Senior ADR Consultant at Consensus Building Institute
Greater Boston Area
Senior ADR Consultant at Consensus Building Institute
Greater Boston Area
A dispute resolution professional with a strong background in organizational development and training. With a depth of experience in corporate, government, and educational environments, I hold a strong belief that assessment, coaching, and training integrate to form the foundation for successfully putting theory to impactful practice. Emphasis is on creating value in developing more productive negotiations by developing negotiation skills as a core competency. .
This core competency is an organizational capability. Organizations that want to achieve sustainable improvements in their negotiations must understand how to align existing organizational processes, structures, and incentives with an approach that can create value while protecting relationships. Building individual insight and skill is a start, but without larger changes, individual negotiations often return to their organizations find themselves swimming against strong currents, or getting lost among competing priorities and initiatives
Organizational Assessment, Coaching, Training, Negotiation, Mediation, Consensus Building
Sample Courses Offered: The Art and Artifice of Public Apology; Building A World Class Negotiating Organization; Building Relationships into Project Design and Policy Development; Negotiating with Internal and External Auditors: Sarbanes-Oxley and Beyond; Developing Requirements and Specifications by Negotiation
(Entertainment industry)
November 2008 — Present (1 month)
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Alternative Dispute Resolution industry)
September 2008 — Present (3 months)
The Consensus Building Institute (CBI) improves the way leaders use negotiations to make organizational decisions, achieve agreements, and manage multiparty conflicts and planning efforts. We use proven principles, processes, and techniques that improve group decision-making on complex public and organizational issues.
Professional services include training, organizational capability building, facilitation, mediation, and consensus building.
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Alternative Dispute Resolution industry)
January 2007 — Present (1 year 11 months)
The Community Dispute Settlement Center Inc. (CDSC) has served the Greater Boston area since 1979, providing mediation and training services to organizations and individuals.
The mission of CDSC is to provide and promote effective, cost-efficient and participatory approaches for resolving conflict, and to make them accessible to all members of the community.
(Sole Proprietorship; 1-10 employees; Alternative Dispute Resolution industry)
September 1992 — Present (16 years 3 months)
Part of the Solution Appropriate Dispute Resolution Services (POTSADR) was founded in 1993 to provide a range of conflict resolution services. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, POTSADR offers mediation, negotiation, and facilitation services. In addition, we offer customized training on mediation and conflict resolution, ombuds services, and program development for your organization.
Conflict is normal and common in our professional and personal lives. It can serve as an opportunity for change when handled appropriately. However, if unmanaged, conflict can lead to corrosive and costly disputes with significant negative impact.
We are experienced in developing and designing programs for your organization to systemically address conflict in a constructive manner.
With experience in corporate, non-profit, community, familial, educational, and legal environments, we are positioned to help with a wide-range of needs.
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Alternative Dispute Resolution industry)
July 2007 — September 2008 (1 year 3 months)
Over the last fifteen years CBI has offered on-site negotiation training for hundreds of agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations and groups. We’ve worked with organizations across more than 25 countries. Our tailored courses are grounded in careful application of the Mutual Gains Approach, with up-front assessment of the kinds of negotiation challenges each audience is likely to face. We use an ever-growing library of simulations and cases -- and our expertise in writing them -- to directly tackle the negotiation problems at hand.
Over the years we’ve found training alone is typically not enough to create and maintain real organizational improvement in negotiations. Our approach focuses on providing the coaching and support on the back end of courses, so that gains can be implemented in the form of sensible models, processes and incentives. It is essential to focus on developing capability to support individuals and to realize the desired ROI.
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MFC; Insurance industry)
May 2006 — January 2007 (9 months)
• Planned, conducted, and managed information technology audit activities in support of Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance and Risk Management Objectives
• Advised on policy concerns and evaluated existing processes and tools and implemented enhancements to support more effective and efficient use of resources
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; JHF; Financial Services industry)
May 2000 — January 2005 (4 years 9 months)
• Analyzed, evaluated, developed, implemented, and sustained processes and best practices to support optimal project management in corporate, legal and information technology departments
• Developed organizational capability to bring high quality projects to completion on-time and under-budget; resulted in company receiving recognition for industry best practices and employee satisfaction to soar
• Facilitated multinational corporate transition from mutual company to public company and subsequent merger with Manulife Financial
• Designed and presented effective metrics and reporting program executive committee
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; Financial Services industry)
June 1998 — May 2000 (2 years)
• Managed high profile and complex process and information systems projects
• Implemented effective changes to both external and internal business strategies to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and expedite entire systems workflow
• Managed project plans, schedules, budgets, resources, and all other relevant deliverables
(Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Government Administration industry)
June 1997 — June 1998 (1 year 1 month)
• Evaluated and implemented strategic change implementation process for a large government organization in a highly resistant environment with a high degree of success
• Managed full lifecycle of $50M information systems and process engineering project to ensure compliance with the State Automated Child Welfare Information legislation (SACWIS)
• Effected standardization of business processes utilizing best practice models across statewide agency
(Government Agency; 501-1000 employees; Alternative Dispute Resolution industry)
May 1993 — June 1998 (5 years 2 months)
• Instituted mediation and conflict resolution training programs in school systems throughout Massachusetts
• Evaluated program efficacy and communicated policy and process recommendations to all levels of staff
• Intervened in youth gang conflicts in order to restore peace to schools
(Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Individual & Family Services industry)
February 1996 — June 1997 (1 year 5 months)
• Assessed families in child protective agency and provided supportive and therapeutic services to parents and children in need of resources to establish a safe and healthy home environment
• Evaluated and implemented individual education plans for children receiving protective services from the Department of Social Services
• Developed and implemented mediation program to assist with family reunification efforts
• Specialized in domestic violence awareness, prevention, and intervention
• Received Department of Social Services Certificate of Achievement
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Individual & Family Services industry)
June 1995 — April 1996 (11 months)
• Coordinated supportive living and therapeutic day school for troubled adolescents
• Counseled clients on issues related to education, work, family, and safety
• Clinically assessed families and evaluated therapeutic needs
• Organized case reviews, family interventions, and recreational activities
(Government Agency; 1001-5000 employees; Individual & Family Services industry)
May 1993 — February 1996 (2 years 10 months)
• Developed and implemented individual service plans for the integration of previously institutionalized developmentally disabled individuals into the community
• Served as Human Rights Officer for disempowered population with emphasis on legal rights and policy
• Represented bargaining unit as union representative to ensure employee rights were protected
(Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Hospital & Health Care industry)
May 1991 — July 1993 (2 years 3 months)
• Counseled geriatric and head injury patients and their families
• Structured and implemented physical therapy programs for elderly and head injury patients alongside occupational and physical therapists
Juris Doctor, Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Labor and Employment, 2005 — 2008
Finished 3rd in region in ABA Client Counseling Competition, Honorable Mention Best Brief, Semi-Finalist in Suffolk Negotiation Competition, Finalist in Sports Negotiation Competition
Courses: Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Legal Research & Writing, Torts, Constitutional Law, Children & The Law, Property, Evidence, Family Law, Tax, Professional Responsibility, Consumer Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Employment Law, Labor/Employment Arbitration, Research Assistant For ADR, Employment Discrimination, Legislation, Terrorism Law, Mediation, Public Interest Law, Directed Study On The Fallacy Of Training, Labor Law, Public Health Law, Justice/Morals In Film, Technology Law, Energy Law, Environmental Law, Sports Law, Mediation Video Creation
MA, Dispute Resolution, 2003 — 2005
GPA 3.92 / 4.00
Courses: Negotiation, Conflict in Workgroups, Family Mediation, Conflict and Systems, Cross-Cultural Conflict, Dispute Resolution Theory, Ethics and Public Policy, Internship in Probate Court
Graduate Certificate, Dispute Resolution, 2002 — 2003
GPA 3.92/4.00
BA, Psychology, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Dispute Resolution, 1993 — 1995
GPA 3.87/4.00
Courses: Biology of Cancer and AIDS, Adolescent Psychology, Statistics in Psychology, Spiritual Autobiography, Nutrition and People, Research Methods in Psychology, Educational Psychology, Spanish, History of Modern Boston, Legal Studies, Psychology of Motivation, Social Psychology, Sociology of Law, Conceptual Physics, American Politics, Cognitive Psychology, Deviance and Social Order, Sexuality and Society, Economics, Abnormal Psychology, The Family, Criminology, Computer Science, Representing the Holocaust, Data Collection and Analysis, Gender and Crime, Cognition
Multiple Research and Teaching Assistantships in Psychology and Sociology
BA, Psychology, 1992 — 1993
Transferred for financial reasons
Courses: Writing, Spanish, Humanities, Psychology
High School, High School, 1988 — 1992
Improvisational Theatre, Travel, Coaching Runners, Competitive Running, Yoga,
QAI / QAIUSA (Quality Assurance Institute), IOA (International Ombuds Association), NEACR (New England Association for Conflict Resolution), BAA (Boston Athletic Association), Dead Runners Society, CDCS (Community Dispute Settlement center) Board Officer, ImprovBoston Board of Directors
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Excellence Award for work on FamilyNet Initiative; Outside the Box / Inside the Ring Conflict Resolution Curriculum was recognized for excellence; Developed QA organization recognized as best in industry