As a student, teacher and practitioner of nonviolent/compassionate communication for nearly 20 years, Lori believes that how we talk (and listen) to one another matters. Lori did her basic mediation training with Six Rivers in 2010; experiencing the destructive results of unresolved conflict in community groups inspired her to become a mediator. This led to specialized trainings in Facilitation, Restorative practices, and Foreclosure mediation. Lori is honored and delighted to be a member of Six Rivers’ Restorative Justice team. Lori enjoys tai chi, foraging for wild edibles, and growing food. 

Michael Reid is a Conflict Resolution Specialist for Six Rivers.  He helped expand Oregon’s Housing Mediation program in 2022, and now contributes to a wide range of mediation services provided by Six Rivers.  He is certified as an impartial trauma-informed mediator following extensive training in addressing domestic violence, and is also a certified mediator under Resolution Washington, the member association for that state’s Dispute Resolution Centers.  He has also obtained multiple certificates in mediation training and is now one of the instructors for Six Rivers’ training programs.  Michael participates in family and parenting-plan mediations at Six Rivers, conducts mediation outreach services regularly at regional courthouses, and is part of the support team for the Restorative Justice program offered by Six Rivers.  His work at Six Rivers follows his thirty-year career as an attorney with the federal judiciary.  Michael pursued extensive collaboration with judges, court staff, attorneys and parties in support of alternative case resolutions in the federal courts of Oregon and Virginia.  Before obtaining his law degree Michael was a mediator for the American Association of Retired Persons, serving as an outreach specialist helping vulnerable older populations.  Michael has a daughter in graduate studies at UCLA, and he is an avid writer and reader and a mediocre pickleball novice.  He is excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest and to be contributing to the important work done by Six Rivers in mediation, restorative justice, and compassionate community building. 

Ona earned her B.A. in communication studies and relational conflict management from St Cloud State University. She brings 10 years of experience in community mediation, Restorative Justice and project coordination and design. Ona is a trained mediator and is a passionate believer in the positive effects of resolving disputes through mediation. She lives in Goldendale, WA with her husband and pets.

Colleen manages a variety of Six Rivers programs and is also a staff mediator. She has advanced training in Family Mediation (WA), Domestic Relations and Parenting Time Mediation (OR) and Equity-Informed Mediation. She is a certified mediator with the Washington Mediation Association and currently serves as Recording Secretary for Resolution Washington, the membership organization for Dispute Resolution Centers in Washington state. Previously, she worked in international relief and development, and has served the Gorge as a contracted project manager and grant writer with numerous local non-profit organizations and coalitions. She has a B.A. in Romance Languages (Italian & Spanish) from the University of Oregon, and a Master of Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. She is a Gorge local, having grown up in Hood River, and a proud mom of two.

Carolyn R. Smale came to Six Rivers as our first Mediation Apprentice, sponsored in part through the Oregon Office of Community Dispute Resolution at the University of Oregon School of Law.  She completed her apprenticeship in June of 2023.  Carolyn continues with Six River assisting with the bookkeeping.  Carolyn enjoys mediation work and also volunteers her time for mediations. 

You may know Carolyn as the Gorge’s local bankruptcy attorney.   Carolyn continues to practice bankruptcy law and help those facing financial difficulty.  The listening and facilitation skills she learned as a mediation apprentice have been invaluable in her bankruptcy practice, allowing her to fully hear her clients and their story.

Carolyn lives in Hood River with her husband.  She enjoys walking their dog Stokely, riding bikes, playing pinball and exploring all the Gorge has to offer.