After 30 years of serving Bryan-College Station and the greater Brazos Valley, the Dispute Resolution Center—a nonprofit mediation organization—celebrated its anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a proclamation from the cities and county.
The gist
Founded in 1996, the nonprofit organization mediates a variety of cases, including divorces, child custody and tenant-landlord disputes. Case Manager Whitney Wolf said the center is a part of the Texas Association of Mediators and serves seven counties.
“In mediation, it's more casual, more flexible and it works really well,” Wolf said.
While the center has several paid employees, many of its mediators are volunteers. Executive Director Tori Ellis said the contribution of its volunteers is critical to the center’s mission and many have legal backgrounds.
“Even though a lot of us are volunteers, we have to stay on top of all the laws of cases,” Ellis said.
A closer look
The ribbon-cutting was attended by multiple county judges, including 472nd District Court Judge G. Jerrell Wise, who praised mediation as a great asset for the court system.
“Mediation is an incredible tool for parties to come to an agreement rather than a judge telling them what their life is going to be like,” Wise said.
361st District Court Judge David Hilburn also praised the center for its contributions to the courts.
“I cannot tell you how invaluable the work that's done here is for the judicial system,” Hilburn said.
One more thing
The center also received a proclamation from the cities of Bryan and College Station, along with Brazos County, presented by College Station Mayor John Nichols. Wolf said she and the staff were grateful for the community's support and hoped to continue serving the area.
