Building Unity & Resolving Conflict

About this event

Mary C. Forst, JD, Owner and Principal Trainer
Confluence Center for Mediation and Training

Mary Heffernan, Owner and Principal
Temenos Consulting Group

Molly Keating, MSW, Owner
Molly Keating Mediation and Facilitation

Pizza, Salad, No-host Bar & Networking at 5:00
Presentation at 5:30

Nonprofit organizations provide a unique medium for growing their own conflicts. While conflict is a fundamental ingredient for positive change, it can bog down the mission of an organization if not acknowledged promptly and skillfully.

Discussion topics will include:

• Causes of conflict in nonprofit organizations (hint: it’s not just interpersonal)
• Addressing conflict between and among Board members, executive director, and staff
• Strategies for building a culture of healthy conflict
• Specific examples and stories from the field
• Questions and commentary based on peer and presenter expertise

At the end of the session, participants will be able to identify sources of conflict and take a first step toward engaging conflict in a way that will enrich their organization.

About the Presenters

Mary Forst, JD, has been a mediator, facilitator, and trainer since 1978. She assists people in organizations and workplaces, including nonprofit Boards, in handling conflict creatively and holistically, offering a combination of mediation, dialogue, team building, system design, and skills training. She designs and facilitates consensus-building processes for land use and public policy disputes. Mary also offers training in mediation and related skills to the public and to organizations on site. She has practiced law, and has served as an inner-city police officer. Mary’s animated, down-to-earth training style and her personal stories make every training and mediation experience come to life.

Mary Heffernan has provided organizational consultation services for nonprofits for over 25 years. She offers leadership development, team building, executive and life coaching, and conflict resolution in the workplace. She has founded and directed nonprofit organizations on a state and national level, and has experience working in local government. Current consultation services are focused on improving clients’ long-term effectiveness through conscious leadership, which includes Board and staff development, enhanced individual and group communication, strategic thinking and planning, development of learning systems, effective change management, and appropriate infrastructure.

Molly Keating, MSW, has over 20 years of experience providing organizational development and conflict resolution services to organizations. She has worked with more than a hundred human service organizations, including nonprofits, as they deal with issues that include respect, communication, assumptions, fairness, limited resources, trust, change, conflicting styles, structure, misperceptions, and/or stress. Molly has over 400 hours of advanced training in cross-cultural, transformative, and workplace mediation as well as interest-based negotiation. She also teaches courses in mediation and conflict resolution. Molly serves on the Board of the Oregon Mediation Association.

About the Network

Nonprofit Board Network offers regular opportunities in a relaxed atmosphere for you to learn about nonprofit governance, network with board members from other organizations, and meet the experts. Nonprofit Board Network gives you a chance to interact with respected thinkers and practitioners in the nonprofit world and to share information and experience.