OFFICERS
Kristina Taylor (President)
Kristina has a background in psychology and conflict resolution and currently works as a professor, counselor, and conflict coach. She is interested in using neuropsychology principles to enhance ADR practices. She received her Ph.D in conflict resolution from Nova Southeastern University.
Rachel Brooks (Treasurer)
Ms. Brooks graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She is an Associate in the Disputes, Investigation, and Compliance group at Stout where she focuses on financial analysis, forensic accounting, and financial investigations. She is a Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”) and Certified Fraud Examiner (“CFE”).
Mark Mayer (Secretary & Past President)
Mark Mayer works in dispute resolution as a litigator, mediator and arbitrator. As a litigator, he handles a wide variety of matters in personal injury, commercial and other areas. Having trained and certified as a mediator at Northwestern University and the Center for Conflict Resolution, he mediates with private parties and at the Center for Conflict Resolution. He is on the roster for the Cook County Law Division Court-Annexed Civil Mediation program, Resolute Systems and VirtualCourthouse.com. He serves on Cook County Mandatory Arbitration panels and arbitrates for insurance companies and private parties. He received his J.D. from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law and B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) from Loyola University Chicago.
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BOARD MEMBERS
Robert W. Berliner
Robert W. Berliner, Jr., is a practicing mediator and an accomplished attorney, and has been a principal in many real estate and other business ventures. As an attorney, he has represented businesses of all types and sizes, including manufacturers, distribution companies, real estate developers and investors, contractors, financial institutions, and retailers. With more than 30 years of legal and business experience, he brings an exceptional array of skills and insights to the mediation process, his law clients and the real estate marketplace. His areas of particular mediation expertise are business, real estate, construction, estates and bankruptcy.
Michael Booden
Michael Booden is Senior Technology Counsel with Hub International, the 5th largest insurance brokerage and benefits provider in the world with over $4 billion in annual revenue. At Hub, he has a leadership role where he is charged with negotiating and drafting complex technology agreements.
Michael is a certified mediator and an Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. For over eight years, he served as a Chair-Qualified Arbitrator with the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Mandatory Arbitration program. Michael has represented clients as a first or second chair in over 30 trials in state and federal courts and before administrative judges. For over ten years, he has been an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. After graduating from law school, he was appointed as a Judicial Law Clerk for John J. Stamos, who formerly served on the Illinois Appellate Court and Illinois Supreme Court.
Sandra Chu
Sandra Chu is a mediator and arbitrator in private practice in Rockford. She has completed the Center for Conflict Resoution’s Mediator Mentorship Program and serves as a volunteer mediator with CCR. Sandra has completed the Divorce Mediation Training course from the Northwestern University School of Professional Studies and is a Member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators. Sandra is also an Arbitrator and is on the roster with FINRA and the American Arbitration Association Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist List.
Sandra is a Canadian lawyer with a background in civil litigation. She graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School (JD/LLB) and the Schulich School of Business (MBA) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She also holds a BA(Honors) in Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
Colette Marie Davion-Douglas
Colette Marie Davion-Douglas is a certified mediator and trained circle keeper. She has mediated landlord-tenant eviction cases in the Maywood Courts since 2013. Colette has been a volunteer mediator for the Center of Conflict Resolution since 2019 and coaches in their Mediational Skills Training Program. At Dominican University, she coaches in the Mediation Skills Training and Negotiation classes and is an adjunct instructor. Colette is a graduate of Dominican University, receiving a B.A. in Organizational Leadership with honors and an M.A. in Conflict Resolution.
Shafiq is a pro bono mediator and afilliated with the Aga Khan Conciliation and Arbitration Board (CAB). He served as a Board Member of CAB for the Midwest United States from 2009–2015. Currently, Shafiq continues to support CAB’s work mediating commercial and matrimonial disputes involving members of the Ismaili Muslim community. Professionally, Shafiq is a Technology professional for the Bank of Montreal. He holds an MBA from DePaul University and BBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Corinne “Cookie” Levitz, J.D.
Cookie has been involved in the mediation field since 1978. She is employed as a supervisor and family mediator of parenting disputes for the Circuit Court of Cook County. Cookie has been an adjunct faculty member at several area law schools since 1987, including Chicago-Kent and Loyola where she teaches Mediation and Child & Family Law Mediation. Cookie has had an on-going involvement with the Center for Conflict Resolution in Chicago since 1978 where she serves as a mediation and conflict resolution trainer, and volunteer mediator and facilitator.
Willie Mack
Willie Mack, Oak Park, is a divorce and dispute mediator, divorce financial analyst, and public safety consultant. He completed a 40-hour Mediator Skills Training Program, Center for Conflict Resolution (2023) and a 40-hour Divorce Mediation Training Program, Northwestern University Professional Studies (2014). Willie holds a Ph.D. (public policy analysis) from the University of Illinois at Chicago; a Certificate of Advanced Study (educational leadership) from the University of Chicago, M.Ed. degree (reading) from Loyola University of Chicago, and a M.P.A. degree (public safety) from Roosevelt University.
Robert Olian
Rob Olian mediates environmental disputes. He brings the knowledge and experience gleaned from nearly 40 years in the private practice of environmental law at Sidley Austin LLP, where he headed the Chicago Environmental practice group and was co-leader of the firm’s national Environmental practice. He is listed for his environmental expertise in Who’s Who Legal: Environment 2024 and was also recognized among the leading mediators in Who’s Who Legal: Mediation. He received his J.D., Masters in Public Policy, and A.B degrees from Harvard and completed the 40-hour Certificate Program in Mediation Skills at Northwestern University in 2016.
Grant Taubman
Grant Taubman graduated from Dominican University’s Master of Conflict Resolution in 2020. Currently, he is working at the American Bar Association. He has completed a 40-hour Certificate from Dominican University. He has a strong cultural background due to time spent in China and Spain.