Andrea is Puerto Rican and a military brat, and her path to mediation began informally on cross-cultural mining sites abroad. Navigating diverse perspectives and experiences helped shape her adaptability and cultural sensitivity. Formal training later added structure to her approach, including advanced training in Restorative Justice, Family Mediation, Agricultural Mediation, and Conflict Dynamics Coaching.

Since joining Six Rivers in 2014, Andrea has brought this blend of real-world experience and a grounded, creative style to her work supporting individuals and teams through complex conversations. She became Executive Director in 2021.

When she’s not working, she’s usually outside — preferably near water or somewhere the wind has an opinion. She’s learned that the best ideas rarely come from sitting still.

Colleen 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 previously served as Recording Secretary for Resolution Washington, the membership organization for Dispute Resolution Centers in Washington state.

Her professional background includes work in international relief and development, as well as project management and grant writing for numerous local nonprofit organizations and coalitions throughout the Gorge. She holds a B.A. in Romance Languages (Italian and Spanish) from the University of Oregon and a Master of Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

Colleen grew up in Hood River and is a proud mom of two.

After studying criminology at Florida State University, Andy completed seminary and became a chaplain at a state prison in Virginia. He later served as a congregational minister, working with individuals and groups around issues of harm, loss, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.

Andy began mediating in 2017 and volunteered with the Multnomah County Circuit Court’s Small Claims Department. In recent years, his work has increasingly focused on Restorative Justice, where he has continued learning and practicing the craft of circle keeping.

During the first three foundational years of Six Rivers’ Circles of Peace program, Debra served as Restorative Justice Coordinator, working closely with community partners and New York University’s Center on Violence and Recovery. With the program now fully implemented, she continues her restorative justice work with Six Rivers while pursuing a Master of Social Work degree to deepen her ability to support people in trauma healing and growth.

Beyond Six Rivers, Debra has contributed to restorative justice projects at the regional and national levels, serving on several boards and committees. Prior to her restorative justice work, she was a teacher and literary artist and volunteered widely in her community.

Debra holds a B.A. in English and Secondary Education from the University of Puget Sound and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at Boise State University with the goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker.

Michael helped expand Oregon’s Housing Mediation program in 2022 and now supports a wide range of Six Rivers services, including family and parenting-plan mediation, courthouse outreach, and restorative justice programs. He is a trauma-informed mediator with specialized training in domestic violence, is certified through Resolution Washington, and serves as an instructor for Six Rivers’ mediation training programs.

Prior to joining Six Rivers, Michael spent thirty years with the federal judiciary, where he worked extensively with judges, court staff, attorneys, and parties to support alternative dispute resolution. Earlier in his career, he served as a mediator and outreach specialist with AARP, assisting vulnerable older adults.

Michael has a daughter pursuing graduate studies at UCLA and enjoys writing, reading, and improving his pickleball game. He is grateful to be back in the Pacific Northwest and contributing to Six Rivers’ work in mediation, restorative justice, and community building.

Carolyn 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 2023 and continues to support Six Rivers with bookkeeping while also volunteering her time as a mediator.

Carolyn is one of Six Rivers’ mediators specializing in USDA agricultural mediations, helping farmers, producers, lenders, and others work through disputes and toward practical solutions. She also practices bankruptcy law in the Gorge, where she helps people facing financial difficulty.

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.

Christy has spent much of her life sitting with people in the moments that matter—when something has broken, when trust is strained, and when the way forward is unclear. Her work is grounded in a deep belief that even in adversity, there is the possibility for honesty, responsibility, and reconnection.

She brings a willingness to stay with what is real, helping create conditions where people can be heard, accountability can emerge, and something new can begin.

Before joining Six Rivers, Karen spent much of her career in marketing and business development, work that centered on communication, relationship-building, and bringing people together around shared goals.

Karen first experienced mediation through Six Rivers many years ago and saw firsthand how it can help people move through conflict with greater understanding and cooperation. That experience inspired her to become involved in the field, and she is grateful for the opportunity to help others discover possibilities they may not yet see and find a path forward through conflict.