Mediator, accredited November 2008
I have been an accredited mediator since 2008 and since then have over 300 hours of mediation experience including more than 250 hours of experience as mediator at the Magistrates Court since 2014 (mostly pro-bono). I have experience in workplace, community and commercial mediation. I was a member of the SA committee of the Resolution Institute (formerly LEADR) for 3 years which primarily involved organising professional development opportunities for mediators.
I have a special interest in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and have completed advanced training including a 9-month program consisting of three 5-day residentials, with ongoing coaching and interaction in between. The focus of NVC is compassionate communication and the practice of skills such as empathy, listening and use of language that is impartial and connecting.
Prior to my retirement from full-time employment more than 10 years ago, I was employed in a variety of roles in the public (Defence) and the university sectors for over 30 years. These roles covered teaching, research, management, and leadership. I have been committee president for several organisations covering technical (engineering), sport and recreation (with clubs ranging from golf to chess) and artistic (choral music). I trained and worked as a Defence Equity Adviser for about four years which meant I was a contact officer for staff experiencing discrimination, bullying, harassment, or other such behaviours and provided advice on their choices of actions as well as an empathic and confidential listening ear. I also conducted several independent reviews of action for senior management where staff had lodged complaints of some kind. I also did similar review work external to Defence for the Australian Public Service Commission for about 5 years. This was additional to my regular duties as a member, and later manager, of various groups of professional staff engaged in technical work which also required the exercise of high-level communication skills including at times difficult performance management conversations.
I have several years of working with commercial research agreements between Defence and the University of Adelaide (from both sides) and exposure at various levels to complex commercial agreements between Defence and private industry. I also have had various roles on Body Corporate Committees for investment properties I have owned including the chair of a Body Corporate for a retirement village consisting of 85 units with a resident manager; a role I had from when the property was built in 2003 to when I sold it in 2021. These roles have all involved negotiations between parties, often including lawyers.