Just Court ADR

Resolution Systems Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Heather Fogg as our next Chief Executive Officer. Heather’s hiring follows an exhaustive nationwide search, a rigorous application and interview process, and unanimous approval by RSI’s Board of Directors. She will start on June 17.

RSI Executive Director Susan M. Yates will remain on staff through July 12 to help support a smooth leadership transition. After 27 years, Susan is stepping away from RSI to pursue other opportunities in the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and non-profit worlds.

“The choice of Heather Fogg to take over the helm at RSI gives me great peace of mind,” Susan said. “Heather’s passion for conflict resolution, ADR experience and strategic vision are clear evidence of her commitment to improving access to justice by enhancing court-connected ADR. I am confident in her ability to help RSI maintain its position as the nation’s premier court ADR organization. Furthermore, Heather’s authenticity and enthusiasm will make it easy for RSI’s staff, board and partners to connect with her.”

Heather comes to RSI with an extensive background in court-connected ADR and research. Her expertise includes directing court mediator excellence programs; managing a state court’s ADR data collection tool; and designing and delivering restorative justice practices across a diverse range of sectors. Heather has guided the evaluation, design and data analysis of grant-funded ADR programs; coordinated workshops and training sessions for court ADR program managers, mediation trainers and mediators; and led and mentored scores of researchers and ADR practitioners. For the past three years, Heather has been a Training and Capacity Building Restorative Justice Practitioner at Restorative Justice Project Maine.

“Heather has an impressive combination of hands-on experience with court ADR, a track record of successful leadership, and dedication to ADR research and evaluation,” RSI Board President Brian Roche said. “We feel secure that Heather is the right person to lead RSI through its next phase of innovation and accomplishment.”

Heather lives in Maine’s Midcoast region and will lead the Chicago-based RSI remotely. RSI currently has staff in the Chicago area, as well as in Central Illinois, Florida, Maine and Texas.

“I feel thrilled and overjoyed to join RSI and help guide us through our next chapters,” Heather said. “RSI has an unmatched reputation of excellence in court ADR, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to bring all of my skills to bear on serving the goal of making court-connected ADR as accessible and effective as possible for parties and courts with the least resources.”

On April 11, 2024, the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section honored me with its D’Alemberte Raven Award. The award is given “in recognition of development of new and innovative programs, demonstrated improvements in service, demonstrated improvements in efficiency, research and published writings, and development of continuing education programs.”

The following are the remarks I made at the award ceremony.

Thank you.

I must say, when I first learned I was getting this award, I was stunned.

That was followed quickly by a surge of love for my friends who nominated me. Thank you, Peter, Jen, Jim, John, Kelly and Terry. I live in abject fear of leaving someone out when I publicly thank people, so I am going to stop naming names right there! But I will give a huge thank you to all my friends and colleagues, who I respect and love from the bottom of my heart.

An occasion like this was bound to lead me to reflect on my career. As I did, I thought about all the small, day-to-day actions that turned into something important for me. This evening I invite you to join me in reflecting on little things, and to keep doing those small acts because you just never know.

Here’s my first example:

It’s from the end of the ’70s. I was at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, studying mediation, arbitration, negotiation, etc. A representative from the Rochester (NY) Community Mediation Center (not their long-time executive director Andrew Thomas) came and spoke about community mediation. And that idea lodged in the back of my mind and deep in my heart.

So, when you are asked to speak to a class about mediation, conflict resolution, ADR, whatever … go! It is possible that when you do, you could plant a seed that will bloom for decades.

Another example:

A few years out of college, I was living in Chicago and found that there was a local community mediation center — what is now known as the Center for Conflict Resolution. I reached out; they were doing a mediator training the next two weekends and invited me to participate. That training, which came about because someone answered the phone and extended an invitation, formed the basis for the rest of my career!

So, as you are going about your day, answer the phone or an email, and make a simple offer. It might not be consequential for you, but it could be life changing for someone else.

Here’s an example from later in the ’80s,when I was executive director of that community mediation program in Chicago:

I went to a Chicago Bar Association reception and happened to meet in person a funder, Kent Lawrence, who was supporting our eviction mediation program via a third party. (Yes, eviction mediation was happening back in the ’80s.) From that chance meeting came a multiple-decade friendship and funding relationship that has enabled Resolution Systems Institute to grow into the organization it is today.

So, go to those gatherings and other events — whether in person or online. Meet new people and develop those personal and professional friendships.

Here’s another example from a few years later:

Jim Alfini — who many of you know and is the OG of the DR Section — invited me to grab coffee and talk about the ABA DR Section. He was about to chair the section and invited me to chair the Associates Committee. Well, that led to me serving on the Council for a number of years, being one of the ABA’s two representatives to the revision of the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators and many, many, MANY other involvements — budgeting, nominating, ethics, strategic planning, conference programming — in the Section. In the Section, I found my professional home.

So, take someone to coffee. Invite them to engage with the DR Section or another organization of your choice. Help your colleagues find their professional home.

And one final example from about the same time in the ’90s:

I was executive director at Resolution Systems Institute — where I still am today — and looking to hire someone to be the second RSI staff person. One person I interviewed was right for the job, but could only promise to stay for 18 months. Well, that was the magnificent Jennifer Shack, RSI’s Director of Research, with whom we recently celebrated 25 years at RSI. Were it not for her, RSI would certainly not be the organization it is today, and I would likely not be standing here in front of you.

What does this tell us? Better to hire someone good for a short amount of time. You never know where it might lead. 

Each of these seemingly small actions had a huge impact on my life and ultimately led to me standing here this evening. So, I encourage us all to keep doing those small things. Speak to a class, respond to an email, meet people, invite someone to get involved, hire someone because they are good.

In closing, I will add another action: Nominate a colleague for an award. You will never know how much it means to the person who receives the award.

Thank you.

RSI is thrilled to share the news that the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution (ABA DR Section) has chosen our own Susan M. Yates to receive its prestigious D’Alemberte Raven Award this year!

The ABA DR Section will present the award at its 2024 Dispute Resolution Spring Conference, taking place April 10–13 in San Diego.

The D’Alemberte Raven Award is the premier award in the field of alternative dispute resolution. It is presented to an individual or organization that has contributed significantly to the dispute resolution field through the development of new or innovative programs, improvements in service, improvements in efficiency, research and/or published writings, and/or development of continuing education programs.

As you may know, Susan has been Executive Director of RSI since 1997, when she was instrumental in its founding. She is responsible for implementing RSI’s mission of strengthening access to justice by enhancing court ADR systems.

“Susan’s astute, dedicated stewardship has made RSI the nationally respected ADR thought leader it is today,” said longtime member of the RSI Board of Directors Terry Moritz. “Because of her leadership, RSI has continued to develop landmark research and is enabling the ADR field to maintain high standards of both efficiency and ethics. Susan’s recognition by the Dispute Resolution Section of the ABA is certainly well deserved.”

Please join us in congratulating Susan on this wonderful achievement!