About Us

Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center is a non-profit community dispute resolution center serving the Mid-Columbia region. We receive funding from local, state and federal organizations in order to provide affordable conflict resolution and education services. Our highly trained mediators are dedicated to helping people solve problems and resolve conflict. We strive to create positive conversations and a safe environment for settling disputes, as well as education and training opportunities.

Our mission: To empower and train people and organizations to resolve conflict through mediation, facilitation, restorative justice and other collaborative means of communication.

Our vision: We envision our community equipped with the skills to resolve conflict in a healthy, civil and peaceful way.

Click here for our 2023 Annual Report.

Who We Are

Our team consists of 7 dedicated board members, 8 staff, and 17 active volunteers who work together to provide affordable conflict resolution services. 

We are proud to be a part of hundreds of Dispute Resolution centers throughout the nation working to provide effective and comprehensive conflict resolution services to community members and organizations. We bridge the Columbia River Gorge, providing services in both Oregon and Washington State.

We are an active member of the network of Dispute Resolution Centers (DRC) and restorative justice organizations in the Pacific Northwest and the national network of USDA Certified Agricultural Mediation Programs. We work together with our colleagues to ensure Best Practices in mediation, conflict coaching, restorative justice, and training in communities large and small.

Resolution Washington is the member association for the 21 Dispute Resolution Centers in Washington state. In 2023, the centers served over 144,000 adults, including over 37,000 youth, statewide. The large number of people reached was assisted by a temporary mandatory eviction resolution pilot program during and immediately post-pandemic. 80% of clients reported that mediation improved their situation. We are proud that current members of our staff have served volunteer leadership roles for the association. Andrea Pacheco, Executive Director, served as Vice President and Co-President for ResWA, 2019-2021, and Colleen Regalbuto, Program Manager, is currently serving as Secretary since 2023.

The Resolution Oregon collaborative is a group of 14 centers serving the state of Oregon. In 2023-2024, the centers served over 16,500 adults, including a voluntary housing stability mediation program that resolved 77% of cases with a written agreement. The centers receive funding through the state of Oregon to provide community dispute resolution services. Andrea Pacheco is the representative for Six Rivers.

The Restorative Justice Coalition of Oregon is a statewide network of practitioners, agencies and programs that promotes and supports the implementation and practice of restorative justice principles and models. The coalition has been an instrumental advocate for funding. We are proud that a member of our staff, Debra Pennington-Davis, RJ Coordinator, is currently serving on the Coordinating Council for the coalition.

In 2021, Six Rivers hired its current Executive Director, Andrea Pacheco. A Puerto Rican and military brat with a courageous and innovative outlook fueled the growth and expansion of Six Rivers, driving the vision forward for restorative justice work, and the evolution of the mediator practicum. Hiring key individuals with deep talent, the team has expanded its partnerships with schools, the criminal legal system, victim advocates, and Indigenous and Latine communities, opening satellite offices in Goldendale and The Dalles.

Six Rivers Founding Director, Marti Dane, created the mediation and training program in 2002, training hundreds of volunteer mediators and eventually becoming an independent 501(c)3 non-profit in 2013. Marti’s creativity, passion for peace, hard work, and dedication to mentoring mediators has changed countless lives. Marti was the Executive Director through 2020. Her parting message is available here.