Profiles

Jennifer Ball, PhD, RPP, MCIP, holds a PhD in Rural Studies, with a focus on Sustainable Rural Communities, from the University of Guelph. Her research interests pertain broadly to women’s community based peacebuilding, Circle as pedagogy & community engagement process, community resilience, rural planning & community development, and narrative methodologies.

Her three books reflect this range: Better Decisions Together: A Facilitation Guide for Community Engagement (2015), All Are My Children: Voices of Ugandan Women Peacebuilders (2014), Doing Democracy with Circles: Engaging Communities in Public Planning (2010). Jennifer is a registered professional planner and worked for several years in rural Ontario. Jennifer spent many years as a professor in the Peace and Conflicts Studies academic program at the University of Waterloo, and has been co-leading the Peacemaking Circles training within the Conflict Management Certificate Program since 2011. Jennifer is an Adjunct Faculty with the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph. In her research and practice, Jennifer bridges African and Canadian contexts.

Cayla is a Consultant with Credence and Company. Cayla brings over 13 years of experience implementing Change Management and Dispute Resolution strategies within public sector workplaces, private sector businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. With a Conflict Management and Mediation Certificate and Business Administration & Marketing Diploma, Cayla is an influential communicator with a dynamic presence and a genuine passion for empowering individuals and teams to “see what is possible” and to help teams build a future that aligns with their needs, goals, and objectives.

Cayla leverages her professional and educational expertise to support marginalized communities. Cayla sits on the Black Brilliance Advisory Committee of the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), a committee developed to better understand and eradicate the impact of anti-Black racism in the school board. Cayla also supports members of WRDSB schools navigate racially charged disputes by facilitating workshops and group mediations, consulting with administration, developing systems of communication and student support structures, and creating a code of ethics and risk management plans.

Dr. Barbara Landau, PhD, LLB., LLM., CMed, 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 from Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Institute, and trainer.

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 training not only in the justice system, but also in education, faith communities, social services and neighbourhood settings.

Marshall Schnapp BA, JD, LLM (ADR), is an Associate with Agree Incorporated.  Marshall helps organizations, people and lawyers resolve disputes efficiently and successfully.  His services include training, workplace and civil mediations, workplace assessments, ombuds services, conflict management system design, workplace investigations, facilitations, coaching and arbitration services.  

Jason Spencer, (BA) is currently Mediation Program Coordinator at Community Justice Initiatives (CJI). Jason has completed the Certificate of Conflict Management and Mediation and has gone on to complete all the requirements for accreditation as a Family Mediator. Through living in community, Jason has discovered two common responses to conflict. Resilient people build consensus as they collaborate to solve the problem.

Jeremy Steffler, MASc, PEng, is a graduate of the Certificate in Conflict Management and Mediation offered at Conrad Grebel University College and a certified Personality Dimensions® trainer.

Shelley Stirling-Boyes BA, AccFM is a Senior Associate with Agree Incorporated and has been in the ADR field for 23 years.  Her current services include workplace mediation, workplace assessments, conflict management coaching, partnering facilitation services and the development and delivery of customized conflict management and communication skills training. She is also an experienced comprehensive family mediator.

Rebecca Sutherns PhD, CPF, is the founder and principal of Sage Solutions – a Guelph-based consulting firm that specializes in customized facilitation, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and coaching services.

Mark Weber, PhD, MBA, MA  is the Eyton Director of the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship & Business at the University of Waterloo (UW), ranked Canada’s most innovative university for 26 consecutive years. Prior to his current role, Mark was the inaugural Director of the Graduate Diploma in Social Innovation at UW and served on the faculty of the Rotman School of Management and UTM at the University of Toronto.