Welcome to
Early Settlement Mediation!

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Alternative Dispute Resolution System
News and Happenings

\City of Norman Court Administrator, Ronda Guerrero, and Early Settlement Mediation Program Director, Jessie Jackson, recently accepted an appreciation award from Phil Johnson, State Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution System
Dr. Bryan Duke (right), Interim Dean, College of Education at the University of Central Oklahoma, accepted a sponsor appreciation award from Phil Johnson, State Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution System, and Statewide Peer Mediation Specialist, Greg Foster.  The NEW Peer Mediation Program training is available to all Oklahoma Schools FREE of charge. For more information contact gfoster7@ UCO.edu
Dr. Carla Swearingen, Vice-President of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah recently accepted an award of appreciation for being the Early Settlement -East Program sponsor from Phil Johnson, State Director of the Alternative  Dispute Resolution System, and Malaina Yoder, local Program Director.  NSU has been the program sponsor for over 25 years.
Phil Johnson, State Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution System, and Marissa Fairbanks, Director, Early Settlement – Central presented an Award of Appreciation to Cleveland County Commissioners Harold H. Haralson II, Rod Cleveland, and Darry Stacy for their long-time support and sponsorship of the Early Settlement – Central Program.
State Agency Mediation Training!  Over 20 new state agency workers were trained at a basic mediation training held at Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprises Services recently.  There are fifteen Oklahoma state agencies with mediation programs which are part of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma – Administrative Office of the Courts – Alternative Dispute Resolution System.  State agencies share certified volunteer mediators with other agencies to mediated internal employee conflicts, as well as using their mediation skills when working with the general public.  Agency mediators also volunteer for the local Early Settlement mediation programs conducting small claims mediations for the district courts.
Lauren O’Brien, Director, Early Settlement -Oklahoma County, and Phil Johnson, State Director, Alternative Dispute Resolution System presented Mr. Michael Widell, Vice President, OSU-OKC with a sponsor appreciation award.   
Early Settlement – Northwest Program Director, Jennifer Grimes, and the State Director of the Alternative Dispute Resolution System, Phil Johnson, presented Dr. Wayne McMillin, Campus Dean of Northwestern State University – Enid Campus with a Sponsorship Appreciation Award.  The Northwest program serves eleven counties in Northwestern Oklahoma, proving FREE mediation services to the courts and communities in the service area.
Jay Irby (far right) Director, Early Settlement – North Program and Phil Johnson (far left), State Director,  Alternative Dispute Resolution System presented the Payne County Commissioners with a Sponsor Appreciation award recently.  Commissioners  (L to R) Rocky Blasier, Chris Reding, and  Zach Cavett accepted the award.  The North program serves six counties in Northern Oklahoma. 
 Marcy Cox, Director for the Early Settlement – Northeast Oklahoma program (right), and Phil Johnson, State Director, ADRS, on behalf of Chief Justice Darby and Director of the Courts, Jari Askins, recently presented Ronda Riden-Wilson, Director of the Rogers State University – Bartlesville Campus, with an Award of Appreciation for being the Early Settlement Mediation – Northeast Oklahoma sponsor. Rogers State has been sponsoring the program for nine years.  The Board of Regents are meeting in Bartlesville on Friday and Director Riden-Wilson is going to have the award present for the meeting.

The Alternative Dispute Resolution System in Oklahoma is made up of thirteen (13) regional Early Settlement Mediation Centers (including one (1) municipal program) which provide FREE mediation services all 77 counties in Oklahoma. There are fourteen (14) State Agencies with programs offering specialized mediation services. The Alternative Dispute Resolution System was authorized (1983) and funded (1985) by the state legislature through the Oklahoma Dispute Resolution Act, 12 O.S. Supp. 1997, § 1801 et seq. The Administrative Director of the Courts administers and supervises the Alternative Dispute Resolution System through a designated, State Director, with the ongoing input of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board.