Friday, October 3, 2025  IN-PERSON

Conference Registration Desk

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Location: Jefferson Building, outside of King William Room

Check-in and receive your conference badge.

Ethics: Lighting the Way 

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Approved for 2hrs MCLE Ethics and for 2hrs CME Ethics)  Location: Jefferson Building, King William Room

Speakers: 
Ken Rosenbaum, Principal | Sylvan Environmental Consultants

Elizabeth Cheney, Appellate Mediation Program Coordinator | District of Columbia Court of Appeals

Jennifer Gartlan, Chief, ADR Unit | US Office of Special Counsel

Mac Reed, Lawyer | The McGavock Reed Law Firm

Reception & Keynote by Justice William C. Mims (ret.)

6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Location: Madison Building, Henrico Ballroom

Join us for a cocktail reception and Keynote with Justice William C. Mims (ret.), Supreme Court of Virginia with entertainment provided by Shortfall. 

Saturday, October 4, 2025   IN-PERSON

Continental Breakfast

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Location: Madison Building, Hanover Room

Conference Registration Desk

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Location: Madison Building, Main Floor Lobby

Meet & Greet for New Members

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

CONCURRENT SESSION 1A: Dealing with Angry People

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Approved for 1hr CME)

Speaker:

Doug Spoors, President |VMN

CONCURRENT SESSION 2A: The Transformative Role of Visual Art in Peacemaking

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Approved for 1hr CME)

Speaker:

Soo Paek, PhD Student | George Mason University

CONCURRENT SESSION 3A: Socio-Genograms: Use & Value in Mediation

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Approved for 1hr CME)

Speaker:

Noel Levan, Family Mediator, Parenting Educator | Fairfield Mediation Center & What'll Work Family Mediation

CONCURRENT SESSION 1B: 

Navigate the Ombuds World

10:15 AM – 11:45 AM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speaker:

Sarah Atif, University Ombudsperson | George Mason University

CONCURRENT SESSION 2B: Tactical Mindfulness for Mediators

10:15 AM – 11:45 AM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speaker:

Breyette Lorntz, Founder and Director of Vision and Practice | Lanterns Mediation

CONCURRENT SESSION 3B: Becoming a Restorative Lawyer: How to Transform Your Legal Practice for Client, Self, and Community Growth

10:15 AM – 12:15 PM (Approved for 2hrs MCLE and 2hrs CME)

Brenda Waugh, Attorney and Mediator | Waugh Law and Mediation

Lunch & Annual Meeting

12:30 PM – 1:45 PM | Location: Madison, 3rd Floor

CONCURRENT SESSION 1C: Common Difficulties in Mediating Equitable Distribution in Virginia

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Approved for 2hrs MCLE and 2hrs CME)

Speaker:

Hon. Jeanette Irby (ret.), Judge | Juridical Solutions, PLC

CONCURRENT SESSION 2C: Put Wind in Your Sails by Thinking Profit in a Non-Profit World!

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Approved for 2hrs CME)

Speaker:

Chuck Boles, Professor of Justice Studies & Certified Mediator | MediatorChuck.com

CONCURRENT SESSION 3C:  Designing Mediation and Conflict Resolution Training with AI

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speaker:

Breyette Lorntz, Founder and Director of Vision and Practice | Lanterns Mediation

Sunday, October 5, 2025   NO SESSIONS

Dispute Resolution Resources for Rejection, Estrangement, and Relationship Rehabilitation

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Approved for 1hr CME)

Speaker:

Dan Berstein, Founder | MH Mediate

Must Mediated Agreements Be Fair?

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME, including 1 hour of Ethics)

Speaker:

Charles "Chips" Lickson, Founder, Principal and Senior Neutral |Conflict Management Consortium

Tuesday, October 7, 2025   VIRTUAL

Highlighting the transformative mediation approach: Its relevance to family conflict in South Africa

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speaker:

Monique Carels, Lecturer | University of Cape Town

Divorce Mortgage Planning: Guiding the Homeowner’s Journey to Resolution

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Approved for 2hrs MCLE and 2hrs CME)

Speaker:

Jody Bruns, President & Founder | Divorce Lending Association

Partnering for Peace: How Divorce Coaching and Mediation Work Together to Empower Clients

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speakers:

Laura Gordon, Divorce Coach I Court-Certified Family Mediator | Laura Gordon, LLC

Janelle Webb, Divorce & Co-Parenting Coach | Reimagined Horizons

Building a Mediation Practice: Strategy, Systems, and Sustainability

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Approved for 2hrs CME)

Speaker:

AJ Maddeny, Founder | Aether Mediation LLC

Forgiveness: Unlocking the Possibilities

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speaker:

Eileen Barker, Mediator, Forgiveness Educator | Forgiveness Training Institute

Lighting the Way: The Raising Kids Together Turbocharged Living Scale (RKT-TLS)

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speaker:

Breyette Lorntz, Founder and Director of Vision and Practice | Lanterns Mediation

Full Circle Feedback Forum: Community Engagement

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Approved for 1hr CME)

Speaker:

Kimberly Jackson Davidson, University Ombudsperson | George Mason University

Friday, October 10, 2025   VIRTUAL

AI - AI - oh! How AI Can Assist My Mediation Practice

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Approved for 1.5hrs CME)

Speakers:

Clare Fowler, Vice-President | Mediate.com

Colin Rule, President & CEO | Mediate.com

Alternative Dispute Resolution in our School Systems

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (Approved for 1 hour MCLE and 1.5hrs CME )

Speaker:

Dr. Bonnie-Jéan Brown, CEO | The Path to Well-Being, LLC

CONCLUSION OF CONFERENCE EDUCATION SESSIONS
(Note: Conference sessions subject to change.)