Meet our Board of Directors
Elected Officers
President,
Barbara Blake
Williams
marylandmediation@yahoo.com
Barbara
brings a broad professional and educational background to her work in
mediation. Former Program Director of the Mediation and
Vice President, Ellen Kandell
Email: ek@alternativeresolutions.net
Ellen F. Kandell is an attorney and dispute resolution
professional with over 30 years experience in the public and private sector
law practice. She is the President and founder of
Alternative Resolutions, which provides third party neutral services, group
facilitation, training and consulting. She was trained
as a mediator at
Ms. Kandell’s facilitation work includes employee engagement work, retreat facilitation, team building and coaching. She has helped clients charter new teams, enhance customer service and solve complex organizational problems caused by funding restrictions and budget shortfalls. Training programs developed by Ms Kandell include communication skills, conflict management, mediation and sexual harassment awareness. Ms. Kandell also conducts neutral fact finding investigations.
She is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the
Ms. Kandell received her JD from Temple
University School of Law and her BS from the
Secretary, Michael Benefiel
Email: mike_benefiel@persuasiveinformation.com
Michael Benefiel conducted diplomacy for the
Asst. Secretary, June Davis
Email: jd@davislawpartners.com
Immediate Past President, Roz Zinner ..... ........................................................................ Email: rozzinner@gmail.com
Roslyn Zinner LCSW-C of Divorce and Family Mediation Services, has an office in Anne Arundel County. She is an Advanced Practitioner Mediator with the Association for Conflict Resolution, a Certified Mediator with the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution, and works with custody and child dependency cases for the Circuit Courts of Maryland. She has worked with families for 30 years as a psychotherapist and clinical social worker, with specialties in marital therapy and geriatrics. When not mediating, Roz enjoys creating mosaic art, playing racquetball, and spending time with her family.
Treasurer, Nancy Hirshman ................................................ ................................................ Email: nancyh_md@yahoo.com
February 2005 to present: Private mediation practice with a focus on family
matters and intra-personal disputes
November 1981 to February 2005: Founder and Director, Mediation Center,
Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County. Developed protocol, procedures, and philosophy for the in-house mediation program. Managed the Mediation Center including all aspects of interaction with the State’s Attorneys and staff, as well as the Judiciary and court personnel. Provided mediation services between parties involved in misdemeanor criminal charges; Juvenile citations (individually or related to adult charges); community and neighbor disputes; civil matters involving consumer issues, citizen complaints from government agencies (i.e. Animal Control, Zoning Enforcement); and Peace Orders; and other referrals of cases from Circuit Court. (Number of matters mediated: over 10,000)
Standing Committees
Membership Chair
James Sauer ................................................
Email:jimsauer@msn.com........................................
Marketing & Outreach
Marketing & Outreach: Liz Ribas
Email: eribas@verizon.net
Programs Chair
Doug Brookman
Email: publicsolutions@earthlink.net
Doug Brookman, is a nationally recognized facilitator, mediator and trainer, that has conducted collaborative planning and problem-solving processes full-time for over 15 years. His company, Public Solutions facilitates effective decision making among divergent interests to serve human, technical, and political needs in complex, public contexts.
Mr. Brookman’s specialty is facilitating large, complex public processes to graceful solutions. In this period he has conducted over one thousand public, stakeholder-driven meetings and collaborative processes. His work is focused at the intersection of energy, environment and natural resources.
Certification and Qualifications Co-Chairs
Ramona Buck
Email: ramona.buck@courts.state.md.us
Ramona came to MACRO as Public Policy Director in 2001. She was the Director of ADR Services for the Circuit Court for Prince George=s County, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland for six years, and prior to that, was the Executive Director of Northern Virginia Mediation Service, in Fairfax, Virginia.
She is a past
president of the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution (MCDR) and serves
on its Mediator Certification Committee. She has a Master of Science in
Conflict Resolution from George Mason University and a Master of Arts in
Teaching from the University of Iowa. Ramona has been certified as a
mediator by MCDR and by the Supreme Court of Virginia. She has been a
mediator/trainer/facilitator since 1980.
Read more about Ramona
Dave Simison
Email: das@daslaw.com
Dave Simison has been mediating for over 10 years. He provides mediation training for the ABA and MICPEL. He has received over 170 hours in training from MICPEL, MCDR, the Anne Arundel Circuit Court, and the District Court. He chairs the AA Bar ADR Committee and serves as Treasurer of the MSBA ADR Section.
Barbara Blake
Williams
marylandmediation@yahoo.com
Barbara
brings a broad professional and educational background to her work in
mediation. Former Program Director of the Mediation and
Members-At-Large
Martin Kranitz
Email: makranitz@aol.com
Suzanne Rose
Email: suerose@aarc.md.us
Dennis Gilbert .......................................................................................................................
Email: dgilbert@howardcc.edu
Dennis Gilbert has a BBA in Economics and an MBA in Computer Methodology. He has over 30 years in the private and public sectors as a computer scientist, IT consultant, and team member of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program. Dennis’ professional experience includes work as a trainer of alternatives to violence, and activism in countering sexism and sex role stereotyping.
In 2007, after 15 years as a volunteer mediator with the Mediation & Conflict Resolution Center (MCRC) and former MCRC board member, Dennis joined the MCRC staff in a grant position to study how best to promote MCRC’s services to the HCC campus community. In 2008, Dennis accepted his current position with MCRC, where, as Program Coordinator, he handles MCRC’s case intake and management, and coordinates its large pool of volunteer mediators. Dennis’ talents and peaceful nature also find a home in the arts where, for over the past decade and continuing, Dennis also works as a professional nature and art photographer and teacher.
John Greer
Email: patuxmediation@gmail.com
John N. Greer, an attorney and mediator, owns Patuxent Mediation Services, a mediation practice comitted to the meaningful resolution of disputes with dignity for all parties. He has specialized in employment and discrimination cases as a mediator the past five years for the Maryland Commission on Human Relations and for the past four years with a Federal agency. As Legislative Counsel for that agency for 12 years, John has extensive experience in multi-party public policy conflicts. He also has experience in congregational church conflicts, having served on the governing body of a local congregation that suffered a contentious division centered on the senior pastor.
Special Committees
Liaison to Bar, Bench, Legislature Co-chairs
Roger Wolf
Email:
rwolf@law.umaryland.edu
Diversity Chair
Michael Benefiel
Email: Email: mike_benefiel@persuasiveinformation.com
Michael Benefiel conducted diplomacy for the
Fundraising -- Master Classes
Ramona Buck
Email: ramona.buck@courts.state.md.us
Ramona came to MACRO as Public Policy Director in 2001. She was the Director of ADR Services for the Circuit Court for Prince George=s County, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland for six years, and prior to that, was the Executive Director of Northern Virginia Mediation Service, in Fairfax, Virginia.
She is a past
president of the Maryland Council for Dispute Resolution (MCDR) and serves
on its Mediator Certification Committee. She has a Master of Science in
Conflict Resolution from George Mason University and a Master of Arts in
Teaching from the University of Iowa. Ramona has been certified as a
mediator by MCDR and by the Supreme Court of Virginia. She has been a
mediator/trainer/facilitator since 1980.
Read more about Ramona
MCDR Rep to MEC
Bert Weiner
Email: bertel24@verizon.net
MCDR Administrator
Janis Davisson
Email: mcdr_a@yahoo.com