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        3 Continuing Mediation Education credits 

 

Almost 40 years have passed since the first community mediation center opened in Virginia in 1982. Almost 30 years have elapsed since the passage of Virginia’s mediation statutes in 1992.  Today mediation and other forms of non-adversarial dispute resolution are practiced in Virginia in many places and by many people.  Are these practices adequately serving the needs of Virginians?  Are they making individuals, families, workplaces and communities more productive and peaceful?  Are they meeting emerging needs?  Are they coordinated so as to be maximally efficient?

 

An ad-hoc group of stakeholders from various dispute resolution sectors across the Commonwealth has been working over the past year to design a summit that will bring together service providers, consumers, and potential clients to strategically plan the future of dispute resolution in Virginia. Some of these dispute resolution sectors and stakeholders include the Virginia Mediation Network, the Joint Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the Virginia State Bar and The Virginia Bar Association, and Resolution Virginia. 

 

Through the provision of panelist data, other concrete information and thoughtful reflection on building future practices we plan to

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• identify current and emerging dispute resolution practices in Virginia,

• align dispute resolution practices with current and emerging needs; and

• enable stakeholder collaboration to meet dispute resolution needs more adequately.

 

In order for the summit to meet its goals, the participation of a large group of stakeholders interested in charting the future of dispute resolution is desired.  It is the intention of the planning group to cast a wide net that includes practitioners, consumers, potential clients and educators as well as legislators, members of the judiciary and representatives of local and state government.  We hope that you will participate!

 

 

 

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DISPUTE RESOLUTION SUMMIT AGENDA

 

• Welcome & Introduction

 

• Keynote Speaker, Toby Guerin J.D., Managing Director for the Center for Dispute Resolution at the Maryland Carey School of Law and the convener of the 2017 International Mediation Institute’s Global Pound Conference in Baltimore, MD

 

• PART II Panel discussion - Accomplishments, Challenges, and Emerging Opportunities in Dispute Resolution

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1. Senator Dave Marsden, Virginia General Assembly and the former director of Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice.  Senator Marsden is currently helping to bring restorative justice practices to Guam.

2. The Honorable Debbie Blevins, Managing Director of the ADR program for Virginia Workers Compensation Commission

3. Dr. Ram Bhagat, Manager of School Climate and Culture Strategy for Richmond Public Schools and co-founder of the Richmond Youth Peace Project and Drums No Guns

4. Lawrie Parker, Executive Director of Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center, one of Virginia's not-for-profit community-based dispute resolution centers

5. Mark Rubin  from The McCammon Group and VCU’s Center for Consensus-Building

6. Paula Hannaford-Agor, Director, Center for Jury Studies, National Center for State Courts, Williamsburg

 

• PART III Work Groups - Creating the Future: The Relevance and Desired Impact of Dispute Resolution in Virginia

 

• PART IV Work Groups - What Will it Take to Get There?

 

• PART  V Next Steps - Who Will Continue this Work?

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• PART VI Closing Remarks

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Sponsorship Opportunities                  

 

We invite you to consider being a summit sponsor or exhibitor. Sponsorship dollars help support a broad range of necessary functions and enable the participation of many dispute resolution stakeholders.

 

At any level, sponsorships will be partly or wholly tax-deductible. All sponsors will be recognized on the website, on the day of the event and in any resulting program materials.  

 

Please click on  this link  to contribute your tax-deductible sponsorship with PayPal or a credit card or send your check (made out to Resolution Virginia) to

 

Resolution Virginia

315 Sherwood Ave.

Staunton, VA 24401

 

Sponsorship opportunities include the following:

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Gold Sponsors ($2,500 - up)

   Virginia Tech's Center for Peace Studies  

   The McCammon Group

 

Silver Sponsors ($1,000 - $2,499)

  George Mason's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

  Karen Asaro

 

Bronze Sponsors ($500 - $999)

  Virginia Mediation Network

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  Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

 

Summit Supporter (any amount under $500)

   Karen Richards Training & Mediation LLC 

   Brenda Lowry

  Joseph Boisineau

  Mark Rubin

  Andrew Pizzi  

  Donita King Law

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There is also an opportunity to sponsor specific parts of the meeting such as the

 

Continental Breakfast ($1,000) 

Lunch (provided by Virginia Tech's Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention)

Networking Reception ($2,000)

 

A limited number of exhibitor tables will be available for $500.  Please contact Christine Poulson at (540) 294-0732 or info@resolutionvirginia.org to reserve an exhibitor table or to sponsor the breakfast or reception.  

 

We ask that sponsors make their contribution as early as possible to help us pay event preparation costs and to give us some idea as to the number of fee waivers and travel/lodging assistance we will be able to provide.  Any excess funds will be used to support the goals identified during the summit.

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Call for Participants

    

We are asking that summit information be circulated to those in your conflict engagement/dispute resolution community who would be interested in participating.  Registration can be made by clicking here.  Registration is limited to 200 people and each participant is being asked to pay a $20 non-refundable participation fee to help cover the costs of the event.  (Higher amounts are also appreciated.)  The registration fee can be paid with PayPal or a credit card using the "Buy Now" button on this page (above) or by mailing a check, made out to Resolution Virginia, to 

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Resolution Virginia

315 Sherwood Ave.

Staunton, VA 24401

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Registration fees must be paid in advance as fees will not be collected the day of the event.  Registration waivers and travel/lodging assistance of up to $150 may be available on a first-come, first-served basis for those who need them.  Please contact Christine Poulson at info@resolutionvirginia.org to be put on a list of potential assistance recipients.  

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Call for Facilitators

    

During the summit's afternoon session we will dive in and begin planning strategically for the future of dispute resolution in Virginia.  The summit planning committee has designed a process whereby we can make the most of our time together and end the day with concrete ideas and plans for moving forward.  We are seeking experienced facilitators who can help guide the afternoon's group work sessions (There will be a script to follow.).  A phone conference for all facilitators will be held in early March to familiarize facilitators with the afternoon's process and answer any questions.  If you are interesting in serving as a facilitator, please contact Christine Poulson at info@resolutionvirginia.org.  

    

We thank you in advance for your support of the Dispute Resolution Summit. 

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This summit is made possible, in part, by a grant from the