The Mediation Center, Inc.

As a collaborative of professionals, The Mediation Center, Inc. offers you as a client the option to choose a mediator or conflict resolution specialist who meets your needs.  Following are biographies of professionals affiliated with the Center.  To contact one of our mediators, simply click on his or her name.

Bobbie L. Dillon
President, Trainer, Facilitator, and Mediator

A.A.S. Business Administration, Finger Lakes Community College
B.A. Communication, summa cum laude, St. John Fisher College
Graduate student, M.S. Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Nova Southeastern University Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Bobbie L. Dillon works both as an administrator for the Center and as an active mediator, facilitator, and trainer. She received her mediation training at the Upstate New York Mediation Training Institute. She is an Advanced Practitioner Member of the Family Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution, an Accredited Member of the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, where she also serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors. She is past President of the Rochester Association of Family Mediators and is certified by the Unified Court System of the State of New York to mediate court-referred cases.

Bobbie enjoys working with families, not-for-profits, and businesses. A child of divorce who grew up in a happily blended family, Bobbie believes divorce can be accomplished in a way that allows everyone, including children, to continue to prosper and grow. "By working together through an emotionally painful experience, spouses can continue to be partners in parenting as they begin living separate lives," says Bobbie.

In addition, Bobbie’s background in business and her years of experience working in the for-profit and not-for-profit sector make her ideally suited to work with organizations. Her experience includes facilitating groups to reach consensus on topics as far reaching as organizational mission, identity and mergers; and training organizations in communication and conflict management and resolution skills.

Donald L. Crumb, Esq.
Mediator

B.A. LeMoyne College
Juris Doctorate Syracuse University College of Law

Don Crumb is an attorney who has practiced in the Rochester Community for over eighteen years and is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association.  His time spent with Phillips, Lytle LLP and as a Municipal Attorney with the City of Rochester have given him experience in the fields of economic development, real estate transactions and financing including acquisitions, dispositions, secured lending and leasing for commercial, industrial, residential, and mixed use  projects areas, as well as general corporate for not-for-profit, educational and municipal corporations . 

Don's prior work at the Developmental Center and P.E.A.C.E./Head Start combined with his volunteer work as a Board Member and officer of Neighborworks Rochester, Rescue Foundation, Inc. and Mastiffs Unlimited of NY, Inc. have rounded out his experience in helping others work through difficult times and issues.

Don has received his mediation training at the Upstate New York Mediation Training Institute and from course work through the Center for Dispute Settlement.  He is a member of the    Association for Conflict Resolution, the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, and the Rochester Association of Family Mediators. 
 

John W. Heister, Ph.D.
Mediator, Trainer

B.A. Syracuse University
M.Div. Yale University
Ph.D. Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University

Dr. Heister works part-time in the areas of family mediation, faith-community conflict resolution, and training. After completing his training in mediation with O.J. Coogler and John M. Haynes in 1981, he became the founding president of the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation in 1983. Dr. Heister directed the Mediation Center of Rochester until 2007 to its pre-eminent position as one of the largest private practice mediation centers in the nation. 

In addition to directing the Center and mediating both institutional and family disputes, Dr. Heister founded the Upstate New York Mediation Training Institute in 1984. He is an approved trainer for the Association for Conflict Resolution. He is proud to say that most of the practicing family mediators between Albany and Buffalo have been trained by him.

In recent years, Dr. Heister's consultation and training work has expanded to include the special needs of conflict management in organizations. He has conducted workshops in conflict management, trained mediators for institutional dispute resolution, and provided consultation in conflict management systems design.

Elizabeth Marvald, J.D., L.L.M.
Mediator

B.A. Houghton College
J.D. State University of New York at Buffalo, College of Law
LL.M. New York University

A practicing attorney, Elizabeth "Lisa" Marvald has chosen to expand her interests and energies into the field of mediation. She has worked in both New York City and Rochester since 1988. Through her experience as an associate in a large New York law firm, an Estate Tax Attorney with the Internal Revenue Service, and currently as a sole practitioner with an emphasis on family law, Ms. Marvald observed an adversarial legal process that is expensive, time-consuming and often non-productive. She concluded that there must be a more effective method of resolving disputes.

Ms. Marvald completed training in divorce mediation at the Upstate New York Mediation Training Institute. Her advanced degree in tax law gives her an important expertise to contribute to the Center in helping both business as well as family clients.

Ms. Marvald's legal practice includes family law, estate planning and administration, and federal and state taxation. She practices before the New York State Supreme Court, Fourth Department, The United States District Court for the Western District of New York, and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York and is a member of the Monroe County Bar Association.


Jeanne G. Carlivatti
Peaceable Schools Program Consultant

B.A. Ohio State
M.A., M.S. State University of New York at Brockport

An educator for 28-years, Jeanne Carlivati worked as an elementary teacher and a school counselor at the middle school, high school and alternative school settings. She coordinated a peer mediation program for 15 years in a local school, providing ongoing training for students and staff.  She also continues to train students and staff from a variety of school districts to help them establish similar programs. She helped to develop the Creating Peaceable Schools Program, co-sponsored by the Mediation Center of Rochester, which at one time was an integral program in 7 different Rochester City Schools.  Jeanne also served as lead facilitator for school climate from 2000-2003 for the Rochester City School District. In 1996 she received the Rochester City School District Award for TEACHER OF THE YEAR, for which she is still very proud. The fact that she is the only counselor to ever receive this award makes it even more meaningful. Since her retirement in June 2003, Jeanne has become very involved in restorative practices and has become an experienced trainer in both community conferencing and peace circles.

Jeanne continues to volunteer with the Grief Resource Network of the City School District, serving on their Advisory Board and helping to plan monthly staff development workshops. For the past seven years, she has also been the volunteer United Way coordinator for the Rochester City School District’s yearly campaign.  Jeanne also serves on the Board of Directors for Partners in Restorative Initiatives, a local not for profit community organization. When not in school, Jeanne enjoys cooking, knitting, gardening, reading and traveling with her husband. They have a grown son who currently lives in California.


Raeleen M. Balta
Peaceable Schools Program Consultant
 
B.S. Elmira College
M. Ed. Counseling, University of New Hampshire

Raeleen has worked as a family therapist and a school counselor in elementary, middle, and alternative schools for over 16 years. She was a school counselor in the Rochester City School District for 16 years, 11 of which were at Monroe Middle School. Along with other colleagues, she was instrumental in implementing a wide-ranging Peaceable Schools program at Monroe Middle School. She has assisted in coordinating the Student Court and Peer Mediation Programs. She has assisted in coordinating the Student Court and Peer Mediation Programs. She was a member of the School Climate Committee, a sub-committee of the School-Based-Planning Team, and was directly involved in developing and instituting a significant number of programs promoting the Peaceable School concept.

Other areas of expertise include serving as a Grief Resource Specialist for the Rochester City School District and mentor for first year school counselors. In addition to facilitating many student groups, she, along with a colleague, initiated a successful pregnancy education and prevention program. Working with middle school students always brought her new and rewarding challenges. She brings these many years of experience with middle school students to all of her training venues.

In addition, Raeleen has received training in negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills through the Upstate New York Mediation Training Institute. She sees her affiliation with the Center as a way to further enhance her opportunities to share her skills with others in school settings.

When not at school, Raeleen enjoys spending time with her husband, Jeff, and son, Nicholas both at home and during summers at their cottage on Keuka Lake. Her other areas of expertise include developing and managing her own antiques business, and marketing and managing two online website stores. In addition to this, she enjoys gardening, traveling, skiing, sailing, and spending time with friends and family.