“Everything we do as a Section should advance one or more of Our Three Pillars: Community, Professional Development, and Credentials. Together, we build people, strengthen our profession, and expand access to better ways of resolving conflict.”

It is an honor to serve as Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of The Florida Bar, and a privilege to be part of this extraordinary community.Our Section has grown over the years—in energy, influence, purpose, and spirit. But what makes the ADR Section remarkable is not measured by numbers. It is measured by the caliber of people who choose to be a part of it.Our members are peacemakers, bridge builders, problem solvers, advocates, neutrals, teachers, mentors, and leaders. Every day, we help people, businesses, families, and communities move beyond conflict and toward resolution. That shared purpose is why this Section continues to attract remarkable people.

Why do we volunteer? Why do we spend evenings on committee calls, weekends at retreats, or hours preparing CLEs? Because we believe this Section matters. We believe relationships matter.
We believe our profession is stronger when we invest in one another, and we believe that by helping one another grow, we ultimately serve the public better. That philosophy will guide my year as Chair.
Everything we do should advance one or more of Our Three Pillars: Community, Professional Development, and Credentials. Our Membership Chair, Jay Castle, was the visionary who helped us sculpt those three pillars into workable themes. But these are not simply themes; they are the framework for our decisions, programs, service, and success.

Community
The people are not merely part of this Section. They are the Section.
Our Trailblazing Communications Chair, Megan Moschell, has provided amazing visibility and opportunity for this community, with so much more to come, and new Section Administrator, Aubrey Walker, is already making her mark.
Throughout the year, I hope you will join us at our Annual Retreat, The Florida Bar Conventions, our CLE programs, mediation and arbitration forums, regional mixers, committee meetings, and the many other opportunities to connect with one another.
Our members also enjoy exclusive access to our Section Listserv, where ideas are exchanged, questions are answered, referrals are made, friendships are formed, and conversations continue long after the first question is raised.

Professional Development
One of the greatest strengths of our Section is the opportunity for continuous learning. From the CLE/CME leadership of Kim Torres, Hadas Stagman, Megan Moschell and this year’s Chair, Cristina Blunt, the ADR Section is a leader in educational opportunities. This year we have our online Symposium on August 7, click through to our calendar and register online!
Professional development may mean becoming a better mediator, arbitrator, advocate, negotiator, counselor, leader, or business professional. It may mean refining communication, improving practice management, expanding knowledge, or sharpening the skills our clients and colleagues rely on every day.
Our Section is committed to practical, meaningful education. Please visit our online calendar regularly and take advantage of the CLEs, specialty programs, forums, networking events, and other opportunities offered throughout the year.
I am especially excited that our Annual Retreat in Fort Lauderdale this August 28-29, will bring members from across Florida together again, with complimentary registration for ADR Section members and free CLE/CME. Please click through to that online calendar to reserve your spot! I hope to see many of you there.

Credentials
The third of Our Three Pillars recognizes an important truth: participation creates opportunity.
When you become involved, people notice. When you volunteer, people remember. Leadership in the ADR Section helps members develop professionally, build relationships, and earn the confidence of colleagues throughout Florida.
Credentials are not simply certificates or titles. They represent experience, commitment, reputation, and trust. Our Section has long been a place where future leaders emerge, and my hope is that every member—new or experienced—will find meaningful opportunities to participate, contribute, and grow.

2026-2027 Year
As Chair, I serve as an ex officio member of each Standing Committee and Subcommittee. I see that role not as directing, but as supporting, encouraging, and empowering the leaders who give their time and talent to this Section. Please click through to our website to learn more about those committees and their remarkable leaders.
I hope to lead by three simple principles I call ERA: Empowerment, Respect, and Awareness.

Empowerment
The ADR community offers each of us a rare opportunity to be servant leaders.
My goal is to help create an environment where unique strengths, experiences and perspectives are recognized, encouraged, and embraced. At the same time, we all have areas where someone else can help us grow. One of the greatest gifts of belonging to this Section is that we have the opportunity to learn from one another and to help one another succeed. Challenges will always arise, but I hope our first instinct is to see opportunity, not to find fault, but to find solutions.

I also believe that authority and responsibility should always travel together. I welcome ideas, suggestions, and new initiatives. In return, I hope those who bring forward ideas will also embrace the opportunity to help bring them to life. Leadership is not simply about having good ideas; it is about transforming those ideas into action.

Respect
We are surrounded by extraordinarily gifted people. Within this Section are accomplished mediators, arbitrators, advocates, judges, academics, business leaders, and public servants whose collective knowledge is truly extraordinary. We enjoy what our amazing Arbitration Chair, Sean Dillon, calls our “embarrassment of riches.” Respect means recognizing that every person has something to teach us. It also means treating one another with professionalism, kindness, curiosity, and grace, even when we disagree. As professionals who help others navigate conflict, we should strive to model the very principles we encourage in others.

Awareness
We have been entrusted with something important. The ADR Section has been built over many years by dedicated volunteers who invested their time, ideas, and energy to create opportunities for those who would follow them. We are now the
stewards of that legacy. Every decision we make should reflect an awareness of our responsibility—not only to today’s
members, but to future generations of ADR professionals.

Looking Ahead
Our Annual Retreat will feature and highlight some of my highest priorities this year. One is continuing to recognize, educate, and build upon collaborative law efforts throughout Florida. Within our Section, that work has been thoughtfully led by Keith Grossman and will be joined this year by Kim Torres, with anticipated contributions from Robert Merlin and Jeff Wasserman.
A second initiative close to my heart is spearheading and developing a pro bono project that encourages litigators to make limited appearances for mediation on behalf of individuals who otherwise could not afford representation. Professor Cristina Maldonado, George Knox and myself will introduce you to this initiative and how you can help. We anticipate beginning in
foreclosure and eviction matters, with the hope of expanding into consumer lending. Both initiatives reflect what ADR does best: finding thoughtful, practical solutions that improve lives and strengthen our profession.

With Gratitude
One of the greatest blessings of serving as Chair is working alongside exceptional leaders.

I am deeply grateful to the incoming chairs, deputy chairs and program leaders below.
That includes former Florida Bar President Kelly Overstreet Johnson; former Section Chairs Kathy McLeroy, Chris Magee, Cristina Maldonado, Patrick Russell, Meah Tell, and Kim Torres; and the many leaders continuing (and sometimes beginning) service as a chair, deputy chair or program leaders, including Lori Adelson, Aaron Bass, Cristina Blunt, Jay Castle, Sean Dillon, Mark Greenberg, Keith Grossman, Katie Hinkle, Jim Matulis, Joel McTague, Deb Mastin, Megan Moschell, David Netzley, Harold Oehler, Julie O’Kane, Mark Osherow, Kayla Riera-Gomez, Gary Rosner, John Salmon, Fran Tetunic, Patricia Thompson, Molly Thomas, and Angela Wallace.
Together, this group, along with our most recent current and former officers, Christy Foley, Cristina Maldonado, Natalie Pasckiewicz, Lori Adelson, Rebekah Taylor and Megan Moschell, represents a deep bench of talent, service, and leadership—and a culture that welcomes others to become involved.

But We Need Your Help!
The success of this Section has never depended on one Chair, one committee, or one Board. It depends on members who care enough to become involved. We are looking for our talented members with experience in communications, social media,
marketing, technology, and website development to help us continue expanding our reach and serving our members in new and creative ways. Members who serve on steering committees or as program leaders will also be featured on our website.
Whether your talents lie in teaching, writing, speaking, mentoring, organizing events, serving on committees, welcoming new members, developing CLEs or connecting people, there is a place for you here. If you have an idea, a talent, or simply the willingness to help, please reach out to me. Every contribution matters.

Looking Forward
Everything we do should advance one or more of Our Three Pillars: Community, Professional Development, and Credentials. Together, we build people, strengthen our profession, and expand opportunities for all of us to help others move beyond conflict toward resolution. The ADR Section has never simply been about mediation or arbitration. It has always been about
people who invest in one another, believe relationships matter, and dedicate themselves to helping others find better ways through conflict.

This Section represents something fine in all of us.
Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me. I look forward to meeting as many members as I can throughout the coming year. Please introduce yourself whenever our paths cross or even better, call me or email me with your interests, I want to know you!
Together, let us continue building a Section—and a profession—that reflects the very best in all of us.

In Service,
Shari Elessar
2026–2027 Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of The Florida Bar
Speak with Purpose—to uplift, encourage and bring good to others.