Non-profit Report: The Center for Dispute Settlement Inc.

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The Center for Dispute Settlement Inc. promotes nonviolent conflict resolution by offering services including fact-finding, mediation, arbitration and training in these processes.

The center was founded in 1973 by the American Arbitration Association in response to conflict resulting from desegregation of Rochester public schools. As its services expanded and evolved, the center was independently incorporated in 1979.

The center uses trained volunteer mediators and focuses primarily on interpersonal and minor criminal and civil disputes. Much of its work results from referrals by police agencies, probation departments and various courts in the eight counties of New York’s 7th Judicial District: Cayuga, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates.

The Center for Dispute Settlement provides services for several kinds of conflicts.

Families: divorce, child custody and visitation mediation; divorce arbitration; mediation of disputes over wills and estates.

Youths and schools: mediation of parent-child disputes, juvenile justice matters, cases involving persons in need of supervision, and disputes about special education or early intervention services. The center also offers training in peer mediation at schools.

Law enforcement: mediation of cases from municipal courts involving minor felonies, misdemeanors and violations. The center also provides civilian oversight when there are allegations of misconduct involving Rochester police and Monroe County sheriff’s personnel, reviewing investigations and recommending findings.

Other disputes: mediation of small claims such as those involving consumers and merchants. The center also mediates disputes related to the vehicle Lemon Law and conflicts involving elections for unions, housing authorities and community organizations.

In addition, the center provides training in skills such as mediation, arbitration, negotiation, anger management and resolving workplace conflicts.

The organization has 32 paid staff members and 150 volunteer mediators; Sherry Walker-Cowart is president and CEO. The office is at 16 E. Main St., Suite 800, and the Web site is www.cdsadr.org.

Financial record Year ending March 31, 2009
Revenue %
New York State Unified Court System $621,755 38
Family Court, 7th Judicial District 493,399 31
In-kind contributions 122,333 8
Program service fees 114,957 7
City of Rochester 86,329 5
Other local and county support 75,025 5
State surrogate decision-making funds 27,600 2
United Way aid, Wayne and Steuben counties 24,270 2
Youth bureaus, Livingston and Steuben counties 24,014 1
Donations and annual support 13,571 1
Foundation grants 12,530 1
Total revenue $1,615,783 100

Expenses %
Program services $1,311,740 81
Support services 305,572 19
Total expenses $1,617,312 100
Excess (deficiency) of revenue over expenses ($1,529)

Board of Directors
Mary Williamson, chairwoman; mediator and retired registered nurse
David Stone, vice chairman; Realtor, ReMax Realty Group, and Xerox Corp. retiree
Vincent Carfagna, treasurer; retired finance director, city of Rochester
Patricia Donnelly, secretary; mediator and Corning Inc. retiree
Leonard Freedman, immediate past president; mediator, management consultant and retired executive director, Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester Inc.
Theodore Kantor, executive committee member; partner, Bilgore, Reich, Levine & Kantor LLP
Tim Mains, executive committee member; principal of School 50, Rochester City School District
Jack Ascher; financial consultant
Terry Fauth; consultant and retired program director, WHEC-TV
Sandra Fink; president and co-founder, ThinkFink Solutions
Collette Noel; community liaison, Center for Community Health, University of Rochester Medical Center
Flo Paxson; mediator and retired publications manager, Landmark Society of Western New York Inc.
Jean Ticen; human relations management consultant
George Vito; retired principal of Athena High School, Greece Central School District
Bridgette Jones-Waters; education and evening program coordinator, Wilson Commencement Park
James Waters Jr.; site manager, Community Place of Greater Rochester Inc.
Luis Zamot; mediator and financial adviser, Zamot & Zamot Associates

-Researched by James Leunk

3/12/10 (c) 2010 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or e-mail [email protected].