SEPTEMBER 2019
Your Association is facing a MAJOR crisis and we need your help!
Did we get your attention or is this another “Ho-hum” minute?
Having served as your President for almost two years, a position I have sincerely enjoyed and hope that all of you re-elect me to for 2020, I have to desperately ask for your help to “STEP UP” and help me in promotion of the Vision all of us have for the Mediation Community and the valuable services we provide in New Mexico.
“Why should I do this”? you may ask:
- We face mounting pressure from the legal community Leadership who feel “Professional Non-Attorney” mediators have no place, no value and serve no purpose other than to provide “pro-bono” services.
- We have a State government that asks Professional Mediators to provide services “out of the spirit of kindness” for free in Magistrate and Risk Management programs around the state.
- We have a District Court system that only offers Mediation opportunities to lawyers because they only trust lawyers to provide “facilitated directive settlement agreements” which may or may not be conducted in the true spirit of “Mediated Settlement Agreements”.
- The State AOC “magically” found monies to work with the Non-government provider that offers legal electronic report formats to the court system to develop “MODRIA” an online Mediation system that was intended to be launched in rural “underserved” portions of the state. The program, in its infancy, was designed to serve as a facilitation tool for debt and money due cases and will now be modified to include Traffic violations in Magistrate court due to low participation and a low number of successful case resolutions in an attempt to improve participation for the money invested.
- We continue to train state employees to serve as mediators within state government (at no cost to the employees), offer training for Non-state Employee Mediators (for a fee) around the state and then what happens? No place to practice, participate or develop skill sets because of limited opportunity due to lack of court willingness to participate in Mediation or point number 3 above. Yet, we know the court system is taxed to hear all the cases in a timely, expedient manner.
- We have Professional, Non-Attorney Mediators who are capable, competent and willing to serve the needs of the state Court system.
- We have Professional, Trained, Passionate and Dedicated Mediators who specialize in areas where their background, education or passion has led them to focus, provide valuable assistance in non-adversarial solutions for affordable costs to the general population of New Mexico and other areas in this nation.
- We have an Association who wants to meet the needs of our existing and future clients and knows that your training, experience, and exposure to opportunities is the best solution for the State.
How did this come to pass? An easy explanation from my point of view:
We as the Mediation community of New Mexico took our eyes off the Purpose, Intent, Goals, Aim, Focus, Desire or whatever words you may choose to use for the Value, Intent, and Purpose of Mediation Services in New Mexico. It is me and each of us as members of the Mediation Community who have allowed this to happen.
I sometimes wonder why members/officers of the past are long gone from the association; in many cases, they do not even pay dues. Did they see the future and say, “I’m out of here”! or did they choose to say “I’ve done my time” or maybe it was a clash with existing goals, directions or opportunities to advance their agenda? Could it have been warring egos? Maybe they lived outside of the major metro areas and did not feel they could logistically participate. Maybe it was expectations not met by the Association leadership or better yet; needs not addressed, listened to or acted up – so “I gave up” became their alibi? Maybe “I just pay my dues, so that I can show my clients or employer I belong but am not really active”?
We currently have a board that is trying hard, staying focused and trying to get to the root cause of what we need, provide what the members want, but we need your help. Support us by offering to serve on the Board, as an Officer, a Committee Member or Regional Representative to the Board. Speak up, let us hear and see you and provide the value and benefit you seek from Alternative Dispute Resolutions in the State of New Mexico!
GET OFF THE COUCH, OUT OF YOUR DESK CHAIR AND OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND HELP US ADDRESS WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR ASSOCIATION!
We hope to see you at the Annual Meeting.