Jonathan S. Rosenthal

Jonathan S. Rosenthal, Esquire, is the Executive Director of Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs for the District Court of Maryland. He is responsible for increasing the profile and the understanding of the use of ADR in the District Court, educating both those within the Judiciary and the general public on the benefits and appropriateness of ADR, and ensuring access to high quality ADR programs for the general public.

Prior to working for the District Court of Maryland, Jonathan was the Court ADR Resources Director at the Maryland Judiciary's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). While at MACRO, Jonathan worked with all 24 Circuit Courts around the state to help them create, expand, improve and/or evaluate court ADR programs. He helped create the Consumers Guide to Mediation Services in Maryland, has worked on MACRO's poster public awareness campaign, and has served as a staff member to the Conference of Circuit Courts' Business and Technology and Health Care Malpractice ADR Subcommittees.

Jonathan started practicing law in 1991, and opened his own law office in 1994, adding mediation in 1997. Since diving into the ADR world, Jonathan has been very active with both local and national ADR practitioner organizations. Jonathan has served on the executive committees of all three local ADR practitioner organizations and he has served the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution and the Courts Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution.

Jonathan helped create and teach a full day course on effective attorney advocacy during mediation, and he has presented on a wide variety of ADR topics to numerous organizations, law schools, and others, both nationally and locally. Currently he also serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor teaching the Mediation Clinic at the University of Maryland School of Law.

In addition to being an MCDR certified mediator, Jonathan is trained in facilitative and transformative mediation, collaborative law, arbitration, large group facilitation, dynamic governance processes, and other collaborative processes.

Maureen A. Denihan

Maureen A. Denihan is the Deputy Director/Program Development and Community Outreach Director with the District Court of Maryland ADR Office. In that capacity, she works with judges, court staff, interns, volunteers and community partners to build, maintain and strengthen existing ADR programs in the District Court. In managing the ADR programs, Maureen is responsible for drafting internal and external policy and procedure manuals, supervising the administration of grant funding, and overseeing the ADR internship program. She works collaboratively both within the ADR Office and with external partners to improve programs and assist neutrals that provide services. Maureen has been with the ADR since January 2004, and formerly served in the capacity of Coordinator of ADR Volunteers, and then ADR Manager, before being promoted to her current position. Maureen is a mediator and is licensed to practice law in Maryland. Maureen has presented at numerous national and local ADR conferences on topics such as Ethics, Agreement Writing, Getting Plugged In: Going Beyond the 40-Hours of Mediation Training, and others.

Shannon M. Baker

Shannon M. Baker is the Regional ADR Program Director for the District Court of Maryland ADR Office in Baltimore City and Harford County. In this position, she coordinates and provides support for the Day of Trial mediation and settlement conference programs, Pretrial mediation programs, and maintains and develops partnerships with local law schools and community mediation centers. Shannon began her career in mediation as a volunteer mediator for the Community Mediation Centers of Southern Maryland. While in Southern Maryland, Shannon was a Mediation Liaison for the College of Southern Maryland, an AmeriCorps member for the Community Mediation Center of Charles County, and finally the Executive Director for Charles County. She joined the ADR Office in June 2009. Shannon is a 2007 graduate from Susquehanna University with a B.A. in French and a B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Global Management. She is currently a second-year law student at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Leona Elliott

Leona S. Elliott, Director of Roster Management, has been with the District Court of Maryland ADR Office since April 2008. In this position, she is responsible for scheduling over 300 ADR Volunteers across the State for the Day of Trial Mediation and Settlement Conferencing programs on a quarterly basis. She is also responsible for reviewing ADR Practitioner Activity Reports and other forms. She also reviews incoming ADR volunteer applications of potential volunteers to determine if there is a need to add new volunteers in specific districts and if they are ready to go through the orientation program for mediation and settlement conference neutral programs. She also works with the Regional ADR Program Directors to conduct orientation training and volunteer appreciation events.

Leona was first introduced to mediation as a participant in 2004. Several months later, she completed the training to become a volunteer mediator and has been a volunteer with Community Mediation in Baltimore City since 2004. She is also a former Board Member (2005-2007) at Community Mediation. Her training in mediation includes the Basic Mediation (inclusive model, formerly referred to as the CMC model), Parenting Plan Mediation and Re-entry Mediation at Community Mediation. She also has received training in the Transformative model with Louise Phipps-Senft. She has also conducted workshops highlighting the experience of both the Participant and the Mediator at the mediation table which she refers to as a "gift at the table."

Cindy Faucette

Cindy holds a BA degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech and a BS degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of Maryland. Prior to joining the District Court of Maryland ADR Office, she was a paralegal with an insurance defense firm. Cindy joined the District Court of Maryland ADR Office in April 2004 as Regional ADR Coordinator and completed the 50 hour Basic Mediation Training, offered by MACMC (now Community Mediation Maryland) in October 2004 and 20-Child Access Mediation, offered by Mediation Matters, Inc., in July 2005. Cindy currently holds the position of Regional ADR Program Director with the District Court of Maryland ADR Office managing programs in Baltimore, Carroll, Howard and Frederick counties.

Tracy Culbreath

Prior to joining the District Court ADR Office, Tracy worked at Farmer's Insurance in Owings Mills, Maryland as a Department Assistant. Tracy is currently enrolled in the University of Baltimore Master's Program on Negotiation and Conflict Management with an anticipated graduation date of Spring 2014. When she isn't working, Tracy enjoys spending time with Belle (5 year old miniature pinscher). She currently resides in Anne Arundel County.

Sarah Kauffman

Sarah is currently the Data Management and Public Information Coordinator for the District Court of Maryland ADR Office. Before holding this position, she was both the Administrative Assistant and a full-time intern for the ADR Office. Sarah holds a B.A. in Communication and Conflict Resolution from Juniata College and a M.S. in Negotiation and Conflict Management from the University of Baltimore. Sarah lives in Pasadena, Maryland with her husband Justin and cat Geno.

Nancy Kreitzer

Nancy graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland with a B.A. degree and later received her Paralegal Certification from the University of Maryland. She began her professional career in the federal sector, beginning as a paralegal in Regulatory Litigation at the Department of Energy. She later moved to the Office of Enforcement of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, where she managed a staff of Paralegals who conducted banking-related investigations. She spent the latter years of her federal career at the Department of Agriculture, serving at headquarters as the Director of the Appeals, Litigation and Legal Liaison Staff of the Risk Management Agency, where she was responsible for managing a nation-wide Sanctions Program.

Nancy has worked for the District Court of Maryland since April 2008, and is the Regional Program Director for St. Mary's, Charles, Calvert and Prince George's Counties.

Katherine Quinn

Kate received a Bachelor's degree from Georgia State University in June, 1980, and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law in May, 1983. She worked as an attorney at Georgia Legal Services and in private practice from June, 1983 through May, 1990. After staying home for a number of years with young children, Kate began working at the District and Circuit Courts in Calvert County from August 2002 through December, 2007. Along with other duties, she assisted in developing a private practice that included mediation and collaborative law, as well as volunteering as a community mediator and Board member.

Kate came to the District Court ADR Office in January, 2010. She is the Regional ADR Program Director for Montgomery County and Anne Arundel County. She also works with the pilot project Self Help Center at the District Court in Glen Burnie, to include mediation referrals as part of the services for litigants provided there.

Kate lives in Huntingtown, Maryland with her husband and son, and has a daughter in college. She enjoys cooking, yoga, and traveling with her family.

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