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Spring 2014

  
In This Issue
From Darlene's Desk
#1: Volunteer of the Quarter
#2: Working through Impasse
#3: NPE Certification Approved
#4: New & Improved Outreach Tools
#5: Board of Directors, President's Update
Upcoming 
Events & Activities 
JUNE 21

From Darlene's Desk  
With only a few days to go, all of us here at Community Boards are excited about the San Francisco Peaceamaker Awards benefit on June 6.

There is something very special about being amongst a diverse group of peacemakers who, with their different work, have a common goal: making San Francisco a city of healthier and safer neighborhoods and communities. On June 6 we will celebrate change-makers, community-builders, anti-violence advocates, and on-the-ground peacemakers.

We are very fortunate to have the Honorable Cruz Reynoso as keynote speaker.  Justice Reynoso will share his stories about the power of restorative justice.  We're also fortunate to have Claudia Viera lead the morning workshop exploring the tools and strategies to overcome implicit bias in mediation settings.

A big heartfelt thank you to the volunteers, sponsors, and guests who will surely make this event memorable and successful.

In peace,
Darlene

#1: Vicki Oppenheim, Volunteer of the Quarter    

Community Boards Mediator Interview - Summer 2014 Vicki has been a volunteer mediator and a training coach with Community Boards for almost 14 years. One of the most valuable rewards, she feels, is that she learns something new with each mediation.  

 

Vicki works for UC Berkeley as an Employee Relations Consultant in Human Resources.   A native San Franciscan, Vicki enjoys exploring the different neighborhoods in the City.   She also enjoys reading, foreign films, gardening, riding a bicycle, and taking frequent "TTO's" (Technology Time-Outs).


#2: Working through Impasse
Marc Feder | Jessica Notini | Marvin Schwartz 
Advanced Mediation Training | Friday, June 20 
Three of the Bay Area's most respected ADR trainers will lead this interactive advanced mediation training on proactively managing impasse.

Participants will learn ways of not only breaking impasse using leverage and caucus, but also how to redefine it and move through it using narrative mediation, and how to gracefully end a mediation when the parties simply cannot agree.

Come prepared to shift your thinking on what impasse is and leave with multiple new skills and strategies.   >>>Click here to learn more and register.


#3: CB Certified as Local Nonprofit Enterprise (NPE) with the City   

NPE certification is an important accomplishment for us.  The entire certification process took a grueling 10 months and was completed with a recent administrative site visit.

With certification, Community Boards will be able to bid -- or work as a subcontractor -- on City/County contracts with the same incentives offered to minority and women-owned businesses.

With NPE certification, our goal is to increase earned revenue through expanded opportunities to do what Community Boards does best:  comprehensive conflict resolution program design, implementation, and training.   

#4: New & Improved Outreach Tools 

We have been working diligently to improve and expand our outreach and public education efforts.   We've produced new printed brochures and reworked the website.  We've  produced multiple videos to market our various ADR trainings.   

 

Moving forward, one of our primary projects is making Community Boards' social media tools more robust.  Beginning this summer we'll be creating a series of short PSAs to promote the Neighborhood Mediation Program in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Cantonese.  

 

Here's a brief highlight of our recent accomplishments:
#5: Board of Directors, President's Update  
null "Why does Community Boards exist?" That was the opening question posed at this year's Board and Staff spring retreat. Our answer: "To build a more peaceful, respectful, healthy and just community-one relationship at a time."

 

We hope you find, as we do, that this statement adds meaning to our tagline "Building Community through Conflict Resolution."

The Board is also actively recruiting new Board members to join us this summer.  This is a rewarding volunteer opportunity to both help build support for CB and shape our future.  Please let Darlene ([email protected]) or our Board Vice President, Nicole O'Hay ([email protected])  know if you are interested in learning more.

In the meantime,  I hope to see you at this year's very exciting SF Peacemaker Awards benefit on June 6.

Peace,
Bob