MC3 - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Member of the Board
"Lynn was a hardworking and committed executive director for MC3, but more importantly, he was a kind and caring person. After talking about MC3 business, our conversations would inevitably turn to our personal lives. He loved his family deeply and was committed to serving his community. I hope and pray that his loved ones might feel a measure of peace during this time of mourning by learning of the impact he had on the lives of so many, including me."
Adam Ravitch brings his legal background and experience to the MC3 Board. This experience has had a great impact on the development of MC3's legal policies and procedures. Mr. Ravitch received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and his law degree from the University of Southern California. He received his initial mediation training while an undergraduate at BYU. At USC, he participated in the inaugural class of the USC Mediation Clinic. Mr. Ravitch clerked for two years at a federal district court before entering private law practice. He is a member of the California and Utah Bars and is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He has volunteered as a day-of-court mediator with Utah Dispute Resolution, the California Academy of Mediation Professionals, and the Center for Conflict Resolution.
Alan Wiener became fully engaged in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in 1999, after practicing law for 20 years. The focus of his work since 2001 has been developing statewide rules of court, policies, and standards of conduct for ADR professionals, including for the California Judicial Council Administrative Office of the Courts (2001-2013), and then for the Maryland Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO, 2015-2018). Alan also served as a consultant to MC3 in the development of its Grievance Procedure. Before becoming fully engaged in ADR policy work in 2001, Alan was in private practice as a Mediator and Dispute Resolution Consultant.
Alan has developed and presented many ADR training programs for judges, court staff, and ADR practitioners, including a 40-hour basic mediation course. Alan has also been an organizer, moderator and/or panelist at numerous dispute resolution conferences and programs, including those offered by the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Dispute Resolution, the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), the Southern California Mediation Association, the California Dispute Resolution Council, and Community Mediation Maryland. Alan has served in ADR leadership positions, including with the California State Bar Standing ADR Committee, the San Diego County Bar Association ADR Committee, the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution, and the San Diego Chapter of ACR.
Alan received an L.LM. in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2003 (subsuming a Masters in Dispute Resolution received from Pepperdine in 2000) and a Juris Doctorate cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1979.
"Lynn was a kind, smart, talented, thoughtful and patient man. His gentle nature and soft spoken manner didn't immediately indicate his keen intelligence. However, Lynn's wisdom and understanding of often quite complex matters alongside his generous character was evident in every encounter he and I had. His contributions to MC3 were enormous and I both enjoyed and benefitted greatly from the time we spent together. I will think of him often and will miss him greatly."
Andy Reimer has had a 30+ year career as an executive in the entertainment industry and has held senior management positions at companies including HBO, Viacom, Lionsgate, BET and Warner Bros. Mr. Reimer's work has involved general management, strategic planning, project/team supervision and numerous other arenas. In particular, he has had extensive experience in deal structuring and negotiation as well as financial analyses in a creative environment. Mr. Reimer received the Humanitas Prize for his work as an Executive Producer on the Academy Award® winning film, "Crash". Mr. Reimer's mediation practice has a particular focus on the Film and Television industry. He has, in addition, been a mediator in numerous courtrooms at the LA Superior Court and is an approved arbitrator with FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Qualifications Committee Chair and Board Member
Chris Welch received his Master of Dispute Resolution degree from Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution in 2005. He worked at the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) since 2004, Director of since 2008 and Executive Director since summer 2013. His work at CCR involved oversight of over 500 volunteers/students and over 18,000 mediations. Working with volunteers, universities, courts and the community motivates him daily. In 2017 he was the recipient of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations John Anson Ford Award for his work on the Hindenburg Park Sign Project. Mr. Welch previously served as Treasurer of MC3, and is dedicated to working to raise the standards for all mediators throughout California.
Job Titles:
- Architect
- Member of the Officers Team
- President
- Principal
- Jack Goetz
- Member of the SCMA Board
"Lynn was humble beyond belief and an extraordinary person. He cared so much for those in need, and that was part of his impetus to be a mediator. He was exceptionally talented and was a key consultant and contributor for a number of organizations domestically and internationally. And those of you at MC3 know, all too well, what he did for us-we would not be here today without him."
As the founder and President of MC3, Jack Goetz has been the principal architect and advocate for an industry effort to set a standard for mediation training, practical experience, continuing education, accountability and public protection that will elevate and professionalize the field. His 2014 article on serving the public by professionalizing mediation, co-authored with Dr. Jennifer Kalfsbeek, proposed the professional model that serves as the basis for MC3 certification standards.
A longtime lecturer and educator, Dr. Goetz currently serves on the faculty at both the USC Gould School of Law and the business department at Moorpark College. He taught mediation for 7 years at the California State University campuses in Northridge and Dominguez Hills and he received international acclaim for creating the first nationally accredited online law school, Concord Law School, now a part of the Purdue University Global system. Dr. Goetz also serves as a Commissioner for the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, overseeing the accreditation compliance of nationally accredited online educational institutions.
The 2018 President of the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA), Dr. Goetz has been a member of the SCMA board since 2016. As a neutral, he serves the public privately and, additionally, serves on numerous public panels, including his work as vice-chair for the LA County Bar Association Attorney-Client Mediation and Arbitration Services. Dr. Goetz also served as a temporary judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court (2012-2017) and as a member of the California State Bar Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution (2014-2017).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Vice President
- CEO of Yellow Cannon Ventures
"Lynn's passing is a terrible loss for MC3, the mediation profession, and for me personally. Lynn was passionate, devoted to MC3's mission, and cared deeply for those in need of help. He and I would share tech stories while working on MC3 projects. Lynn's dry sense of humor made conversations fun. My prayers go out to his family. I will miss our Tuesday calls, my friend. Rest in Peace. "
Henry Alfano has been working as an entrepreneur and senior executive for more than 25 years. Mr. Alfano currently serves as CEO of Yellow Cannon Ventures where he provides services as an executive advisor to companies in the Technology, Healthcare, Hospitality, Investment Banking, and Entertainment industries. He serves as President/COO at ClickPoint Software. Mr. Alfano actively leads strategic operations for this sales acceleration and lead management SaaS company.
Mr. Alfano has a long history of entrepreneurial success in the technology and Internet marketing sectors. His experience includes the planning, development and implementation of award-winning web sites, web related applications and Internet marketing strategies for many well-known brands. Prior to Yellow Cannon and ClickPoint Software, Mr. Alfano served as Chief Technology Officer for Steinway Musical Instruments (formerly NYSE:LVB) where his duties included identifying strategic technology and Internet marketing opportunities for the storied brands of this iconic company. He quickly proved himself to be a valuable asset, bringing web-based marketing initiatives, sales prospect generation and brand reach through tech marketing channels to an entirely new level.
"I was privileged to share a limited time with Lynn on his life's journey and formed a bond where I was able to call him both colleague and friend. I know I represent not one, but many who were influenced by Lynn's kindness and attention to detail. As a member of the MC3 board, we continue to see his selfless contributions to the organization and how he made our lives easy by structuring processes and procedures, setting a high standard for quality and attention to detail. I miss him already. My heart goes out to his family and close friends as they seek to fill a void that cannot be satisfied.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Secretary
- CEO, Mediator
Janie Winning is a CEO, Mediator / Arbitrator and AAA Panelist - Construction Division. With a BA in Business Administration from Cedarville University in Ohio, where her emphasis was Finance and Marketing, also has a MDR in Dispute Resolution from Straus Institute at Pepperdine. Her MDR focus included Certified Mediator Restorative Justice Circles, Restorative Justice Conferencing, and Mediation and Advanced Mediation Training by Ken Cloke. She also has CLE's from Stanford in Construction Law workshops and Integrated Project Delivery (a collaborative approach to the design and construction of complex capital projects using multiparty contracts).
With a background as a Project Scheduling Analyst, Scheduler, Strategic Program Officer, Integrated Building Solutions Manager she developed project management analytical processes, metrics, and schedules. Later she dealt with monthly management project reports, involving cost/schedule analysis, documentation of status, and development of client-focused management information.
Today, as CEO, she provides program delivery support in the form of Mediation services focusing on risk identification and mitigation strategies. The focus is on early dispute resolution, negotiations, and settlement conferences during the project. Executive advisement is provided in the administration of collaborative construction planning and claims avoidance strategies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Treasurer
- Len Gross
"I am terribly saddened, like everyone who knew and worked with Lynn. We worked together on projects aiding the mediation community, even prior to MC3. Lynn was a person of considerable talent and humanity who will be much missed. Our hearts go out to Lynn's family at this painful time."
Len Gross has led major commercial enterprises for over 50 years, conducting business in the U.S. and around the world. He has served as COB, CEO, COO and CFO of prominent distribution, manufacturing and technology companies. He has effectively dealt with sensitive issues & diverse customs throughout the U.S. as well as internationally in South Korea, China, Ukraine, UK, Colombia, and the Czech Republic. He holds positions on four Corporate Boards at this time.
Len now serves as a highly regarded MC3 certified mediator specializing in resolving commercial issues, with an emphasis on landlord-tenant disputes. With respect to the later, he is an assigned mediator in UD Courts at the Mosk LA County Superior Court, having successfully resolved just under 100 cases there. Len also actively arbitrates fee disagreements between attorneys and their clients on behalf of the LA County Bar Association (LACBA), and the Santa Monica Bar Association. In addition, he is an authorized arbitrator for FINRA (Financial Industry National Regulatory Authority). Len is an Affiliated Member of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), a member of the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA), a public speaker for their Outreach Committee, a Senior Scholar at UCLA, and a retired CPA.
Len holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Washington, one in Basic Medical Science and the other in Electrical Engineering. Following that, he earned a MS in Quantitative Business Analysis from USC with exemplary grades. His avocation includes scaling mountains not far from home in the High Sierras, plus those around the world from the Himalayas to the Andes. In addition to his hiking exploits, Len enjoys competitive tennis matches, as a player and avid spectator.
Lynn Johnson served as the executive director and technology advisor for MC3 Mediator Certification, Inc. ("MC3") from November 2019 until he passed away unexpectedly on the night of January 29, 2023. Lynn volunteered many years for several mediation organizations in California and Oregon, mediating hundreds of cases and completing over 150 hours of mediation training. Lynn transitioned to mediation after a career in statistics, research, computer technology, and consulting, looking for an application of his softer science skills. His mediation study and practice ranged from basic mediation to court-connected and community mediation to parent-and-teen and restorative-justice environments. He made a permanent, positive impact on the lives of the many people whose problems he mediated. As the executive director of MC3, Lynn helped create the applicant portal and put in place systems and processes that govern MC3's day-to-day operations. He leaves big shoes to fill and a tremendous hole in the hearts of all of us at MC3. We have all benefited from knowing him and will miss him dearly.
"My heart is heavy, and I'm deeply saddened with the news of Lynn's passing. I was honored to have worked closely with Lynn since early 2019 and grateful for the time shared with him, learning from him about life, his passion for mediation work and professionalism. He was a great human being with a big heart, wit, and a sense of humor. His presence will greatly be missed, but his hard work with MC3, efforts for the mediation field and endless support to everyone he worked with, will be carried on."
Marvin provides mediation, arbitration, facilitation, and conciliation services. He mediates divorce, parenting, real estate, community, landlord-tenant, civil litigation, etc. His facilitation work is in the areas of community situations/dispute; and corporate communication. He evaluates mediator skills; supervising mediators; helps parties resolve conflicts related to their financial planning goals; guiding clients in their planning for retirement savings and income; planning for future client financial needs; selling and managing real property. Private mediation practice includes: Family Law Mediation, Divorce, Parenting Plans, and other family issues
Melinda Feldman is a skilled Mediator in Alternative Dispute Resolution. She assists individuals and businesses resolve conflicts related to business and real estate transactions. With over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, she has developed a deep understanding of the complexities involved in buying, selling, and leasing properties.
Her expertise extends to a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to business to business, business to consumers, property disputes, lease disagreements, earnest money deposits, contracts, disclosures, contingencies, and issues over property ownership. She is committed to providing her clients with the highest level of service and helping them achieve their goals in a timely, cost-effective, and efficient manner.
As a Founding partner of Advanced Mediation Solutions, LLC, Melinda is an MC3 Certified Mediator and a panel member of the American Arbitration Association. She is a lead Mediator for both Los Angeles and Orange County Superior Courts for Small Claims and Civil Harassment.
Melinda received her Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Antioch University and attended University of Southern California, Gould School of Law where she received her Certificate in Alternative Dispute Management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Pam Struss
Pamela K. Struss, PhD is a scholar practitioner and teaches conflict resolution practiced based including mediation theory and practice courses for undergraduate and graduate students at the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. She teaches the Basics of Conflict Resolution to community groups including churches, governmental boards and K-12 schools in the U.S. Dr. Struss conducts mediation for the court system, public school district staff and faculty and real estate. Pamela founded the Resilient Women of the Northern Neck Dialogue bringing women together in a historically segregated region on the Chesapeake Bay of Virginia. Her latest interest is enslaved people's conciliation, conflict on the Chesapeake Bay between stakeholders and nonviolent resistance as a conflict resolution tool.
"I met and worked with Lynn in the years when we were building MC3 before the launch and then in the years that followed. I found him to be tender-hearted, knowledgeable, and consistently helpful. He was responsible for the operational end of MC3 where his tech background was so helpful and important for the role he played. He spoke to most of the applicants guiding them individually through the MC3 certification process. We definitely will miss him."
Victoria Gray is a mediator and a trainer with an extensive background in labor advocacy, collective bargaining negotiations and mediation. In the last fifteen years her mediation experience included cases while serving as a federal mediator, a Los Angeles County Superior Court Panel member, a mediator for Southern California Family Mediation (SCFM) for the Los Angeles County Dependency Court, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission settlement conference panel mediator. She served as a Board Member for the Southern California Mediation Association and is currently a Co-Chairman of the Board for Mediators Beyond Borders (MBBI) where she also served as a team member for the MBBI-Kenya Initiative. She has a BA in Anthropology from California State University at Northridge, a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute at Pepperdine University, and a Masters in Conflict Resolution from Dominican University where she served several years as an Adjunct Professor.