Mid Shore Community Mediation Center chose the occasion of its Annual Meeting and Conflict Resolution Celebration to announce new leadership and new vision for the nonprofit organization. About fifty mediators, staff and guests attended the dinner meeting, held at Trinity Cathedral’s Miller Hall in Easton on November 15th.
Board President Owen Lyons introduced Cynthia Jurrius as the organization’s new Executive Director. Jurrius began volunteering as a mediator in 2008. She later was brought on staff in a position which evolved into the Youth and Family Services Coordinator, and last year became director of the school-based mediation program in Maces Lane Middle School. Jurrius, who has been serving as the Mediation Center’s Acting Executive Director since July, thanked former director Peter Taillie for the foundation that he laid for the organization.
Jurrius recognized the volunteers who, she said “are at the heart of what we do.” The Center conducted 262 mediations in the past year, with more than 50 mediators participating. She gave special recognition to Jack Donahue, Jennifer Fisher and Ray Grossman for taking part in more than 20 cases last year, and to Owen Lyons and Rebecca Clizbe, whom she called “superlatively valuable players” for conducting more than 30 mediations each.
Volunteer of the Year honors went to Board Treasurer Jim Adams for being a “one-man action team” in his service to the organization. Jurrius also welcomed George Borowsky and Linda Webb to new three-year terms as members of the board.
In addition to recognizing volunteers, Lyons and Jurrius honored James Bell and Judge Broughton M. Earnest for their advocacy on behalf of mediation as an alternative for conflict resolution.
Bell is Supervisor of Student Services for Dorchester County Public Schools, where Mid Shore Mediation conducts school-based conflict resolution programs. Its mediation activities began in Maces Lane Middle School last year. Bell described the “overwhelmingly positive response from students,” which led to the program’s expansion to eight more schools. He expressed his appreciation to the Mediation Center for the speed with which it worked with the school system to get the programs up and running.
“This is the only program of its kind in the state,” he added. “Conflict resolution has decreased the number of student infractions and teaches skills that are used outside of the school environment.”Jennifer Williams, the Mediation Center’s Special Programs Coordinator, now oversees the school program.
The organization is building on its success with the schools for its own future. Jurrius noted that the board is embarked on a “visioning process” for the Center, led by Borowsky. The plan stresses operational excellence, volunteer engagement and quality assurance, while offering services in wider settings and in a broader range of cases.
Talbot County Circuit Court Judge Broughton Earnest intends to take advantage of that plan to assist in implementing his own vision. “I am a real believer in organizations like this,” he said. “Grassroots groups can change communities.” Noting that his appreciation of the Center’s work was self-serving, he added, “Every dispute you resolve is one less I have to resolve.”
Judge Earnest said that, beginning the first of the year, he plans to order his civil litigants to go to mediation in an attempt to settle cases before they reach trial. “Everyone is better served by getting into mediation,” noted Earnest. “All cases have the potential to be resolved in mediation. I’m delighted to see what you are doing and am hopeful some of my civil litigants will come knocking on your door, particularly those who can’t afford paid mediation.”
Mid Shore Community Mediation Center offers no-cost mediation services to residents, businesses and organizations of Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties. For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer as a mediator, call Mid Shore Community Mediation Center at 410-820-5553 or visit www.midshoremediation.org.
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