Our Team
Our team is comprised of two full-time staff members, our Board of Directors, and thirty certified volunteer mediators.
Our Staff
Meet our two full-time staff members, Dawn and Penny!
Dawn Wallant | Executive Director
Telephone: 518-943-0523, ext. 1 | E-mail: Dwallant@commongroundinc.orgI have served as the Executive Director of Common Ground since 2001, and prior to that time, I was the program director for another dispute resolution organization located in Troy, NY. I have served in the ADR field for the last 30 years. I have served on several dispute resolution professional organizations, most recently, as Vice President of the Board of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association (ret 2022).
I specialize in a variety of dispute resolution processes, including basic mediation, divorce mediation, family court, and family mediation, neighborhood conflict, small claims and housing disputes, surrogate court mediation, NYS Lemon Law arbitration, and a variety of restorative justice practices.
Other programs started under my direction have been school and peer mediation programs and older adult decision-making, elder abuse, and awareness education.
I have provided community workshops dealing with conflict resolution, communication, cultural diversity/implicit bias, and cultural competencies.
I have a bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University, and worked, prior to coming to NYS, as a paralegal in various legal settings.
Penny Calyer | Mediation and Youth Coordinator
Telephone: 518-943-0523, ext. 2 PennyCalyer@commongroundinc.orgI have worked in the non-profit field for almost 25 years. For Common Ground I have been the Mediation and Youth Program Manager since 2014. Prior to that I worked in the Rape Crisis/Child Advocacy Field for 15 years.
I coordinate mediations that come to Common Ground from various referral sources. I also facilitate workshops in our local schools on topics such as Conflict Resolution, moving up from elementary to middle school, moving up from middle school to high school, Peer Mediation and Restorative Practices. Currently I am working with 4th-7th grades.
I grew up and currently live in Columbia County with my husband and our dogs and enjoy spending time with my grandsons.
Amber Kane | Family Court Intake
akane@commongroundinc.orgAmber has been mediating and managing meditation programs for more than 12 years. A graduate of the State University at Buffalo, she is a mediation trainer specializing in teaching practitioners how to develop and deliver an inclusive mediation process. She is a former Board Member and Treasurer of the NYS Dispute Resolution Association and frequently presents at ADR conferences and events. Her work and articles have been featured in Autism Spectrum Quarterly, the Buffalo News, the Democrat and Chronicle and the Batavia Daily News. She resides in western New York with her partner and enjoys spending time with her adult children, reading and traveling.
Board of Directors
Dedicated to the Mission of Common Ground, we are fortunate to receive guidance and stewardship from a committed volunteer Board of Directors. Each Director brings his or her expertise and abilities to move the agency forward.
Board of Directors 2022/2023
- Cleveland Samuels, President
- Nancy Ursprung
- Rev. Darwin Abraham
- Jacqueline Dunn
- Stuart Breslow
- Brenda Eckstein
Mediators
Thirty certified volunteer mediators to help you resolve your conflicts!
