Awards

Connie Saltonstall with Bruce Herbert

In May, Northern Community Mediation (NCM) holds its annual Appreciation Gala. At that event, mediators, board members, volunteers and staff are thanked for their dedication to NCM. Additionally, special recognition is given to those mediators and advocates for mediation who “rise above and beyond the call of duty.” They are the individuals who make significant contributions of their time and energy for the advancement of NCM and the mediation process during the previous year.

Recipients of the awards for 2021 are listed below.

  • Veteran Mediator of the Year: Lee Kramer
  • Rookie Mediator of the Year: Tina Verlinden
  • Advocate of the Year: Mark Andresky & Mitch Brown
  • The Leah Award: Dan McGuire
  • 20 Years of Service: Connie Saltonstall

The 2022 recipients were recognized at the annual Appreciation Gala, which was to be held on Thursday, May 25, 2021 at Palette Bistro in Petoskey.

Descriptions of the awards along with previous individuals honored are shown below.

Veteran Mediator of the Year

The Veteran Mediator of the Year Award is presented to an established mediator who goes above and beyond. This is a person who does things such as re-arranging his/her schedule so that a last minute mediation can be scheduled. Past recipients of this award are:

  • Lee Kramer (2022)
  • Lee Kramer (2021)
  • Bill Cattin (2020)
  • Denise Drake (2019)
  • Amy Stikovich (2018)
  • Dick Hendrian (2017)
  • Lou Diaz & Susan Hannah (2016)
  • Mary Horan (2015)
  • Hugh Conklin (2014)
  • Carolyn Belknap (2013)
  • Karen Cole (2012)
  • Kendal Taylor (2011)
  • Jeff Higgs 2010)
  • Polly Cheney (2009)
  • Ron Moore (2008)
  • Robert Harkness (2007)
  • Connie Saltonstall (2006)

Rookie Mediator of the Year

The Rookie Mediator of the Year Award goes to a mediator who has completed the Forty-Hour Training or has come to Northern Community Mediation from another Citizen Dispute Resolution Center within the past two years. Past recipients include:

  • Tina Verlinden (2022)
  • Kate Scollin (2021)
  • Jeanne Baranowski (2020)
  • Steve Hall (2019)
  • Bill Malow (2018)
  • Ed Cole (2017)
  • Rob & Ruthie Brown (2016)
  • John Hoffman (2015)
  • Kristyn Balog (2014)
  • Herb Carlson (2013)
  • Tom North (2012)
  • Lisa Hicklen (2011)
  • Kendal Taylor (2010)
  • Wayne Tri (2009)
  • Deb Ekland (2008)
  • Gary Barfknecht (2007)

NCM Advocate of the Year

To be supportive of NCM, it is not necessary to be a mediator or board member. Many members of the community are advocates of mediation and the Center. Consequently, NCM created the NCM Advocate of the Year Award. Past recipients include:

  • Mark Andresky & Mitch Brown (2022)
  • Amy Stikovich (2021)
  • The Which Wich Team (2020)
  • Cyndy Tonkavich (2019)
  • Brian Kasiborski (2018)
  • Jim Raber (2017)
  • Wendy Viles (2016)
  • John Marshall (2015)
  • Ray (posthumously) & Mary Jane Kiogima (2014)
  • The Honorable James Erhart (2013)
  • Emmet-Charlevoix Bar Association (2012)
  • Tom Schraw (2011)
  • Marge Parish (2010)
  • Susan Capaldi (2009))
  • The Honorable Fred Mulhauser (2008)
  • The Honorable Richard Pajtas (2007)
  • Steve Tresidder (2006)

The Leah Award

In 2005, NCM established the Leah Award. The first recipient of this award was Leah Green. Professionally, Leah was an educator. As a member of the community, she volunteered as a mediator for NCM. She drew upon her knowledge of mediation and her expertise as an educator to become a trainer of mediators for NCM. In recognition of her twelve years of devoted service to NCM, Leah was awarded with the first Leah Award at the annual meeting. Leah died three months after receiving this award.

Since 2005, the Leah Award has been presented to an individual who holds the same degree of dedication to and advocacy of NCM and the mediation process. This award represents an individual who has been devoted to NCM over the years. It is not necessarily awarded every year. The recipients of the Leah Award are as follows:

  • Dan McGuire (2022)
  • Mary Louise Horan (2021-posthumously)
  • Doug Van Epps (2020)
  • The Honorable Jenny Deegan (2019)
  • Steve Tresidder (2018)
  • The Honorable Fred Mulhauser (2016)
  • Connie Saltonstall (2014)
  • The Honorable Richard Pajtas (2013)
  • The Honorable Richard May (2011)
  • Bruce Herbert (2008)
  • Richard Hendrain (2007)
  • Kathy Lame (2006)
  • Leah Green (2005)

Twenty Years of Service

  • Connie Saltonstall (2022)
  • Bruce Herbert (2021)

Prior to 2006

Prior to 2006, Northern Community Mediation (NCM) presented the Mediator of the Year Award at the Annual Meeting. Past recipients of this award are:

  • Bill Shumaker (1997)
  • Murray Kilgour (1998)
  • Leah Green (1999)
  • Lou Fantini (2000)
  • Kathleen Lame (2001)
  • Richard Hendrian (2002)
  • Richard Hendrian (2003)
  • Bruce Herbert (2004)
  • Richard Hendrian (2005)