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Board of Directors & OMA Staff 2024

Stephanie Leffler – President

Stephanie (she / her) began her career in wood products in the 1980’s working her way up to manage teams in male-dominated industries. She has worked in manufacturing, retail, wholesale, restaurant, public, and non-profit industries in executive and leadership roles. She spent most of her career in Human Resources. Her areas of expertise include mediating workplace conflict and negotiation of collective bargaining contracts. She enjoys helping folks through organizational change and coaching executives on the most difficult subject matters.

Stephanie holds degrees in criminal justice, management, human resources, and is a senior certified human resource professional through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) and the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM). She is a certified mediator. Stephanie began volunteering at Neighbor-To-Neighbor Mediation (CDRC) in 2013 and completed her training that year. She very much enjoys mentoring people and helping them become business owners and leaders.

Email: president@ormediation.org

Paul Allen – Vice President

Paul was formally on the OMA standards and practices committee, former OMA board member, and mediation practitioner. He is a positive realist, lover of human beings, curiosity, wisdom of many years of experience.

In 1970, I was an expectant father starting my career. My first promotion was to sweeper. I chose to excel; people smiled and appreciated me! My Secret to success! 50+ years later, bestowed with a myriad of accomplishments, I continue to love who I am becoming! Please consider this thought: Trust me, it is much easier to love others when you first love yourself.

Email: vp@ormediation.org

Miles Mabray – Treasurer

Miles is currently the Executive Director, Center for Dialogue and Resolution in Eugene.

In 2012 I started my graduate degree in conflict and dispute resolution. Over the course of that program and related endeavors I worked in Israel and Palestine, volunteered and contracted as an international dialogue facilitator, served on the Board and worked as Executive Director of a mediation center in Oregon, served on the Board of the National Association for Community Mediation, and mediated or facilitated hundreds of community conflicts and meetings. In addition to this holistic experience in the mediation field I also hold a degree and seven years of experience at the Executive Director level of nonprofit agencies.

Email: treasurer@ormediation.org

Ms. Jackie Folis – Secretary

My name is Mrs. Jackie R. Follis, married 17yrs to Harold A. Follis Vietnam Veteran. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, a Master of Science in Human Behavior, currently working on Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology specializing in Clinical Counseling. I’m a Certified Alcohol Drug Addiction (CADCII) counselor, Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP-R), Certified Mediator, Certified Addictions Gambling Counselor (CGAC-R) along with several certifications. I’m a board member for the Marion County Mental Health Advisory Committee, and member of the Citizen Review Board Marion County. I’ve worked in the field of addiction for more than 5yrs working with persons presenting with severe illicit substance use disorders and mental health illness. I enjoy educating others, nurturing my plants, researching, and spending time with my husband.

Email: secretary@ormediation.org

Jennifer Hardnett – Director

Jennifer Hardnett, the visionary founder and CEO of Lionjevity, Inc., brings over 15 years of experience and knowledge in government contracting, contract management, community engagement, and strategic planning. Born and raised in Oregon, Jennifer has traveled to every county in the state, witnessing firsthand the beauty and opportunities for the betterment of all Oregonians. As a Certified Mediator and a member of the Oregon Mediation Association Board of Directors, Jennifer employs her conflict resolution skills to foster collaboration and understanding. She is also recognized as a sought-after economic development planner, contributing her expertise to regional growth and prosperity. In addition, her commitment to community development is further demonstrated through her service on the East Portland Community Investment Trust board. As a hands-on leader, she actively participates in campaigning and organizational outreach, working closely with community partners and government agencies. Her dedication and trustworthiness have established Lionjevity as a preferred partner in the
community, known for its effective collaboration and impactful results. Jennifer’s passion
for positive change and her strategic vision continue to drive her founded corporation,
Lionjevity’s success, and its mission to create safer, more resilient communities.

Email: boardseat4@ormediation.org

Steve Leskin – Director

Steve is currently serving on the Standards and Practices Committee. He has spent twenty-five years as a trial attorney in Oregon specializing in tort and professional malpractice litigation, federal administrative law, and domestic relations.

I am an experienced trial attorney with hundreds of mediations, arbitrations, and administrative hearings. Long-time municipal judge and two-term Assistant Disciplinary Counsel. I am experienced in all areas of law practice management and technology. I have been focused almost exclusively on mediation and arbitration since January 2023. My non legal experience includes founding the companies DeNovo Decisions and Pleading Technologies. I was the Port Manager for the Port of Siuslaw from 2016 to 2017, and I have a background in computer coding.

Email: boardseat6@ormediation.org

Jeff Edelson – Director

Jeff has been licensed to practice law since 1986. During his legal career, he has represented clients in more than 2,000 civil cases in countless business, real estate, and employment sectors. Jeff has been a legal aid lawyer, a federal judicial law clerk, a commercial litigator, and a private arbitrator. In 2022, he transitioned to become a full-time mediator, while remaining a law partner at the Portland law firm of Markowitz Herbold PC. Jeff has recently completed a 40-hour training program called “Mediating the Litigated Case” at the renowned Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. In addition to private compensated mediation, Jeff is on the Multnomah County Small Claims Court mediation panel, where he conducts pro bono mediations for pro se litigants. During his career, he has served on several nonprofit boards, including the Lawyers’ Campaign for Equal Justice and the Lake Oswego Corporation. Jeff will bring all of his professional experiences to the OMA Board. He hopes to help elevate the OMA to become the center of the Oregon mediation community in terms of education, training, marketing, support, and recognition.

Email: boardseat5@ormediation.org

Connie McKelvey – Director

Connie is an attorney who has served as an active litigator of civil disputes since 1983. In that capacity, she has also seen the power of mediation to resolve disputes without the risks, uncertainty, and expense of litigation. Connie’s legal practice has focused on the defense of professionals including physicians, medical clinics, dentists, and hospitals as well as attorneys and law firms. She has substantial experience with claims involving sexual misconduct or boundary issues. She has tried to defense verdict numerous professional liability claims. She also assists clients outside the courtroom, including representation before health care licensing boards, professional peer review, regulatory issues, HIPAA compliance, and contract disputes.

Connie is respected by both sides of the bar for her compassion and professionalism. She has been regularly endorsed as one of the top lawyers nationwide by the most respected peer review organizations in the nation including Martindale-Hubbell, the Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in American Law and Super Lawyers. In 2021 her peers recognized her as Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year for Health Care Law and in 2022 they recognized her as Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year for Legal Malpractice Law- Defendants.

Connie has a special interest in alternative dispute resolution of professional liability claims and is certified by the American Health Lawyers Association as Dispute Resolution Neutral which gives her the opportunity to resolve disputes involving health care providers, including disagreements between hospitals and clinics, disputes between providers, and pre-litigation resolution of claims by patients against health care providers. She has expanded her practice to mediation of all types of claims after undergoing extensive mediation training through the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine School of Law during COVID 19. She has been a participant in hundreds of mediations and has now actively facilitating mediations. Connie joined the Board as she is relatively new to serving as a mediator and she would like to get to know and learn from others.

Email: boardseat7@ormediation.org

Learn more about Board service

Frequently Asked Questions

Finding a Mediator:

OMA Website Directory:

OMA’s webpage on choosing the right mediator:

Community Dispute Resolution Centers:

Mediation Insurance:

Complete Equity Markets: Professional Insurance Brokers

OMA Training and Event Calendar

Mediation Job Postings:

Job Postings

Domestic Violence Resources:

Oregon State: https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/family/domestic-violence/pages/default.aspx

Portland: https://www.multco.us/dv/dv-sv-st-resources

Rose City Resource Guide: https://rosecityresource.streetroots.org/

De-Escalation Resources:

Portland Peace Team

Volunteer – OMA Committees:

OMA Committees

Volunteer – OMA Board of Directors:

Board or Committee Intake Form

Annual Membership Meeting Notice

October 12, 2023 by ormediate

This is a notice that OMA will host it’s Annual Membership Meeting during the Annual Conference on Friday, November 15th, 2024 from 8:15-9:45

Please register HERE to attend the meeting

Agenda:

What we have been doing
President report
2024 challenges
What does next year look like?
Secretary report
Treasurer report
Committee reports (Standards and Practices)
Membership Q&A

Conference RFP Presenters

August 8, 2022 by ormediate

We received a great response from our June pre-planning conference survey and the OMA Board would like to say Thank You to everyone who participated!

Our Conference Committee is excited to announce this year’s conference will host virtual workshops and sessions as well as synchronous socials at various locations in Oregon.

If you’d like to submit an educational program, we are inviting our community to submit proposals 45 – 120 minutes in length around the following topics by August 31:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Building a Mediation Practice
Skill Building
Ethics in Mediation
Using Mediation Skills in Non-Mediation Professions
Panel Presentations
Marketing, Advertising, Social Media and/or Website Building
Emerging Trends in Alternative Dispute Resolution

Submit Your Proposal Here

History and Milestones

The spirit behind OMA’s formation was making mediation more accessible with advances in technology. Our founder refers to the following major technological disruptions that were key to advancing the field: 1) PC and Word Processing, 2) The Internet, 3) Mobile devices with bandwidth, 4) The Cloud.

1985 Our founder gets started
PCs and the launch of word processing was a precondition for modern mediation because agreements could now be drafted. The birth of this technology allowed the field to move forward at an accelerated rate.

In the news: Tools for desktop publishing begin to be commonly used. Microsoft releases Windows 1.0, radio pagers and wired car phones are in use, 1st mobile phone is released (came in a suitcase.)

1986 The Oregon Mediation Association is founded
Learn more about our purpose here. In the news: Commercial workstations were introduced; Steve Jobs purchases a division from Lucas films for $10MM and renames it Pixar.

1988 OMA adopts “Standards of Practice”
However, no efforts were made to adopt competency standards until the Oregon Mediator Competency Work Group (“Work Group”) was convened in 1995.

1989 The Oregon Dispute Resolution Commission (“Commission”) is established by legislature
The Commission is charged with the statutory mandate of developing qualifications, rules and standards for individuals and programs providing dispute resolution services with state funds. These include community dispute resolution centers, court-annexed domestic relations and civil court mediations, and the court systems.

In the news: The 486 series of microprocessor is released by Intel, opening the way for the next generation of much more powerful PC’s, Microsoft releases Office Suite, Berlin Wall collapses.

1995 The Oregon Mediator Competency Work Group (“Work Group”) convened
The Work Group was a joint effort between OMA and the Commission. In February, an invitation to participate in the Work Group was broadly distributed to practitioner organizations, trainers, university programs, court services and others involved in mediation. The following mission statement was agreed to by the Work Group:

To encourage a collaborative process based on consensus principles that will: identify stakeholders; design and then implement a statewide dialogue by which the stakeholders can communicate their thoughts and ideas on qualifications and competencies of mediators in the State of Oregon; and recommend a course of action to ensure competency of mediators.”

In the news: dot.com boom starts, Amazon.com opens, Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 1.0 and Windows 95, eBay was founded, Yahoo! was incorporated.

1998 The Oregon Mediator Competency Work Group issues its Final Report

2000 OMA establishes Core Standards of Mediation Practice
After a multi-year process, OMA revised its Standards of Practice and adopted the Core Standards of Mediation Practice on September 9, 2000.

2003 The Oregon Dispute Resolution Commission is eliminated during the legislative session
The Community Dispute Resolution Center program was moved to the University of Oregon Law School. The Oregon Office of Community Dispute Resolution (OOCDR) office oversees grants generated from state funds and is now administered through the U of O Law School.

2005 OMA revises Core Standards of Mediation Practice
After another multi-year process, OMA adopted revised Core Standards of Mediation Practice (“Core Standards”) on April 23, 2005. The Core Standards use non-mandatory language and are intended as a guide to mediators and not intended to be disciplinary rules.

In the news: Apple releases iPhone, the 1st YouTube video is uploaded, Pandora is launched.

2006 OMA launches Grievance Process pilot project
OMA adopted its Voluntary Mediation Process for Resolving Disputes with OMA Mediators as a pilot project on December 11, 2006. The Grievance Process was intended as a voluntary process for resolving disputes that may arise between mediators and participants in mediation. It was not intended as a method of enforcing the Core Standards or of assuring competency.

2007 OMA forms The Quality Assurance Task Force
OMA convened a Quality Assurance Task Force to revisit the questions surrounding competency. The Task Force reviewed the options explored by the 1998 Work Group.

2008 OMA Quality Enhancement Initiative
Based upon the Task Force findings, OMA adopted its Quality Enhancement Initiative (QEI) on June 16, 2008. The QEI emphasizes six elements: Leadership through Partnerships, Consumer Education, Mentoring, Mediation Complaint Process, Model Standards for Qualifications, and Model Standards for Training and Trainers.

In the news: Barack Obama elected President (technology played a major role), Facebook reaches 100MM active users, Global Financial Crises, GPS now on devices, Apple’s App store launched.

2010 OMA adopts Model Guidelines for Private Practice Mediator Education, Training, and Experience
The adoption followed a multi-year process with extensive outreach to members and stakeholders spearheaded by the OMA Standards and Practices Committee. View model guidelines.

2020 OMA hosts first Annual Conference using Zoom’s virtual platform
In the news: COVID-19 pandemic triggers lockdowns and global recession, Zoom and Microsoft Teams are the new offices, Joe Biden announces Kamilla Harris as running mate.

2021 OMA’s hosts 35th Annual Conference in a virtual format
OMA Board adopts EDI Decision Making Framework as a model to evaluate the impact of business decisions. In December, Basic Equity Training is offered to members.

2022 OMA hosts 36th Annual Conference
2022 is launched with multi-series training workshops focused on political depolarization, conflict resilience and transformative dialogue.

In the news: Second year COVID-19, Joe Biden sworn in as President, Representative Deb Haaland (NM) is confirmed as secretary of the Interior.