Experience

Renee (she/her/hers) is an experienced mediator, facilitator, conflict coach, and trainer. She has been working in the conflict-resolution field as a professional mediator for twenty-one years, including:

• 11 years as a Mediation Specialist at Clackamas County Dispute Resolution Services
• 10 years as a Mediator and Trainer at Resolutions Northwest

Renee has extensive experience facilitating conflict resolution with a wide variety of groups: private and nonprofit organizations, small and large businesses, city and county departments, churches and other faith communities, schools and university departments, law enforcement departments, HOAs, co-ops, and activist organizations. Renee also has extensive experience working with family conflicts, neighbor-to-neighbor conflicts, and situations in which a restorative justice process is needed.

Renee has a large toolbox of skills and thinks in terms of larger systemic effects and opportunities. Additionally, she has taken special training from the Human Systems Institute specializing in the systemic effects of conflict and has undergone additional training in the psychobiological complexity of conflict and resolution.

Renee's Style

Renee's experience has taught her to be thoughtful and mindful, to take the time to develop a conflict-resolution package that is realistic, sustainable, and co-created with the input of theparticipants. Renee understands and values how equity and racial and social justice affect conflict and resolution, and she helps support and create processes that honor supportive dialog. Renee highly values the case-development process and coaching opportunities.

Mediation and Conflict Resolution Training

For nearly 20 years, Renee has trained new mediators on the tools and structure of the mediation process in the Portland area. Renee has also been the lead trainer for community workshops in Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, and Honduras.

Renee is also a trained facilitator for the Alternative to Violence Project and the Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities project. She facilitates community workshops and currently provides workshops in the Idaho State men's penitentiary.

Personal Background

Renee's first career was as a registered nurse/social worker providing community-health nursing for seniors and persons with disabilities. Renee changed career paths when her own visual impairment prohibited her from night driving. She is the mother of two wonderful and compassionate adult children and a grandmother of two delightful boys. Renee loves life, the good and the not-so-comfortable times, as she understands that the only way we, as a community, can grow is to support one another through healthy communication.