Midlands Mediation Center announces new Executive Director

COLUMBIA, SC – The Midlands Mediation Center, a conflict resolution organization serving the Midlands of South Carolina since 1998, announces the selection of Sondra D. Stephenson, J.D.  as its new executive director.  The appointment was made after a regional search and selection process, during which Stephenson served as the Program Manager for the organization.

“We are very pleased with the appointment of Sondra as the new Executive Director,” reported board chair Sandra Francis.  “Sondra’s experience and education coupled with her passion for the Midlands Mediation Center’s mission will serve the organization well.  Sondra brings enthusiasm and leadership to the Center’s programs which will advance the use of collaborative communication processes in our community.”

Sondra’s resume includes more than 25 years of organization and program management, fundraising, development, and membership services experience in the national nonprofit sector.  She is a native South Carolinian earning her Associate of Art in Business Management from Midlands Technical College and Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs from Columbia College.  Sondra earned Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School with a focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution.  She is a trained mediator having volunteered at the Chittendon County Superior Court in Burlington, Vermont and for the Community Mediation Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Her professional experience on a national level includes Program Manager for the American Association for Justice (formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association) developing and implementing educational and leadership programs. Prior to this appointment, Sondra served as the Administrator for the South Carolina Boards of Veterinary Medical Examiners and the South Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

“I am absolutely thrilled to serve as the Midlands Mediation Center’s Executive Director,” remarks Sondra.  “I look forward to advancing MMC’s mission to provide a vital community service. The Midlands Mediation Center plays a key role in supporting dialogue that leads to a peaceful resolution to conflict.”

The Midlands Mediation Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing low-cost mediation and conflict management services to individuals and organizations in the Midlands of South Carolina.