vice President of the San Francisco and Seattle regional offices for the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the world’s largest not-for-profit provider of ADR services established in 1927. She is responsible for overseeing the case management of large, complex commercial arbitrations in AK, WA, OR, CA, HI and Guam. She also identifies and recruits arbitrators and mediators for the AAA commercial roster of neutrals, and provides training to both clients and attorneys on the appropriate and effective use of dispute resolution processes. A frequent speaker on ADR topics at legal and industry conferences and law schools, Serena received her B.A. in Political Science and in Editorial Journalism from the University of Washington in Seattle. She earned her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, NY, where she also received her mediator certification with Prof. Lela Love at the Kukin Center for Conflict Resolution. Serena is a licensed member of the NY State Bar and is a member of the Washington State Bar’s ADR Section. She was an At Large board member for the Asian Bar Association of Washington and served as both the Vice Chair of Membership and the Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers committees for the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution. She currently chairs the ABA-DR’s Fellowship Committee. Serena can be reached at LeeS@adr.org. (Session 4.1)
Oriana Noël Lewis has been a mediator and instructor since 2000, engaging in a variety of subjects including forgiveness, health and wellness, restorative justice, and leadership. Her broad experience ranges from presenting to large conference audiences to small work-groups, with non-profits to state and federal government, and from soldiers to intentional community members. She was a faculty member of the International Trauma Treatment Program for seven years and currently teaches with the Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County and Pierce County Center for Dialog and Resolution. She is a 5 Rhythms dancer, a yoga instructor at the Washington Corrections Center with Yoga Behind Bars, and a Pacific Northwest surfer. (Sessions 5.2)
Emily Machin-Mayes is a trainer and mediator with the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center where she manages the Youth Program. Emily brings conflict resolution education to hundreds of youth in partnership with local schools, community agencies, and Juvenile Court. Her passion for restorative justice practices has culminated in a Masters Certificate in Restorative Practices from the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP). With a BA in theatre and liberal arts, she is passionate about creating meaningful learning opportunities for youth and adults alike and has enjoyed the opportunity to present at conferences and lead trainings for numerous entities. (Session 3.2)
Emily Martin is a co-founder and game designer at Pig and Potato Games, which created Zombie Fight or Flight , a cooperative card game which launched with a successful Kickstarter campaign in November 2016. This is a personal side project from her work as a public sector labor relations neutral who works at the state agency with jurisdiction over collective bargaining statutes. Emily’s caseload as a labor relations neutral includes mediations, hearings, and trainings. She mediates collective bargaining agreements, grievances, and unfair labor practices settlements. Emily also adjudicates administrative law hearings and arbitrations. She develops and provides in-person and online training for unions and employers looking to bargain more collaboratively, to have better relationships and communications, and to better understand labor law. Emily is a member of the Washington State Bar Association. She is a leader at the King County Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section. She is also a co-chair of the Social Media Committee for the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law. (Sessions 7.2, L 1.2, and L 2.3)
Kevin McMurdo is a legal marketing and business development professional and coach with 27 years in the field. His experience includes work as chief regional marketing officer at Coopers & Lybrand (both prior to and following its merger with Price Waterhouse) and Deloitte. From 2002-2013, Kevin served as the Chief Marketing Officer at the Perkins Coie law firm. He is a 1985 graduate of the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark College, and has been a member of the Oregon Bar since 1986. An independent consultant since January 2014, Kevin is a training partner with the Wicker Park Group, the premiere consultancy conducting client feedback interviews for law firms. Recognized as a “pioneer” in legal marketing, Kevin served as National President of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) in 1992, was inducted into the LMA “Hall of Fame” in 2012, and was inducted into the College of Law Practice Management in October 2015. (Session 6.1)
Hon. Thomas McPhee (Ret.) brings to dispute resolution at JAMS more than 45 years of legal experience as JAMS neutral, judge, and trial lawyer. He served 22 years on the Thurston County Superior Court, retiring in 2013 with a statewide reputation as a jurist committed to hard work and intellectual curiosity in all matters related to law and justice. He joined JAMS with the same commitment, and brings an engaged, evaluative approach to his practice as a mediator, arbitrator, and discovery master. On the court, Judge McPhee focused on civil litigation. He was a trial lawyer in private practice for 20 years, trying cases in Federal Court and in nearly every county in western Washington. His wide experience included successful trials ranging from shopping center construction to first degree murder to million-dollar railroad crossing cases. (Session 3.1)
Nina Meierding has mediated over 4000 disputes and trained thousands of individuals in almost all 50 states, India, Ireland, England, Scotland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand. She taught at the National and California Judicial Colleges and has been Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University School of Law for almost 25 years. She also trains businesses, medical groups, local state and federal governments, law firms, school districts and non-profits in negotiation, communication, gender and cross-cultural issues. Nina has served on countless boards of directors, the Council for Distinguished Advisors at Pepperdine University, and the Advisory Council at Southern Methodist University. She was awarded the Peacemaker award by the Southern California Mediation Association, the Distinguished Mediator Award from the Association for Conflict Resolution, and in 2017 she will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Civil Trial Mediators. (Sessions 6.4 and 8.1)
Moonwater is the Executive Director of the Whatcom County Dispute Resolution Center. An experienced mediator, facilitator, and trainer, Moonwater has a BA in Psychology from Whitman College and an MPA from Seattle University, where she specialized in nonprofit management. Moonwater is a member and former President of Resolution Washington, the statewide association of dispute resolution centers. She is a past lecturer for the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University, and served for several years on both the Whatcom County's Law and Justice Council and Washington Mediation Association's Board. Since 2011 she has served on Washington Secretary of State's Charities Advisory Council. She was recently appointed to Whatcom County’s Commission Against Domestic Violence and Whatcom’s Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task force. For the past 12 years she has served as the Executive Director of the Whatcom Dispute Resolution, a nonprofit organization that provides conflict prevention and intervention services. (Session 3.2)
Steve Morse is the director of Teaching and Learning for the Bellingham School District. After a distinguished career as a classroom teacher and principal, Steve has provided mentorship to both students and educators. As the Bellingham Schools sought to lower suspension rates and increase student attachment to school, Steve along with a dedicated core of teachers and administrators received training in Restorative Practices and started implementing restorative conferences and circles as well as training educators how to use them. Steve continues to build the capacity of school staff to best serve students and families through active partnership with local organizations. (Session 3.2)
Roger A. Moss is Mediation Counsel and program administrator for the Conflict Intervention Service, an innovative program that reduces evictions in San Francisco’s supportive and affordable housing communities. CIS is funded by a grant from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, and is operated by the Bar Association of San Francisco. Following graduation from UC Berkeley and Hastings College of the Law, Roger worked in the commercial real estate industry in negotiation and executive roles. He has managed landlord tenant conflict in the nation’s most culturally diverse environments, including San Francisco, Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. Roger’s private practice focuses on mediation, negotiation consulting, and ADR project management. He co-founded the Napa Mediation Center, and helped establish a mediation panel for the King County Bar Association, before joining the CIS initiative. Roger is an active member of the California and Washington Bar Associations, and serves as chairman of the board and acting executive director for the Association of Dispute Resolution for Northern California. (Session 7.5)
Warren Olson is a mediator, mentor mediator, and trainer at the Dispute Resolution Center of Kitsap County where he regularly contributes to leading the Basic Mediation 40 Hour Training. He and co-presenter Chuck Branham share an interest and curiosity about resolving human conflict. This has led them to apply decision theory, behavioral economics, and honor culture to mediation. As a retired educator in English, forensics, and educational administration, Warren values effective presentations. Warren holds his master’s degree and began his mediation career at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Warren served as Executive Director of the Kitsap County Economic Development Council. He also served two terms as President of the Washington Mediation Association. In 2014 the Kitsap County Bar Association presented him with the “Liberty Bell Award.” He was integral in developing the in-house 40 hour training for DRC Kitsap, as well as helping develop Statewide Basic Mediation Training Student Learning Objectives for Resolution Washington. Warren co-authored a book, TQE (Total Quality Education), Technology, and Teaching. He has been actively mediating and training since 1995. (Session 5.4)
Andrea Pacheco is a case developer and mediator at Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center. She utilizes compassionate listening practice and interest-based negotiation when providing conflict analysis for parties in crisis. Basing her approach from both an artistic and analytical process, she draws from her authentic life experiences to meet parties where they are stuck in order to assist them in moving forward. Andrea is a licensed Geologist, Air Force brat, musician, snowboarder, and hobby farmer based in Carson, Washington. (Session 2.2)
Keisha Patterson joined the Center for Dialog & Resolution in 2014 as a facilitative mediation assistant where she learned the key fundamentals of communication and case coordination. She received her mediator certification and in 2016 she was promoted to case manager where she began coordinating and mediating all family law mediations (both facilitative and settlement conference), small claims cases, district court cases, workplace disputes, and dissolutions. Keisha works closely with clients, attorneys, and the Pierce County court staff to successfully and efficiently coordinate these sensitive cases. During her years at the CDR she has had many advanced training opportunities to improve her case management and mediator skills, including: Basic Mediation Training (2014), Time Management (2016), Mental Health First Responder Training (2017), Elder Law Mediation Training (2017), and Settlement Conference Training (2017). (Session 1.2)
Dan Platter graduated with Cum Laude honors from the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University) in 1989 and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association that same year. He is a member of the Pierce County Bar Association, and the Pierce County Bar Association’s Family Law Section. Mr. Platter’s law practice is located in Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington where he focuses primarily on family law, real estate, estate administration matters. Mr. Platter has been a volunteer mediator at the Center for Dialog and Resolution for approximately 15 years, and has been a certified mediator for a year and a half. (Session 1.2)
Hon. Kim Prochnau (Ret.) presided over class actions, complex civil, criminal, juvenile and family law cases, condominium and other real estate matters, torts, contractual disputes, and TEDRA, probate and guardianship cases during her 20 years as a King County judge, commissioner and pro-tem judge. As a court commissioner, she sat on the ex parte, probate, family law, juvenile, and civil commitment calendars. Prior to becoming a commissioner, Judge Prochnau had a diverse practice as a lawyer. She is lauded for being patient, listening actively to all parties, and being very smart, hard-working and thoughtful, qualities that enable her to bring parties to resolution through ADR. (Session 5.1)
Mohammad Qadamshah is a lecturer at Balkh University School of Law, as well as a member of Balkh University Legal Clinic. Qadamshah’s areas of interest focus on comparative constitutional law, administrative law, state building, and local governance. He teaches courses on constitutional, comparative constitutional and administrative law. Prior to teaching at Balkh Law School, Qadamshah coordinated clinical legal education programs at Balkh legal clinic, coached Balkh law school’s Jessup team, and directed Afghanistan Law Students Association’s Balkh branch. He holds a B.A. in Sharia Law from Balkh University and an LL.M. from UW Law. He did an internship at the Law Library of Congress conducting research on issues related to Afghanistan. His Ph.D. dissertation concentrates on state building and local governance in Afghanistan, and how decentralized local governance can make a difference. (Session 7.6)
Haroun Rahimi is a lecturer at Private Law Department of Herat University Law and Political Science Faculty. He was the director and co-founder of the first ADR (informal justice clinic) at Herat University. Rahimi obtained his B.A in Law from Herat University. Rahimi has received his LLM in Global Business law from UW School of Law. He is currently a PhD Candidate at UW Law. Rahimi’s research focuses on the relation between prevailing institutions and access to credit in Afghanistan. (Session 7.6)
Sue Rahr began her 33-year career with the King County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy in 1979, and worked her way up through the ranks until she was elected Sheriff in 2005. She served as Sheriff for seven years, retiring in 2012. She was responsible for over 1,000 employees, a $150 million budget, contract police services to 12 cities, and transit policing for the Seattle/Puget Sound region. She led KCSO through successful CALEA National Accreditation in 2010, and was awarded “2010 Elected Official of the Year” by the Municipal League. In April of 2012 she was appointed Executive Director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission. She is responsible for training all city and county law enforcement and corrections officers in the state, as well as many other criminal justice professionals. She served as a member of the “Executive Session on Policing” at the Harvard Kennedy School from 2011 – 2014; served on the “President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing” in 2015; serves as Vice President of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST); is an Executive Fellow for the Police Foundation; and acts as an advisor to the Law Enforcement Forecasting Group for the Bureau of Justice Assistance. She graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Criminal Justice from Washington State University and is a graduate of the National Sheriff’s Institute and the FBI National Executive Institute. She co-authored an academic paper about work being done at the WA State Criminal Justice Training Commission, which was published by the Harvard Kennedy School and the National Institute of Justice in 2015. (Session 4.5)
Carol Russo is the Regional Director of the Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS), Rocky Mountain Regional Office. The CRS is the Department's "Peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and disability. The Agency works with all parties, including State and local units of government, private and public organizations, civil rights groups, and local community leaders, to uncover the underlying interests of all of those involved in the conflict and facilitates the development of viable, mutual understandings and solutions to the community's challenges. In addition, CRS assists communities in developing local mechanisms and community capacity to prevent tension and violent hate crimes from occurring in the future. (Session 2.5)
Amanda Semenoff is a civil mediator, facilitator and conflict resolution consultant in New Westminster, BC. Amanda has a B.A. (Economics and Int’l Relations) from UBC and her Conflict Resolution Cert. (Mediation) from the Justice Institute of BC. She specializes in group disputes and high conflict meeting facilitation. She is a member of the BC Arbitration and Mediation Institute and a Mediate BC Associate roster member. Amanda brings 10 years of experience in Emergency Services to her mediation practice and is an active member of the Ecomm911 Critical Incident Stress Team. Recently she has had the pleasure of co-founding Pig and Potato Games, designing collaborative games as tools for dispute resolution. (Sessions L 1.2 and L 2.3)
Hon. Susan K. Serko was appointed to the Pierce County Superior Court by Governor Chris Gregoire, effective 1/9/2006. Prior to her appointment, she served as an Administrative Law Judge for 5 years in the SHS arm of the Office of Administrative Hearings. Licensed in 1982, Judge Serko practiced civil litigation in Pierce & King Counties, primarily with the Tacoma firm of Rush, Hannula & Harkins, where she served as managing partner from 1987-1995. Judge Serko received the TPCBA Young Lawyers’ Liberty Bell Award in 2008 and was elected a fellow of the Advanced Science & Technology Adjudication Resource Center (ASTAR) in Washington D.C. in 2009. In her local communities, Judge Serko is a member of Rotary #8 in Tacoma and served as President of the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation, 2003-2005. Hailing originally from Brooklyn, NY, Judge Serko received her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York, College @ Cortland in upstate NY in 1976. Her J.D. degree was completed in 1982 at the University of Puget Sound School of Law (now Seattle University).
Rhea Settles (EdD, MNCRP) discovered as a student and educator employee that we recognize some incivility such as bullying, but most incivility (e.g. micro-aggression, rankism) is ignored. Consequently and unfortunately, civil wars with each other are constant and systemic in all aspects of our lives. In 2003, Dr. Settles founded The Civility Zone®, a preventive, proactive and transformative education agency focused on teaching Mindful Civility®, coaching how to practice Mindful Civility, and offering civility mediation services. She conducts formal research on conflict and civility in schools and workplaces, teaches education leadership and policy, and instructional leadership and planning at universities in the San Francisco/Bay Area. Additionally, Dr. Settles is a mediator for the Bar Association of San Francisco, San Francisco Unified School District, and Conflict Intervention Service for Housing Disputes in San Francisco, and has mediated civil disputes in California courts. For more information, contact www.thecivilityzone.com (Sessions 3.3 and 6.6)
Joseph Shaub has been an attorney for more than forty years and marriage and family therapist for more than twenty. He is mediator, therapist, writer and frequent lecturer to therapists, attorneys and couples in distress. As a long-time instructor at University of Washington and Seattle University Law Schools and professional speaker, Joe has introduced thousands of people to the principles in this book, “Divorce or NOT – A Guide.” (Sessions 3.7 and 6.3)
Steven Silva is an attorney at the firm of Fennemore Craig, P.C. He focuses his practice on eminent domain, land use, and appellate practice. Steven frequently employs negotiation and mediation techniques in his cases to resolve high-value disputes over land valuation and permissible land-use decisions, including advocating successful resolution in a mediation of a lease purchase option valued at over $200 million. Steven graduated cum laude from California Western School of Law, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Community Studies, magna cum laude, from University of Massachusetts, Boston. In his spare time, Steven writes broadly for legal publications, including the Nevada Appellate Practice Manual and Daller’s Business Torts: Fifty State Guide. (Session 1.6)
Mel Simburg is a partner in the law firm of Simburg, Ketter, Sheppard & Purdy in Seattle, Washington. He advises clients and provides dispute resolution assistance for business, IP and real estate matters, especially for technology and web contracts, rights licenses and international distribution. Mel has served as an arbitrator for over 25 years and a mediator for over 10 years. He is a member of the Rule 39.1 neutral panel for the U.S.D.C., W.D. WA. He mediates business-related disputes, including partnership issues and disputes involving IP, real estate, licenses and other business transactions. He has served on Washington State and ABA committees, chaired seminars and written several articles. He has presented on mediation issues from fundamentals of mediation to resolution of IP disputes, including psychology of mediation and the advocate’s role. (Session 7.4)
Matt Smith is a communications process facilitator and trainer. He consolidates decades of performance, writing and teaching into trainings based on improvisational theatre theory in design innovation, teambuilding, conflict resolution and creativity. As A.D. of Seattle TheatreSports in 1985, a founding member of Seattle Improv and member of the legendary None of the Above, Matt has taught thousands to improvise, in the theatre and the workplace. Matt has installed "The Failure Bow”, a practical response to mistakes and other unexpected results, into the cultures of countless institutions. He also founded Stark/Raving Theatre with Edward Sampson in 1988. His solo performances include Helium, My Boat to Bainbridge, and Beyond Kindness. Screen credits include Outsourced, Spiderman, Sleepless in Seattle, Whiteface and Almost Live! His monologue, My Last Year with the Nuns, is now a feature film. (Session 5.6)
Rose Spidell is an Education Ombuds with the Washington State Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO). At OEO, Rose works with families, students, educators, and other community professionals to understand their perspectives, concerns and questions relating to Washington’s K-12 public schools. She shares information about laws and policies governing public schools, and facilitates collaborative resolution of disagreements between families and schools. She also provides workshops and trainings for families, educators and community organizations on education topics, including special education, harassment and bullying, cultural awareness and conflict resolution. Rose participates in OEO’s development of public information materials, annual policy recommendations and special projects. Before joining OEO, Rose worked as a civil rights attorney, including two years as a Skadden Fellow, focused on the rights of public school students, particularly Native American students in Washington State. She is a graduate of Colville High School, Whitman College and NYU School of Law. (Session 1.7)
Whitney Stafford is a native of Texas, a military wife, and mother of two. Whitney has worked diligently as a Certified Mediator for the Center for Dialog and Resolution since 2014. As a member of the Center staff, Whitney currently supports mediators through CDR’s rigorous training, practicum and recertification process. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Biology and Anthropology, a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development, Psychology, and Music, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a Policy and Community Practice Concentration. When she is not working to help create a more civil community, collecting antiques, or building Legos with her boys, she is advocating for military spouses in their quest to overcome employment barriers. (Session 1.2)
Marcus Stubblefield is the Criminal Justice Strategy & Policy Section Manager for King County Executive Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget. He will oversee King County’s efforts to transform the entire criminal justice system through strategic partnerships and policy and practice reform, yielding better outcomes for everyone touched by the criminal justice system. Mr. Stubblefield has a background in restorative practices, which promote healing and transformation. For the past ten years, he served as the program manager/systems integration coordinator of the King County Systems Integration Initiative, a consortium of local and state youth serving agencies that works to create a more coordinated and effective response for youth and families involved in the juvenile justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and educational systems. His strong roots in the Seattle area keep Mr. Stubblefield connected with the community and allows him to break down barriers between systems and community. Mr. Stubblefield's educational background includes degrees in Sociology and Business Management. (Session 4.5)
Stephen Sulmeyer is a lawyer, psychologist, mediator, and collaborative law practitioner. His psychotherapy practice is based in Marin County, California. He offers alternative dispute resolution services in Marin County, San Francisco, Sonoma County, the East Bay, and throughout the Greater Bay Area. Steve’s unique blend of law and psychology allows him to identify and work effectively with, rather than shy away from, the underlying psychological obstacles that are often the real barriers to the resolution of conflicts. Steve’s conflict resolution work covers a wide range of subject areas including family and divorce, business/commercial, intellectual property, employment, probate, elder, trusts, estate planning, discrimination, partnerships, insurance, and community matters. He is also a trainer in psychotherapy, mediation, and collaborative divorce. (Sessions 2.7 and 4.6)
Sharon Sutherland is a mediator and mediation consultant, with expertise in conflict resolution training and program design. Sharon was one of the first Project Managers of the BC Court Mediation Program (1998-2003). From 2000-2014, Sharon was a full-time faculty member at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law where, in addition to a range of substantive legal courses, she taught an intensive clinical mediation program and supervised the Faculty’s Judicial Externship program. From 2006-2010, Sharon worked with Mediate BC to develop a province-wide Child Protection Mediation Practicum aimed at increasing the number of child protection mediators in under-serviced parts of BC. From 2014-2016, Sharon worked as a Knowledge Engineer in the development of the Civil Resolution Tribunal, focusing on both Strata and Small Claims streams. Sharon has been a mediation mentor in a variety of programs since 1997. In 2011, Sharon was honored with the Susanna Jani Prize for Excellence in Mediation. In addition to her LL.M. in ADR from Osgoode Hall Law School, Sharon received her M.A. in Drama and Theatre Studies from the University of London, and completed all work except her thesis towards a Ph.D. in Drama from the University of Toronto. This theatrical background continues to inform her teaching and practice, including applied improvisation, Theatre of the Oppressed, and other theatre tools for conflict resolution. Sharon blogs about impasse breaking and creativity at CoReJolts. Sharon’s interests also extend to an exploration of the potential of games in supporting team building, conflict prevention, and management. She has hosted two Collaborative Game Jams, and is a member of PignPotato Games. She is one of the designers of Zombie Fight or Flight, a collaborative card game. (Sessions 7.2, L 1.2, and L 2.3)
Chenhao Tan is an assistant professor of computer science at UC Boulder. He obtained his PhD degree in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University and bachelor's degrees in computer science and in economics from Tsinghua University. His research interests include natural language processing and computational social science. He has published papers primarily at ACL and WWW, and also at KDD, WSDM, ICWSM, etc. Dr. Tan's research on persuasion strategies has been covered by news media outlets such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. He also won a Facebook fellowship and a Yahoo! Key Scientific Challenges award. (Sessions 2.3 and L 1.3)
Kathleen Wareham is a full-time mediator with WAMS (Washington Arbitration and Mediation Service). She mediates disputes, drawing upon over thirty years of legal experience in negligence, personal injury, civil rights, wrongful death, employment, and complex probate, guardianship, and trust matters. In addition to mediating formal legal disputes, Ms. Wareham facilitates meetings, including family, fiduciary and business entity meetings, to help participants discuss and resolve or defuse sources of conflict. Ms. Wareham’s law degree is from Columbia University and she earned her BA in philosophy, with honors, with a minor in economics, with honors, from the University of Washington. Her mediation and facilitation training includes the Professional Mediation Skills Training Program at the University of Washington School of Law, WAMS Advanced Mediation Trainings, and annual ABA or Northwest Dispute Resolution Conferences. She is a frequent speaker on mediation advocacy skills, conflict resolution skills and mediation ethics. She is the author of Chapter 12 “Washington Mediation Ethics” in the WSBA Washington Legal Ethics Deskbook, 2009. (Session 3.3)
Corrie Yackulic has practiced law in Seattle, Washington since 1986, representing individuals and communities with injury claims against polluters, drug and medical device manufacturers, government entities, and others. She opened her own firm in 2009 after almost 20 years with the Seattle plaintiffs’ firm Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender. Before that she worked at the Seattle office of Earthjustice. Corrie is AV-Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She was named a “Top50” Washington woman lawyer by SuperLawyers in 2016 and 2017 (fwiw). Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Corrie is a magna cum laude graduate of Williams College and a cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. She was a law clerk to the Hon. Ted Goodwin of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1985-86. (Session 7.1)
Cortney Young is a mediator at Fennemore Craig, P.C. She spent over a decade with the Litigation and Trial team at Chapman Law firm, which has resolved millions of dollars annually in eminent domain and other real property claims. Ms. Young’s mediation practice began with her work as an advocate in many of the firm’s mediations. In particular, consulting the team on strategy and theory in dispute resolution. Her practice is now focused on the resolution of litigated disputes, including, but not limited to, asset valuation, securities, probate and trust disputes, breach of contract, homeowner association disputes, foreclosure and super-priority mediation, boundary disputes, landlord-tenant, and complex civil litigation. Cortney studied at the University of Nevada, Reno and completed her mediation training at Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine. (Session 1.6)