::CMC History (1994-present)::

Also see: History of community mediation in the US

CMC HISTORY

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
2001 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007
2008 2009 2010 2011

:: 1994 CMC is founded as a nonprofit corporation, chartered in Tennessee with 501c3 status. The organization eventually consolidated mediation services previously delivered by:

- Knox County General Sessions Court Mediation Program
- University of Tennessee Conflict Resolution Program
- Knoxville Bar Association Mediation Service (KBAMS), (divorce and post-divorce custody cases)

CMC collaborates with Prof. Grayfred Gray's UT College of Law Mediation Clinic to train lsw students as volunteer mediators in General Sessions Court.

:: 1995 Knoxville Bar Association transfers KBAMS assets to CMC; CMC begins providing divorce and custody mediation with former KBAMS volunteer mediators who become a part of CMC.

:: 1996 CMC begins Mediation Mentoring Program for volunteer mediators with training for mentors at UT College of Law.

:: Sharon Upshaw, currently Program Director, is hired as the first CMC paid staff.

:: 1997 CMC begins AOC Rule 31 Parenting Education & Mediation Pilot Program (ongoing and expanding)

:: 1998 CMC begins Knox County Juvenile Court Pilot (ongoing). The program had originally been in the hands of UT Conflict Resolution Program.

CMC adopts Rule 31 Code of Conduct to fully apply to co-mediation model.

:: 1999 Tennessee and Knox County pass the “dollar bill" legislation to fund community mediationby permitting individual counties to pass a litigation tax ordinance.

:: 2000 CMC begins the Blount County Juvenile Mediation Pilot (ended in 2004)

:: 2001 CMC begins the Jefferson County Juvenile Mediation Program (ended 2002)

:: 2002 CMC begins administering the AOC Dependency Mediation Pilot (ending in 2005)

:: 2004 CMC begins training using Domestic Violence Master Class in Mediation.

:: 2005 CMC begins and implements its Strategic Planning Team Process (Strategic Plan is approved by the CMC Board in October, 2005.

John Doggette retires after 7 years as Executive Director. Jacqueline Kittrell is hired as the Executive Director for CMC. Jen Comiskey was hired as the Juvenile Court Program Director.

CMC wraps up the Child Dependency Pilot and begins its Truancy Mediation Program at Juvenile Court.

:: 2006 CMC collaborates with UT College of Law to train law students and Rule 31 attorneys as volunteers in General Sessions Court

CMC begins working with UT Athletic Department on peer mentoring training for student varsity athletes.

CMC begins Mediator Mentoring Program for volunteers.

CMC trains its first Domestic Violence Advocates to sit in during mediation involving warrant(s) between former intimate partners.

CMC is a leader to formation of a state-wide mediation coalition which brings together 24 nonprofit mediation groups, including community mediation centers, bar associations, university ombuds programs, and law schools, Tennessee Coalition on Mediaiton Awareness (TCMA).

:: 2007 CMC begins Dependency Mediation program at Knox County Juvenile Court, funded by DCS Knox Regional Office. CMC is certified as a DCS services provider.

CMC trains two classes of volunteer mediators, including the first ever Rule 31 “bridge” training for professionally trained mediators to volunteer as CMC General Sessions mediators.

CMC begins Order of Protection Mediation Pilot Project for Knox County 4th Circuit Court, Judge Bill Swann

CMC is a statewide leader in planning and hosting TCMA’s first awards luncheon to honor Professor Grayfred Gray with the Grayfred Gray Annual Award for Public Service in Mediation, on Mediation Day, Oct. 18, 2007.

:: 2008 CMC conducts a basic mediation training for ETHRA volunteers so that they can volunteer to mediate in the 4th Judicial District as parenting mediators.

The 2nd Annual Grayfred Gray Award for Public Service in Mediation goes to Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Janice Holder from Memphis.

:: 2009 CMC helps Knox County Schools receive a $15,000 grant from the Tennessee Blue Ribbon Committee to fund a peer mediation training for six middle schools. CRU Institute, with CMC, trains 72 middle schoolers and 24 adults in peer mediation at the UT Baker Center for Public Policy.

:: The State Legislature and Knox County Commission pass the new upgraded "dollar bill" litigation tax to benefit community mediation in Knox County.

:: CMC's Board hosts the 1st Annual Peace in the Valley Dinner and Silent Auction at the Sunsphere. We honor Civil Sessions mediator Don K. Ferguson as our Volunteer of the Year.

:: The 3rd Annual Grayfred Gray Award for Public Service in Mediation goes to mediatior and retired judge, Marietta Shipley, in Nashville, TN.

::2010 CMC gives a Rule 31 approved civil to family crossover training to NCRC volunteers in Nashville to prepare them to mediate in Davidson Co. Juvenile Court.

:: CMC's Board hosts the 2nd Annual Peace in the Valley Dinner and Silent Auction at the Foundry on the Fairi Site. Newly elected Knox County Mayor and former Senator Tim Burchett is honored with our Mediation Appreciation Award, along with Volunteer of the Year, Whitney Ray-Dawson.

The 4th Annual Grayfred Gray Award for Public Service in Mediation is presented by CMAT to Robert Murrian from Knoxville, and Shelby Grubbs, from Chattanooga (February, 2011) at the annual meeting for TAPM.

::2011 CMC trains 12 community volunteers and 12 UT Law Mediation Clinic students in our annual training.

:: CMC begins working with former board member Dr. Bob Kronick and the Pond Gap Community Schools Project at Pond Gap Elementary School.

:: CMC staff and volunteers acts as judges and role-players for the ABA Regional Advocacy in Mediation Competition for law students, hosted by UT College of Law Center for Advocacy and Mediation Clinic.

:: CMC provided juvenile custody law training to Anderson County's Community Mediation Service (CMS).

:: CMC is asked by Creative Collaborations in Nashville to provide 20 volunteer facilitators to staff a public policy discussion on STEM education at the Howard Baker Center, University of Tennessee.

:: CMC and 25 volunteer mediators provides facilitation services to Knox County Schools so that members of the community can better discuss education issues. We partner with United Way, Project Grad, the YWCA and others.

:: CMC's Board votes to provide a health reimbursement account to staff.

:: CMC's Board has a successful 3rd Annual Peace in the Valley Dinner, Silent Auction & Awards Ceremony at the Foundry on the Fair Site. T. Scott Jones, Esq. acts as our live auctioneer, Fourth Circuit Court Judge Bill Swann and Sessions Judicial Clerk, Bob Swan, are both honored with our Mediation Appreciation Awards.