Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Department of Environmental Management, Boston, MA

Project Facilitator and Dispute Resolution Specialist, 1996–2002

• Facilitated multi-party public disputes involving federal, state, and municipal agencies, as well as citizen groups, legislators, and institutional neighbors.
• Negotiated strategies to achieve formal action plans by consensus.
• Facilitated consensus plan for restoration of Boston’s Emerald Necklace, including post disaster flood mitigation issues.
• Facilitated the establishment of the Upper Mystic River Watershed Environmental Joint Powers Board, focusing on flood issues. First such board in Massachusetts.
• Facilitated decommissioning and removal of Old Berkshire Dam. First in Massachusetts.
• Convened and facilitated a multi-cultural workgroup of stakeholders, for the purpose of developing a re-use plan for flood prone properties acquired under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Received recognition and praise for high caliber professionalism from Congressman Marty Meehan.
• Designed, led and conducted two day Collaborative Problem Solving Training for 30 Watershed Team Leaders and administrative staff.
• Designed and led two day strategic planning retreat for Watershed Initiative staff.
• Led the development of multi-jurisdictional Emergency Flood Response Plans.

Wetlands Mediation Program Coordinator, Department of Environmental Protection — Office of General Counsel, 1994–1995

• Consulted with attorneys, environmental engineers, and support staff in a 45-member unit to institutionalize and formalize the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program within the public law office.
• Convened, facilitated, and mediated environmental cases.
• As key member of Strategic Wetlands Advisory Team (SWAT), developed and managed a successful environmental mediation program to achieve significant results.
• Co-authored Wetlands Mediation Program Manual, an in-house manual for use by staff attorneys and environmental analysts.
• Created standardized forms, operational flow charts, and computerized log system to record and track case progress.
• Personally mediated 25 backlog cases, removing 16 from backlog; oversaw 52 cases through mediation process, with 31 of the cases settled successfully (lowering mediation costs from $4,600 in FYÕ94 to $2,075 in FYÕ95, a 55% reduction).
• Assisted independent evaluators with research, planning, and other initiatives.

Mayor’s Office of Consumer Affairs & Licensing, Boston, MA

Program Coordinator — Face-to-Face Mediation Program, 1987–1990

• Managed municipally-based conflict resolution program, supervising and training 30 mediators in negotiation skills and appropriate use of conflict resolution processes.
• Led mediation process for cases in crisis or at an impasse; mediated over 200 disputes involving corporations, consumer claims, labor issues, community organizations, and youth gangs.
• Developed new programs and projects in collaboration with federal, state, and city agencies.
• Oversaw budget, handled case administration, and streamlined case management by transferring major work components to an automated environment.
• Published article and handbook utilized throughout organization as standard reference tool.
• Successfully transferred program to the American Arbitration Association.