VADR Committee of Management

President

Deborah joined the VADR Committee in 2008, organising CPD events for the Association, and in 2011 became VADR President, a role she continues to fill. She sat on the Board of the Melbourne Mediation Conference in 2014, and again for the Gold Coast Conference in 2016. She is strongly committed to the mediation profession and has overseen the many changes associated with the establishment of the Mediator Standards Board (now the AMDRAS Board), and instituted by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, in addition to the natural evolution of the profession.

After completing an Honours Arts degree, Deborah started her working life as an English teacher for the Victorian Department of Education. Following a brief stint on a rural newspaper, she worked as a research officer in the Commonwealth Public Service, producing resource guides and information material for the Department of Social Security. She completed a Law degree in 1992, was admitted to practice in 1993, and worked in various administrative law positions before completing a Master of Laws, specialising in mediation, at La Trobe University in 2004. She has worked as a researcher and taught dispute resolution at a number of Victorian universities.

Deborah remains particularly invested in meeting the needs of VADR members, including low-cost, high-quality membership, continuing professional development, and facilitating the entry of recent graduates into the profession.

Vice-President

Jeff Katz is a highly experienced DR professional, who has been practising as a mediator/conciliator in a variety of evidence-based DR interventions for nearly 30 years. Although he works mainly in FDR, Jeff also practises in various commercial arenas, and as a restorative engagement facilitator. His work has encompassed a range of settings, including the community and government sectors, family courts and, for many years, his own private practice.

Jeff is Chair of VADR's Complaints Sub-Committee. In addition to his foundational legal qualifications and litigation work, Jeff's formal training has included family therapy, counselling, conflict resolution and, unrelated but surprisingly relevant, political science and cultural theory.

Secretary, Head of Accreditation Sub-Committee

Anthony is a nationally accredited mediator and a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP). He has been in practice as a mediator since 1999, working in a range of dispute types. He also acts as a child consultant in family law disputes. In addition, he offers mediation coaching, problem solving for one, and clinical supervision for FDRPs. He also utilises the Richards Trauma Process (TRTP) Trauma Therapy. He has been on the VADR Committee since 2013 and has headed the Accreditation Sub-Committee since 2017. He brings much experience to the work of the Committee and to the job of accrediting VADR members.

Treasurer

Catherine started working in restorative justice in the Youth Justice group conferencing program in 2010. She has been an accredited mediator since 2012 and has worked across various programs with the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria, the most recent being the Residential Tenancy Dispute Service during COVID-19. Catherine has also been a tutor at La Trobe University Law School, teaching dispute resolution from 2015 to 2020, and finished her working life at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission in the conciliation team. Catherine has been Treasurer of VADR since 2019. She is also treasurer of several other not-for-profit organisations and is a committed volunteer.

Marguerite Desmond
Jodie Grant
Julie Gray
Susan Hamilton-Green
Ghada Maher
Katerina Tsipos

VADR members are engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in a variety of ways on a full-time, part-time or occasional basis. Many use one or more ADR processes and techniques. Some have primary occupations in other fields where they use ADR.

Our members include: professional, full-time mediators, dispute resolvers for complaints schemes and ombudsmen, sessional mediators on government panels, lawyers, occasional mediators for community mediation programs, professionals and HR managers who negotiate or facilitate in their own workplace, humanitarian workers dealing with intercultural disputes, teachers, financial counsellors who negotiate for their clients, industry negotiators, academics, researchers, town planners, valuers and local government staff. They are brought together by a common interest in learning more about ethical, respectful methods of ADR.

VADR provides an accessible meeting point for members with all levels of experience and involvement in ADR.