TAPM Newsletter

April 2024

Notes from the Board

Dear TAPM Members,

As spring blossoms around us, we want to extend our warmest greetings and well wishes to our TAPM community. We hope this season brings you renewed energy, joy, and growth. We are glad to reflect on the success of our annual seminar in March. It was truly heartwarming to see so many of you come together to learn and engage in meaningful dialogue. Your participation made the event a resounding success, and we are deeply grateful for your continued support.

We are also excited to welcome Sonja Walton and Merry Brown to our board. Their passion and expertise will undoubtedly enrich our organization, and we look forward to working closely with them on our upcoming initiatives. Together, we aim to foster a spirit of teamwork and collaboration so that we can continue to provide TAPM members with enriching experiences, including high-quality speakers, workshops, and the expansion of our mentorship program.

Thank you for your ongoing support of TAPM. We are proud of the work each and every one of our members is doing across the state to promote peace and resolve conflicts. Here's to a fantastic year ahead filled with fellowship, learning, and meaningful connections.

Warm regards,

TAPM Board

“Do something wonderful. People may imitate it.” 

-Albert Schweitzer

News from TAPM

Welcome To Our New TAPM Board Members!

Sonja S. Walton, MHRM, TAPM, NNA, is an experienced mediator and Human Resources professional with a strong commitment to excellence, professionalism, confidentiality, and integrity. Sonja excels in conflict resolution and is experienced in administering policies and programs related to recruitment, benefits administration, and regulatory compliance with local, state, and federal laws. Sonja's leadership skills shine through her ability to develop productive relationships with management, colleagues, and employees. Currently serving as a Rule 31 General Civil Mediator, she is trained and experienced in dispute resolution. Sonja holds an MBA in Human Resource Management from Strayer University, a BBA in Human Resource Management from Belhaven University, and an A.A.S. in Information Technology/Business Management from Northwest MS Community College. She is an active member of several professional associations, including General Member of Mediate.com, Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators, and the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Merry Brown is a writer, speaker, mediator, podcast host, and philosopher dedicated to guiding individuals and organizations through difficult conversations and conflicts. As the founder of Third Party Workplace Conflict Restoration Services LLC (3P), Merry is on a mission to train and empower employees and businesses to deal with conflict swiftly and justly, with a win/win restorative mindset that is committed to treating all people with dignity and respect. Her latest book, "How to Be Unprofessional at Work: Tips to Ensure Failure," offers a guide of what to avoid in the workplace, sparking insightful discussions on constructive alternatives. Tune in to the 'Conflict Managed' podcast for conversations about toxic work environments and how to fix them.

2024 Grayfred Gray Award Recipient:

Karen Phillips

TAPM Press Release: In 2007, the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators (TAPM) established its Grayfred Gray Public Service in Mediation Award to honor Tennessee mediators who are committed to PEACEMAKING, EMPOWERMENT, and SERVICE for Tennesseans. Grayfred Gray served 28 years on the faculty at the University of Tennessee (UT) College of Law, and practiced as a mediator and founded the UT Mediation Clinic. He has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to public service and pro bono work. Mr. Gray was the first award recipient in 2007. Since then, every year, TAPM rotates the area of Tennessee and this year, we honor the Western section of the state.

Karen Phillips, the 2024 Award Recipient, has been involved in mediation and public service for 42 years, serving as both mediator and social worker. Ms. Phillips is a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed Family & General Civil Mediator. She served in Juvenile Courts and School Systems promoting Peaceable Schools and Peer Mediation. Since her retirement, 14 years ago, she has practiced as a private mediator. Karen served with a committee of attorneys to develop the Mediation Program at the Juvenile Court of Memphis & Shelby County TN. She has promoted mediation with numerous Juvenile Courts across West Tennessee. 

Ms. Phillips currently serves on the Board of the Mid-South Community Justice & Mediation Center (aka CJAM), the West TN Community Mediation Center. She frequently guest lectures at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Mediation Class. During the pandemic, she worked as a contract mediator for Nashville Conflict Resolution Center’s Juvenile Victim/Offender and Parenting programs. She currently provides Mediation across West Tennessee. 

“Speak when you are angry and you will make

the best speech you will ever regret.”

–Ambrose Bierce 

Upcoming TAPM Events

TAPM Speaker Series Presents:

Stephanie Blondell

Reteaching Interest Identification

May 6, 2024 (11am-12pmCT/12pm-1pmET, online via Zoom)

At 11amCT/12pmET: Join us for “Reteaching Interest Identification.” Interest identification is often taught in a cursory fashion without a roadmap for how to practice or implement the skill. We will explore a taxonomy for interest identification that is appropriate for the litigated case and beyond, with a special focus on the table skills to make impactful mediator interventions. Participants will leave with strategic ways in which to implement a basic skill that speaks to the sophistication of plaintiffs and defendants alike. 

This event will be followed at 12pmCT/1pmET by our regular TAPM Member Meeting. We hope you can join us for networking and fellowship! 1 hour CME/CLE pending.

Speaker Bio:

Professor Stephanie Blondell is a Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. She received her J.D. from the University of Washington and her B.A. with Honors from Brown University. Professor Blondell also directs the Straus Mediation Clinic. Professor Blondell teaches Mediation Theory and Practice, Psychology of Conflict, and Ethical Lawyering. Professor Blondell also is a lead faculty for the Women’s Negotiation Academy and teaches Mediating the Litigated Case in Washington, domestically, and internationally.

Prior to joining the Pepperdine community, Professor Blondell served as the Manager of the King County Alternative Dispute Resolution Program and Interlocal Conflict Resolution Group, a labor-management and public policy mediation program serving a tri-county region in Seattle. Professor Blondell also served as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for the City of Seattle where she designed and implemented an employment mediation program for the City government in a joint labor-management context. Professor Blondell was also the Court and Program Manager for the Dispute Resolution Center of King County, managing the mediation activities of twelve divisions of the district court. In these capacities, Professor Blondell trained and supervised the mediation practicum of over a hundred law students, attorneys, and non-attorneys. It is here she developed a passion for teaching the practical skills needed at the mediation table and instilling rigorous and ethical professionalism to new lawyers in a classroom and clinical setting.



Professor Blondell has also served as an adjunct faculty at Seattle University School of Law and as an affiliate associate professor at the University of Washington, Evans School Masters in Public Administration, teaching Strategic Negotiations. Prior to entering the field of mediation, Professor Blondell practiced criminal defense and was a research attorney for the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington. She is the 2021 recipient of the Southern California Mediation Association President’s Award and the 2023 recipient of the Southern California Mediation Association William L. Randolph Lowry Excellence in Teaching Award.

Community Mediation Centers: Providing Access to Justice Across Tennessee

In Tennessee, community mediation centers are quietly but effectively resolving disputes across the state. With hardworking staff and volunteers, they provide access to justice for unrepresented parties. These centers do significant work to promote excellence in mediation, provide public education about the benefits of mediation, and build peace in their communities. During the pandemic, CMCs were vital referral hubs for backlogged court cases, and since then they have all continued their work to make their services as accessible as possible to the people they serve.



These centers can accept referrals at any point during a conflict and screen cases to ensure suitability for mediation. By doing so, they alleviate counties of substantial financial and administrative pressures. Their support is especially beneficial for individuals who are not well-versed in legal matters, as they promote respect, empowerment, and equip them with negotiation skills.  The dedicated staff and volunteers of Tennessee’s CMCs manage a high volume of challenging cases, offering vital care and support to people facing financial hardship and legal representation gaps. CMCs generally use a joint-session mediation model (when appropriate), where parties engage in direct dialogue facilitated by mediators in the same room. Volunteer mediators foster effective communication and understanding, as well as honing their own toolbox of invaluable conflict resolution skills.

The scope of their impact is broad. Families benefit significantly from these centers, finding support in resolving co-parenting conflicts and crafting parenting plans prioritizing the well-being of children. Some centers actively engage in addressing the housing crisis, facilitating landlord-tenant mediation, and connecting individuals with rental assistance resources. Some centers mediate disputes about goods and services and other financial matters. Some provide elder mediation, facilitating conversations about elder care and decision-making in a respectful, inclusive way. Additionally, some centers facilitate restorative justice processes, enabling offenders to reconcile with their victims and take accountability for their actions. Some centers also extend their expertise through training and workshops, benefiting mediators beyond their immediate network.

Supporting these centers is crucial for all stakeholders in Tennessee's legal landscape. Whether through donations, participation in fundraising events, serving on a board, and/or attending trainings and workshops, everyone can help make a difference. People who are willing to make a long-term volunteer commitment can even inquire at their nearest CMC about possibilities for becoming a volunteer mediator.

See https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/mediation/CMC for a list of Tennessee CMCs.

For Further Reading...

Check out this amusing and helpful article by Lorraine Segal called "Genuine Question or Disguised Judgment", which offers a simple strategy to ensure that the questions we ask as mediators do not include our own personal judgments about a person or situation.

See also this interesting article about efforts in Dayton, Ohio to use mediators as non-police crisis responders for certain categories of 911 calls. Additional information can be found here!

We Still Need Your Help - TAPM Membership Drive

Please join, renew, and encourage your colleagues to join TAPM. We continue to hold our fee to $100/year. For that fee, members receive FREE CLE/CME for attending our monthly speaker/training events. Many similar state organizations are raising fees for both membership and content. If we can keep membership levels high, we can continue to provide our excellent speakers, networking opportunities, and programs to promote mediation to all.  

Visit our website to renew membership, or join and pay your TAPM dues online.



$100.00 for one year: Professional Member

$50.00 for one year: Nonprofit Mediator/Student Member