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Our Mediators

Who are the Mediators?

The New Orleans Community-Police Mediation Program has a total of 40 active mediators on its roster. All mediators are community members who volunteer for the program and have been selected from a competitive application and recruitment process. They come from a variety of backgrounds and are committed to improving community-police relationships through dialogue. Approximately every two years, the program recruits and trains new mediators. In 2022, the OIPM partnered with the Re-Entry Mediation Institute of Louisiana (REMILA) to cross-train their mediators and expand our mediator pool.

How are Mediators Selected?

When recruiting a new cohort of mediators, we do extensive outreach to share the call for applications. Typically, we receive between 75-100 applications from interested community members. A panel of current mediators and staff select 30 people for interviews and then narrow it down to 12-15 people to become trained.

Mediators are selected based on the following characteristics:

  • Availability and flexibility of schedule
  • Empathic communication and listening skills
  • The ability to hold space for intense emotions
  • The capacity to demonstrate competence, composure and neutrality (open to hearing others’ opinions and perspectives and an ability to put aside one’s own biases)
  • Commitment to improving community-police relationships
  • Willingness to learn past comfort zones with patience, humility, and a positive attitude
  • Comfortable giving and receiving constructive feedback and ability to learn a new process
  • Reflect the diversity of our community based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, and income
 

Our next cohort of mediators will likely be recruited in 2026. We will post details here once the application period is open. In the meanwhile, you are welcome to review our most recent application materials by clicking below, and you can always email mediation@nolaipm.gov and ask to be notified for the next round. We typically do a training every 2-3 years.

Mediator Training

Mediators receive an initial 50 hours of CLE-approved specialized mediation training and attend monthly professional development training throughout the year to maintain and build their skills. The 50-hour New Mediator Training takes place every two years over 6 days. Our mediators are trained in the Inclusive Model of Mediation by trainers from Community Mediation Maryland. Four NOPD officers also participate in the full training. The officers participate as role players, giving the mediators realistic practice and also help provide important insight into the perspective of officers. They receive training in communication and mediation, which they bring back to their job and also serve as ambassadors to the mediation program so that other officers can ask questions and get information about what to expect in mediation. We provide monthly 2-3 hour Professional Development training through in-service mediator trainings, offered to all trained mediators to maintain and practice skills.

Our Mediators:

2024 Cohort

2024 Mediators Cohort

2024 Cohort

  • Alden “Chief” Cheatham
  • Allison Reinhardt
  • Da’Michael Baker
  • Danovon Bettis
  • Djuana Brown
  • Emily Rhodes
  • Francisco Mejia
  • Gabriel Bordenave
  • Lisa Schlakman
  • Margaret Swords
  • John “Murf” Reeves
  • Natalie Paul
  • Patricia Walters
  • Sandra Matthews
  • Shosh Madick

2024 NOPD Ambassadors 

  • Sgt Charles Love
  • Sgt Randolph Daniels
  • Officer Nicholas Martin
  • Officer Martha Young
  • Chief of Staff Eric Carter

2021 Cohort

2021 Mediator Cohort

2021 Cohort

  • Andrew Doss
  • Blake Amos
  • Damekia Morgan
  • Dana Walker
  • Danielle Burrell
  • Fred Lewis
  • Jose Massingue
  • KaTrina Chantelle Griffin
  • Louis Ward
  • Nancy Freeman
  • Nell Bolton
  • Patricia Lee
  • Rachel Nelson
  • Renata Jones
  • Richard Saxer

2021 NOPD Ambassadors 

  • Sgt Willie Jenkins
  • Officer Terri Joseph
  • Officer Vaughn Valeary
  • Sgt Thomas Oake

2018 Cohort

2018 Mediator Cohort

2018 Cohort

  • Anna Anderson
  • Brent Godfrey
  • Danielle Davis
  • Gregory Norman
  • Jabari Brown
  • Jeffrey Harding
  • Karron Williams
  • Melanie Merz
  • Michaela Bono
  • Naomi Kim
  • Renard Bridgewater

2018 NOPD Ambassadors 

  • Sgt Kenneth Gill
  • Sgt James Kjellin
  • Officer Danielle Williams
  • Captain Simon Hargrove

2015 Cohort

2015 Mediator Cohort

2015 Cohort

  • Angelique Thomas
  • Brian Opert
  • Claire Ojeh
  • Denise Graves
  • Gahiji Barrow
  • Jules Griff
  • Jupiter LeBlanc
  • Keisha Woods
  • Marc Florman
  • Melva McKinney-Young
  • Troi Bechet
  • Wendy Firven Smith

2015 NOPD Ambassadors 

  • Captain Nicholas Gernon
  • Sgt Robert Kirton
  • Detective Danny McMullen
  • Officer William Johnson III

2014 Cohort

2014 Mediator Cohort

2014 Cohort

  • Al Grandoit
  • Allyson Curry
  • Andrea Jones
  • Caroline Minor
  • Juan Bernal
  • Larry Hayes
  • Cynthia Baxter-Hayes
  • Lou Furman
  • Michael Murphy
  • Paul Breaux
  • Ron Adams
  • Sean Anderson
  • Stacey Marcel
  • Vanessa Rodrguez
  • Erskin Taylor

2014 NOPD Ambassadors 

  • Sgt Tokishiba Lane
  • Sgt Christopher Prochaska
  • Sgt Alexis Hawkins
  • Sgt Roderick Franklin

Our next cohort of mediators will likely be recruited in 2026. We will post details once the application period is open. In the meanwhile, you are welcome to review our most recent application materials by clicking below, and you can always fill one out to be considered for the next round. We typically do a training every 2-3 years.

Accountability breeds response-ability.

― Stephen R. Covey