The committee strongly emphasized that the awards are not "tiered" but are intended to reflect equal levels of recognition for different kinds of contributions.  This year the Mediator of the Year award went to Jim Pope.  Jim has been a mediator with NVMS since the second training class in 1990.  Jim served on the board for many years, most recently as President for three years and currently has transitioned to the Advisory Board.  He worked for a number of years to help bring the Fairfax GDC Court mediation program to fruition.  That program first started in 1998 with just 70 cases mediated during the first year.  During 2002-2003, the program will probably mediate 300 cases!  During the last year Jim has demonstrated both a continuing committment to NVMS and its clients by mediating all kinds of cases, stepping in to provide training whenever needed and a committment to the field by helping to create the new Fairfax Bar Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution.

The Richard V. Bernhart Award was presented by the late mediator's wife, Martha Bernhart.  Martha recalled Dick's love for NVMS and mediation and congratulated the assembled NVMSers for continuing the work Dick had helped to start.  The first Bernhart Award was presented to Michael West.  Michael is well known in NVMS and local mediation circles for his commitment to clients and to working with, teaching and learning from his co-mediators.  Michael was selected because he most exemplifies the characteristices of Dick Bernhart who loved learning and exploring new ideas, mentoring others and helping people make peace.  And, like Dick, Michael is a caring person who contributes to the community in many ways.  For example, during the last few years, Michael has participated in the annual AIDS Ride, a grueling cross country bicycle trip that raises funds for AIDS research and treatment. 

The Above and Beyond Award was presented to Ken Murphy and Elisabeth Bissell.  These two mediators have spent countless hours in the Fairfax GDC court pulling files, calling litigants, conducting phone mediation and pre-court date mediation and mediating and mentoring cases weekly in the small claims and civil divisions of the court.  The committee was stunned by both the quantity and quality of the work of these mediators who have been key players in expanding the delivery of services to hundreds of more litigants.  Clearly their service was "Above and Beyond" every reasonable expectation or call to duty.  Although they could not make the picnic, the assembled mediators and staff expressed their sincere thanks to Ken and Elisabeth for their work.

Last but certainly not least, Rob Scott presented "Outstanding Team Achievment" awards to the staff members who have served NVMS over the past year.  This included Daniel Taggart, Jessica Hotz, Pam Fukumitsu, Thu Do, Susan Jelinek, Ellie Heller, and Erkia Alston.  This has really been a year when NVMS had a  "dream team" of staff that worked together seamlessly, integrated new staffers into the mix and filled in when some had to leave. 

Dick was very active with Northern Virginia Mediation Service and, before that, with the Community Mediation Center in Harrisonburg.  His interest in mediation originated with his great love of family and community.  It
broke his heart to think of the damage done to children by the conflict of divorce so he took a special interest in mediating parenting issues and in mentoring new mediators to provide this service.  At NVMS he served as one of our early mediators and was also on the board as a member and Vice President.  Dick was largely responsible for my coming on as Executive Director and he was always available to provide advice, assistance and just plain moral support.  Ramona Buck, NVMS's previous E.D. always praised Dick as a good man with a great heart.  I think it safe to say that his buoyant optimism alone floated the organization along
for most of the early years.  He was beloved by all who knew him and he will be missed.

Comments I have received include:
1.  "He was such a good man.  I am sure a star will go out in the heavens...."
2.  "Dick has indeed been a positive influence on NVMS and me in particular in my early years of mediating."
3.  "This is such sad news.  He was such a nice man and supporter of NVMS.  I have fond memories of going to his farm out in the country for our picnic."
4.  "We of NVMS and, I am sure, many others will miss him more than any of us yet knows."

Services will be held at 11:00am tomorrow, Tuesday, July 23 at the St. James United Church of Christ, 10 East Broadway, Lovettsville, Virginia (north of Leesburg).  Mapquest says to take the Dulles Toll Road/Greenway or Route 7 to leesburg and then take Routh 7 north to a right turn onto VA-287 which becomes South Berlin Pike.  Then turn right onto East Broad
Way, Va-672.  It's about 50 miles from the Capital Beltway, I-495 and takes about 1 hour.  The phone number for the church is 540-822-4306 and for the Loudoun Funeral Chapels which has made the arrangements
1-800-761-5057.  An obituary appears in the Washington Post, today, July 22, 2002.

-- Rob Scott, Executive Director

The UVA Top News Daily reported in its October 12, 2001 edition that "Race relations. Prison life. Boycotts. The plight of migrant workers. Clean water and air. Community policing. All of those things and many more may be the subject of community disputes that eventually land in courts. Community mediation programs have been effective in addressing some of these issues, but a new national study released by the University's Institute for Environmental Negotiation finds that the lack of state support of such programs limits their reach - despite a broad base of enthusiasm for them and evidence of their value."    

Press Release    Full Study
Source: U.Va. News Services

Topics covered in the booklet include information about the experience of separation and divorce, facing and surviving a marriage that's ending, dealing with physical separation, grieving and emotional regrouping, and rebuilding, as well as a short list of books and web sites for additional information. 

At the suggestion of Ms. Booker, the booklet will be reproduced on-line at the Northern Virginia Mediation Service web site, made available to NVMS clients and re-print rights can be provided to attorneys and counselors who want to provide it to their own clients as a useful resource. 

Rob Scott, Executive Director of NVMS, said "Sometimes I'm stunned by the generosity of those in our community.  Judi Booker has been a long time friend of our organization and this gift makes me doubly thankful that we know her because both our mediators and our clients will benefit from this gift.".

The study made a number of findings and recommendations.  The overall thrust of the study was that community mediation centers are sources of strength and innovation in providing mediation throughout the United States and that community mediation services are measurably cost effective in dealing with conflict and reducing community violence and discord.  The study further found that there is insufficient funding to take full advantage of this strength particularly in Virginia and especially with regard to early intervention and prevention programs.  The study recommended, among other things, that stable funding be found for Virignia's community mediation centers and that an effort be made to extend the beneifits of conflict resolution to all parts of Virginia.

In its first official act, the VACCR passed a resolution requesting the Virginia General Assembly to authorize a legislative study on methods other states have used to meet the community conflict resolution needs of citizens.

Now NVMS welcomes Erika Alston as our new Training Coordinator.  Erika joined the NVMS staff in September of 2000.  She is currently taking mediation training herself and will enter a Masters program in Social Work in the Fall of 2001.