Skip to the content of the web site.

Workshop Trainers

Workshop Trainers

  1. Richard Beifuss
  2. Bob Chodos
  3. Ted Dueck
  4. Norman Feldman
  5. Sami M. Fereig
  6. Warren D. Griffin
  7. Barbara Landau
  8. Daryl Landau
  9. Sy Landau
  10. Chuck Matheson
  11. Margaret Nally
  12. Idrisa Pandit
  13. Shadell Permanand
  14. Betty Pries
  15. Keith Regehr
  16. Richard Russell
  17. Joseph Schaeffer
  18. Sue Steiner
  19. Molly Swan
  20. John Winslade
  21. Lorne Wolfson
  22. Kevin Lanctot
  23. John Butcher
  24. Kay Pranis
  25. Jennifer Ball
  26. Janet Schmidt

Staff

Susan Baker (Manager)


Workshop Trainers

  1. Richard Beifuss, Ph.D., P.Eng., C.Arb.top
    Richard Beifuss
    Dr. Richard Beifuss has more than thirty years’ experience within Canadian industry as an engineering consultant (employee and partner), and in its governmental civil service as a manager of technical resources (electrical), project manager, technical expert, program manager and director. He developed guidelines on project management and quality control for Public Works Canada. He has extensive expertise in alternative (appropriate) dispute resolution in diverse claims (marine, transportation, buildings and real property management). As Director of Contract Claims Management, he co-designed and implemented Public Works’ Contract Disputes Advisory Board (still used by PWGSC and the TD Bank) on behalf of the Minister. He is a speaker and lecturer to groups (national and international) on ADR and Contract Claims Management and Avoidance, and a designer and lecturer on arbitration for Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada for which he obtained accreditation from the ADR Institute of Ontario.



  2. Bob Chodos, B.Sc., M.A. top
    Bob Chodos Bob Chodos is a founding member of both Across Boundaries Multifaith Institute, a Canada-wide education organization focusing on multifaith issues, and Interfaith Grand River, Waterloo Region's interfaith group. He is a former president, religious school principal and ritual committee chair of Temple Shalom, Kitchener-Waterloo's Reform Jewish congregation. He works as a writer, editor and translator and is author or coauthor of 14 books on a variety of topics.


  3. Ted Dueck, B.A., LL.B., LL.M., C.Med. top
    Ted Dueck Ted Dueck was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979 and has been a professional mediator, as an adjunct to his legal practice, since 1991.  His legal practice is restricted to civil litigation, including personal injury and disability insurance cases, wrongful dismissal, commercial contract, estate and land use planning disputes. In addition to acting as a mediator in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and with the Ontario Mandatory Mediation Program, Toronto, he regularly acts as counsel for parties involved in civil mediation.  He also consults on conflict analysis and conflict systems design matters.


  4. Norman Feldman, B.Sc.Phm.top
    Norman Feldman Norman Feldman first encountered meditation while traveling in India in 1971. Since then he has studied with many renowned teachers in Asia, Europe and North America, in the Theravada, Tibetan and Zen traditions of Buddhism.
    Since 1986 has been leading Insight Meditation retreats in Canada, England, India, Israel and the USA. Through pilgrimages to sacred Buddhist sites in India, daily life retreats and canoe retreats, Norman is exploring ways of bringing meditation out of the meditation hall. He is a co-founder and Guiding Teacher of True North Insight Meditation Centre. Norman is currently based in Guelph, with his partner Molly Swan.



  5. Sami M. Fereig, B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., M.A.Sc., Ph.D., P.Eng.top
    Sami M. Fereig Dr. Sami Fereig has over thirty-five years’ experience in structural engineering, construction engineering and management, and construction conflict management in both North America and the Middle East. He is actively involved in construction contract administration, and project and conflict management with a number of organizations, including public- and private-sector companies in engineering and construction. He is currently a professor of civil engineering and construction management at Kuwait University, and has numerous publications in his various areas of specialization. He is a member of the ADR Institute of Ontario and the Professional Engineers of Ontario.



  6. Warren D. Griffin, B.Sc. (Hons.), LL.B.top
    Warren D. Griffin Warren Griffin, a lawyer and partner in the firm of Giesbrecht, Griffin and Funk in Kitchener, Ontario, practices primarily in the areas of corporate, commercial, taxation, real estate, wills and estates. He has taught business courses at Wilfred Laurier University’s School of Business and Economics and accountancy courses at the University of Waterloo’s School of Accountancy. He is also part of a teaching team assembled for the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada to provide continuing education as part of a certification program administered through the University of Waterloo. For that program he provides instruction on legal issues such as contracts, construction liens, construction contracts and related topics.


  7. Dr. Barbara Landau, Ph.D., LL.B., LL.M., C.Med. top
    Dr. Barbara Landau

    Dr. Barbara Landau, President of Cooperative Solutions , is a Psychologist, Lawyer, and an accredited Family Mediator -Family Mediation Canada (FMC), as well as a Certified Comprehensive Family Mediator (ADR), and Trainer. She also participates as a Trainer at the Family Information Sessions through the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. She is a former President of the Ontario Association for Family Mediation, Former Vice President of the ADR Institute, and former executive member of the OBA-ADR Section. Barbara received the "Award for Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution" from the Ontario Bar Association's ADR Section in 2001, the John Haynes Distinguished Mediator Award from the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) in 2003, and the Long Term Achievement Award (FAMMA) from Family Mediation Canada in 2004.

    Barbara has written numerous articles on mediation and collaborative law published in Mediation News, The Lawyers Weekly, OBA's Matrimonial Affairs, Interaction, The Ontario Psychologist, and co-authored two books: The Family Mediation & Collaborative Practice Handbook, 4th Edit. (2005) co-authored with Lorne Wolfson and Niki Landau; and From Conflict to Creativity (2001) co-authored with Sy and Daryl Landau.

    In 1999, Barbara participated in a "citizen diplomacy" mission to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza to compassionately listen to Israelis and Palestinians as a step toward peace and reconciliation. As the Co-Chair of the Canadian Association of Jews and Muslims, she co-leads Dialogue Groups to build understanding and respect between Jews, Muslims and Palestinians living in Toronto.

     

  8. Daryl Landau, M.A top

    Daryl Landau

    Daryl Landau, M.A., M.Sc., is the President of Common Ground, a Toronto-based business that provides conflict management and human rights services to organizations.  He has been consulting for about ten years.

    He is co-author of From Conflict To Creativity:  How Resolving Workplace Disputes Can Inspire Innovation And Productivity (Jossey Bass, 2001).  Daryl is an experienced mediator who has trained thousands of new mediators.  In addition to his Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University (U.S.), he has about two hundred hours of additional mediation training. 

    Daryl worked as a mediator at the Ontario Human Rights Commission.  He has conducted investigations, and offered sensitivity training or human rights advice to individuals and organizations.

    As an Accredited Family Mediator (Ontario Association for Family Mediation) since 1997, Daryl has offered family mediation, coaching, and couples counseling.  He has also helped train hundreds of new family mediators in courses run by Cooperative Solutions. 

    Daryl is the Chair of the Employment Section at the ADR Institute of Ontario, and a former Board member.  He is also on various mediation rosters, including local community mediation organizations.




  9. Sy Landau, B.A.Sc., M.B.A. top
    Sy Landau is President of Organizational Strategies Group Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in organization effectiveness. Sy is co-author of the book From Conflict to Creativity (2001). He has led seminars for managers and professionals in both the private and public sectors on subjects such as Win-Win Negotiation, Dispute Resolution, Barrier-Free Communication, and Innovation and Creativity. In 1999, he participated in a citizen diplomacy mission to the mid-east. Sy is a Roster Mediator, Ontario Mandatory Mediation Program, Toronto.


  10. Chuck Matheson top
    After some 25 years as a union member and leader and negotiating over 15 different collective agreements, being involved in 4 different work stoppages, involving three different unions in three different business sectors, Chuck Matheson, Mutual Consensus, began looking for a better way of resolving differences between workplace Parties.His goal--to promote cost-effective and long-term solutions that face employers and their unions on a daily basis. A grievance mediator and arbitrator since 2001, and a graduate of the Certificate Program in Conflict Management, he has been across the province of Ontario and has successfully mediated over 98% of all the grievances that were before him. In 2003, Chuck expanded his practice to include mediating work stoppages or strikes and lockouts. He frequently supervises Ratification votes to ensure there is a balanced representation of the outstanding issues.

     

  11. Margaret Nally, B.A. top
    Margaret Nally Margaret Nally is a mother and the grandmother of two grandsons. She has been a member of Kitchener-Waterloo House Churches for over 20 years and an Associate of the Iona Community. She has a B.A. in Religious Studies and an MTS in progress. Trained and practicing as a Spiritual Director, she is also Chaplain at Mary’s Place, an emergency shelter for homeless women and children.A member of the K-W Ministerial, Margaret has provided leadership in retreats and days of prayer.Margaret’s history in the community has included working for almost ten years at the Global Community Centre; establishing the Working Centre and setting up a program and residence for government sponsored refugees called "The Reception Centre'; and working for 15 years in both Catholic and public school boards on anti-racist education, in both policy development and practical training programs with students and teachers. Margaret served on the board of the YWCA for 6 years, the last two as President. She is currently a member of the Board of Mennonite Central Committee Ontario as well as Menno-Homes. She is a member of Inter-Faith Grand River’s committee on Spiritual Support for those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. Margaret has traveled extensively in the developing world visiting and participating in MCC short-term projects in Palestine, Guatemala, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Brazil and West Africa.

  12. Idrisa Pandit

     

    Idrisa is the founder and coordinator of Muslim Social Services of Kitchener Waterloo. She has a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently works as an independent consultant. She has been involved in multi-faith work for sixteen years in the United States and continues to do the same since her arrival in Canada almost three years ago.  Idrisa is a member of Inter faith Grand River and is actively involved in issues of diversity and multiculturalism in the KW community at large.  For her leadership and passion for community development, interfaith relations and social justice, she was named in 2007 as one of the "Canadian Muslim women who inspire" by the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.

         

  13. Shadell Permanand, B.Th. top
    Shadell Permanaud

    Shadell Permanand has been involved in the conflict resolution field since 1996. In Fall 2010 Shadell became the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Officer at the University of Toronto, following five years as the Director of the Office of Student Conduct and Dispute Resolution (SCDR) at York University. Formerly, Shadell was the Executive Director of Conflict Mediation Services of Downsview (CMS-D 1996-2005), a non-profit organization that offers mediation/conferencing services, restorative justice initiatives, school and youth programs, and conflict resolution training and consulting. Shadell is also a former board member/Chairperson for the Victim Offender Mediation Association (VOMA), an international non-profit dedicated to restorative justice dialogue processes. She has lectured on dispute resolution and intercultural issues in the University setting and coached since 1997. As a consultant, Shadell offers training (conflict resolution, intercultural issues, anti-racism and more), facilitation, mediation and general consultation.




  14. Betty Pries, B.A., Diploma of Mediation, MTS, C.Med. top
    Betty Pries Betty Pries has substantial experience in conflict resolution as a mediator, trainer and consultant, nationally and internationally. She is published in magazines and has authored several manuals. Betty is a Senior Associate with PACT Associates, a mediation and training firm based in Kitchener, Ontario.


  15. Keith Regehr, B.A., LL.B. top
    Keith Regehr Keith Regehr, Decisions Mediation Service, has extensive experience in family law, divorce mediation, employment litigation, professional ethics, organizational conflict resolution and mediation training. While not currently practicing law, he has worked in private practice, as well as serving as Staff Lawyer for the Law Society of Upper Canada investigating allegations of serious professional misconduct. Keith has international experience, working in Southern Africa on issues of human rights and political transition, as well as teaching mediation to construction professionals in the Middle East through the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies' Certificate Program in Conflict Management. Keith also teaches conflict resolution in the undergraduate Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Conrad Grebel University College, an affiliate college of the University of Waterloo, including a course on conflict resolution for engineering students. This varied background has given Keith the ability to work with a wide variety of people, respecting the diversity of viewpoints in the classroom, as well as affording him the skills to work with a wide variety of conflicts. He is a member of Family Mediation Canada, the ADR Institute & the Association for Conflict Resolution,




  16. Richard A. Russell, B.A.; LL.B.; C. Med.; Fellow, I.A.M. top
    Richard A. Russell

    Rick has been working full time in the dispute resolution field for 22 years, first as the Ombudsman to McMaster University in Hamilton, then as a commercial mediator.  In 1993, he co-founded Agree, a full service conflict management firm. 

    Rick has a busy mediation and facilitation practice specializing in commercial and workplace issues, as well as construction mediation and Partnering.  He also works frequently in the area of workplace investigation and fact-finding and serves on the faculty of highly regarded programs at both University of Waterloo’s Conrad Grebel University College and Queen’s University’s Industrial Relations Centre. 

    Rick has held leadership positions at the Ontario Bar Association, and at the ADR Institute of Ontario. Rick's speaking, training and facilitation practice includes international engagements in the USA, Barbados & Ethiopia


  17. Joseph Schaeffer, Ph.D. top
    Joseph Schaeffer Dr. Joseph Schaeffer, author of The Stone People: Living Together in a Different World and The Pebble Game: Achieving Creativity in Human Interaction, and founder of The Forsyth Centre for Community and Communication, is an educator and consultant with forty years of practical experience in the field of creative communication. As Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Communication at Marlboro College in Vermont, Joe became a respected authority on interpersonal communication, specializing in problem-solving and decision-making processes. He has traveled throughout Europe, Latin America, and North America to study creativity in communication, race relations and multicultural conflict resolution.





  18. Sue Steiner top
    Sue Steiner Sue Steiner has 18 years of experience as a pastor and interim pastor. In those capacities, she has led four diverse congregations in times of substantial change. She is also trained as a spiritual director, with a particular interest in coaching leaders to tend the communal soul of their faith communities. She has authored a book and articles on peacemaking. As a sessional lecturer at Conrad Grebel University College, she has led graduating Master of Theological Studies students in integrating theology, practical experience, and the self they bring to ministry.



  19. Molly Swan, B.F.A., M.A.T., D.S.H.top
    Molly Swan

    Molly Swan has been engaging in spiritual inquiry and meditation practice since the 1980’s in Asia, Europe and North America.Her path has been primarily the teachings and practice of the Buddha because they speak with such clarity and possibility for the liberation of heart and mind.Snce 1997, Molly has been teaching Insight Meditation retreats internationally, as well as supporting small groups and individuals. She is a co-founder and Guiding Teacher of True North Insight Meditation Centre. Molly's background also includes 15 years of teaching art in the U.S. and Canada and she often weaves the modalities of meditation and creativity together in her teachings. Molly is home (and garden) based in Guelph, Ontario with her partner Norman Feldman.



  20. John Winslade, Ph.D. top
    John Winslade John Winslade taught for ten years at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand, where he was the director of Counsellor Education. He is now a professor at California State University San Bernardino. He is co-author of Narrative Mediation: A New Approach to Conflict Resolution and has also coauthored two other books on narrative therapy. He is experienced in family court, community and organizational mediation work. He has taught narrative mediation to graduate students in New Zealand, and in workshops and seminars in six different countries.





  21. Lorne Wolfson, LL.B., LL.M.top
    Lorne Wolfson's practice includes all aspects of family law. He also acts as a counsel to other lawyers and to accountants, addressing family law concerns that arise in business and personal financial counselling.he Law Society of Upper Canada has certified him as a Specialist in Family Law. He has also been appointed a Dispute Resolution Officer of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Lorne is the author of "The New Family Law", co-editor of "Money & Family Law", co-author of "The Best of Money & Family Law" and "The Family Mediation Handbook". In 1997, he headed the team of Torkin Manes that wrote the "Child Support Guidelines Workbook" for the Department of Justice Canada. Lorne is the Chair of the Family Law Specialty Committee of The Law Society of Upper Canada.

  22. Kevin Lanctot, Ph.D.
    Kevin Lanctot's mediation background began in 1992 and includes work with the University of Waterloo, Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) in Kitchener-Waterloo and Community Boards in San Francisco. He currently works with CJI where his experience focuses on two areas: community mediation and victim offender mediation with an emphasis on Restorative Justice. He began teaching mediation in 1995 and has taught both for CJI and Community Boards.


  23. John Butcher
    John Butcher is President of Associates in Planning Inc., a process facilitation firm he established in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1989. His clients include organizations in most sectors of the Canadian economy - professional and industry associations, government agencies, private firms, labour unions, and non-profit groups. John is a member of the International Association of Facilitators, and holds its designation “IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator ”. John has led sessions at seven annual IAF Conferences in North America, Europe, and Asia. In December 2009, he completed a two-year term as Canadian Regional Representative on the IAF Board of Directors. John has published and presented papers on process facilitation, organizational planning, and association management, and conducts workshops on process facilitation and strategic and operational planning.

    Before 1989, John worked in several public and private sector organizations, including the Council of Ontario Universities, Human Resources Development Canada, the Canadian Association In Support of the Native Peoples, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, and Abt Associates. John is an active volunteer, serving with Parkdale United Church, the Ottawa District Hockey Association, the Public Administrators’ Colloquium, and Trent University (where he is an Honourary Fellow of Champlain College).

     
  24. Kay Pranis

    Kay Pranis is a leader and trainer in restorative justice, specializing in peacemaking Circles. She served as the Restorative Justice Planner for the Minnesota Department of Corrections from 1994 to 2003. Since 1998, Kay has developed and conducted Circles trainings not only in the justice system, but also in education, faith communities, social services and neighbourhood settings.

    Kay has written extensively on restorative justice and the peacemaking Circle process. She co-authored Peacemaking Circles: From Crime to Community and is author of The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2005).

    Most recently Kay collaborated with Jennifer Ball & Wayne Caldwell to write the book Doing Democracy with Circles: Engaging Communities in Public Planning ( Living Justice Press, 2010)
  25. Jennifer Ball, Ph.D., RPP, MCIP

    Jennifer Ball holds a Ph.D. in Rural Studies, with a focus on Sustainable Rural Communities, from the University of Guelph. She has conducted research on issues of intercultural communication in professional planning, conflict management, storytelling and rural land use planning.

    Jennifer teaches a course on International Development at Conrad Grebel University College, where she incorporates the use of circle dialogue.

    Jennifer is an accredited land use and community development planner and worked for several years as a rural planner in Ontario.

    Most recently Jennifer collaborated with Kay Pranis & Wayne Caldwell to write the book Doing Democracy with Circles: Engaging Communities in Public Planning ( Living Justice Press, 2010)

     

 

27. Janet Schmidt

Janet has been working in the field of conflict resolution and mediation since 1986. Janet has a Masters of Education (1987) with a focus on organizational behaviour, and a Diploma in Mediation Skills (1996). Janet co-founded Facilitated Solutions an organization specializing in workplace mediation and facilitation. Janet has taught courses in conflict resolution at the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, and Canadian Mennonite University. Janet has written numerous articles on decision-making, guilt and shame, and forgiveness. She is currently co-authoring a book outlining the distinctive approach that Facilitated Solutions undertakes in workplace mediation.