James Layman, Chair

James Layman (He/Him) joined the AWSL staff in the summer of 2017 and currently serves as the Director of the Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL).

 

James is a graduate of Central Valley High School and attended Eastern Washington University, focusing on Music Education, Psychology, and African-American History. James currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Student Activities (NA4SA).

 

Through AWSL, James is a keynote speaker, curriculum writer, equity consultant, and program facilitator throughout Washington State. James has presented at the Washington Activity Coordinators Association, the National Conference for Student Activities, and the NatStuCo National Conference. James lives and works out of Spokane, WA.

 

What James loves about mediation: Mediation is how communities, cultures, and people come together through our shared humanity. It is a process woven together by healing, listening, and truth-telling. 

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Jerry Caniglia, Vice-Chair

Jerry has been a member of the NMC board since December 2022. Raised in Phoenix, AZ, and a graduate of the University of Arizona with a BA in Social Sciences and Pre-Law minor, Jerry has called Spokane home since 1991. He graduated from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1994 and began his legal career. After briefly working in the private legal sector, Jerry went on to work for the City of Spokane, with the first 13 years as a City Prosecutor, and now nearing 14 years of service on the bench as a Municipal Court Commissioner. Witnessing first-hand the need for dispute resolution alternatives to litigation, Jerry has felt drawn to the art of mediation as a method to settle matters outside the walls of the courtroom. He completed both the Basic Mediation Training and the Advanced Family and Divorce Mediation Training offered by Northwest Mediation Center. He looks forward to working in the future as a mediator, helping people work through conflict and serving those seeking relief and in need of restoration and closure. The opportunity to contribute as a member of the NMC board is an honor for Jerry, and he is proud to work with his fellow board members to further its mission, which is to foster, provide, and teach peaceful problem solving. Jerry calls family his first priority, and he and his wife Cyndi have three wonderful daughters, which they consider their greatest blessing.

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Madison MK-Bharucha, Treasurer

Madison became involved with NMC in the summer of 2022. She went to Hawai'i Pacific University to earn her undergraduate degree in International Business and New England College for her master's degree in forensic accounting. Working as a forensic accountant in litigation cases as an expert witness, she often sees the benefits of using mediation to settle disputes before getting to the court room. Being a part of NMC is special to her as someone who grew up in Spokane, as she hopes that giving everyone the opportunity to settle problems in a productive manner will help the community grow in the right direction. 

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Madison Silver, Secretary

Madison Silver joined NMC in the fall of 2024. By day, Madi is a Product Marketer at Submittable, specializing in CSR and targeting corporate audiences. With a decade of marketing experience, she has successfully launched new products, built partnerships with some of the biggest brands, and led social impact programs at various organizations, focusing on employee engagement, giving and volunteering, and community grant initiatives. Madi moved to Spokane in 2021 with her husband, a third-generation Spokanite, and has immersed herself in the community, forging connections and building relationships wherever she goes.

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​Laura Garcia-Bohnet

Laura Garcia Bohnet joined the Board of NMC in 2018. With her she brought a background in psychology; her doctoral research focused on the relationship between restorative practices and human wellbeing. She values NMC’s mission to promote peaceful problem solving and the way NMC carries out its mission - with commitment and integrity. Laura is trained as a mediator and currently works as an outpatient psychotherapist in the greater Seattle area. She is also a member of the American Psychological Association.​​​​

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Melanie Nelson

Melanie has much mediation training under her belt, including the following:

• Two 40-hour basic mediation trainings at NMC (formerly Northwest Conflict Management Center when she trained there in 2005)

• 20 hour Elder mediation training at Snohomish County (2014)

• 20-hour family law mediation in Thurston County (2008)

• 20-hour family law mediation training w/ Bob Collins (2010 & 1012)

• Foreclosure Mediation Training at Washington State Dept. of Commerce in King County (2013)

Melanie became involved at NMC in 2005 when she became certified as a mediator and began mediating small claims cases. She worked as the program director and foreclosure mediator for several years, and eventually became the Executive Director of NMC. Melanie resigned when she started her own business in 2015, and she has been on the board since 2017.

Melanie loves that NMC has a big heart for Spokane and is always seeking out ways to reach out to the community to teach peaceful problem solving. ​​

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Erin Lipsker

Erin is so excited to be joining the NMC Board. Erin attended Gonzaga University for an undergraduate degree in history and political science, followed by a master’s in teaching. Erin currently works in the Department of Family and Community Engagement for Spokane Public Schools as the Restorative Practices and Mediation Program Manager and assists in creating and facilitating trainings on addressing race through self-reflection and relationship building. As a former teacher, the proud mom of three kiddos, and a bi-racial woman, Erin has a strong belief that all people deserve to be seen, valued, and supported. Erin feels honored to work with NMC to actively create a powerful and heartfelt connection between the restorative work being done within our schools and the work being done in the broader community. Together, there is hope for long lasting healing, skill building, empowerment, and a more peaceful future for all.

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Shallan Knowles

Shallan is an experienced mediator, meeting facilitator, and divorce coach, who completed more than 120 mediations for Northwest Mediation Center in the first six months of 2023. Her facilitation experience spans nearly two decades and ranges from facilitating watershed stakeholder meetings for Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Spokane County Conservation District, to leading the Peaceful Valley Design Charrette in Spokane as part of their neighborhood planning process.
 

She holds certificates in Trauma-Informed Mediation, Advanced Mediation Training as well as a certificate in group facilitation methods for meetings. Her mediation and coaching approach at Syringa Mediation is centered on caring support for both parties while finding the root of the issue. She is also a Certified Mediator with the Washington Mediation Association. 
 

Shallan has worked for several Spokane-region non-profit conservation organizations and government organizations, and is the current co-owner of a small media and marketing business.

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