Meet Our Team

Christine is a seasoned Human Resources Professional with over 12 years of experience in progressively responsible roles. She is passionate about integrating productive conflict engagement methods with strategic human resources initiatives to make the workplace a more peaceful space.

Christine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Brock University, a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resources Management from Niagara College, and an Emotional Health Practitioner Designation (EHP) micro credential from Trent University. Additionally, she is pursuing certification in Graphite Thinking Coaching; a method of conflict coaching that focuses on the development of open and peaceful mindsets that support productive conflict engagement.

Jae holds a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies from Royal Road University and three Conflict Resolution Certificates from the Justice Institute of British Columbia: a Mediation/ Third Party Intervention Certificate, Negotiation Certificate and Family Mediation Certificate. He began mediation training in October 2005 and has worked in the mediation profession since January 2006. Over the last 16 years, he has continued to develop his skills as a professional mediator. He earned his Chartered Mediator designation and Qualified Arbitrator designation from the ADR Institute of Canada and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst Designation through the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts. Most recently, he earned his certification as a Specialist in Family Separation Finances through the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario.

Judge Bruce R. Cohen (ret.) was appointed as a Superior Court Judge to the Maricopa County, Arizona Superior Court in May, 2005, with assignments on family court (including presiding judge for four years) and criminal court. Prior to his appointment to the Bench, Judge Cohen was in private practice for 24 years, focused on family law. He worked in concert with the National Conference for State Courts and Arizona State University to develop the ground-breaking Families In Transition Program (“FIT”). Judge Cohen has served on numerous committees, boards and task forces, including the Arizona Supreme Court Child Support Guidelines Committee, the Arizona Supreme Court’s Standing Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts, and the Chairperson of the Arizona State Bar Professionalism Advisory Council. He co-authored legislation adopted in Arizona on parent information programs and adoption of special needs children and secured the passage of legislation in Arizona in 2021 that allowed sexual assault survivors who became impregnated to seek termination of parental rights of their assailants. During his 18 years on the Bench, he received several state and national awards, including the Arizona Family Support Council’s 2010 Judicial Officer of the Year, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the State Bar of Arizona- Family Law Section, and the nationally prestigious 2022 “Irwin Cantor Innovative Program Award” from the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

After several years assisting HCI in various projects, Liz Hunter officially joined our team in 2024 as our Operations Manager. Equipped with an undergrad degree in Event Management from Arizona State University, Liz is pursuing graduate studies to become a licensed professional counselor. An avid rock climber, Liz has scaled mountains across North America, and a few ice waterfalls as well. Liz explores life around the globe but calls Colorado home. She’s auntie to 3 little nephews whom she inspires with her adventurous spirit.

Katerina Ricci is a dispute resolution specialist and mediator providing services in small claims, unlawful detainment, and civil harassment cases at Los Angeles Superior Court. Her passion for work at High Conflict Institute grew when she took a class with Professor Bill Eddy at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law during her graduate studies where she received a Master’s in Dispute Resolution (MDR). Before law school she worked in the scientific field after earning a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from UCLA. Her scientific background and expertise in mediation opened a unique opportunity for bridging the gap between the scientific and legal fields. As an educator, Katerina values her previous work with students with disabilities as that experience allowed her to learn diverse and valuable skills.

Jessiah Stokes started with HCI in 2023, filling multiple roles. Her expertise in growing audiences through social media is unparalleled. She is a both a creative and a detail-oriented person.

Jessiah is a recent transplant to Arizona where she lives with her husband and three young children. She is a native of Colorado where she’s lived most of her life. She brings a wealth of expertise and attention to detail to the HCI team.

Sarah is HCI’s Project Manager and CLE Coordinator. She has a diverse background with experience in both education and financial services. Sarah is our lead project manager, webmaster, IT, and overall go-to person to get things done. She also handles our continuing legal education courses. Sarah holds an advanced degree in adult education and training.

Meggen Romine joined HCI as our Events & Scheduling Manager in 2021. She manages complex scheduling needs for training and speaking events, podcasts, and communicates with clients to serve their needs and connect them with the services and trainings they need. Prior to HCI, she was a teacher in the Las Vegas school system and holds an advanced degree in education.

Annette Burns has practiced law in Arizona since 1984 specializing in the practice of family law as a Certified Family Law Specialist, and focuses on acting as mediator, arbitrator, Family Law Master and Parenting Coordinator in family law cases. Her background and experience includes 30+ years of client representation in divorces, property valuations and divisions, and actions involving spousal maintenance, child custody and parenting time, paternity, and child support. In 2017, the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Arizona awarded Annette a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in family law.

She is a contributor on HCI’s domestic violence series: Conversations About Domestic Violence in Family Law
with 16 Experts: click here to view

The Honorable Karen Adam retired from the bench in November 2015 after 34 years of service as a Tucson City Court Magistrate, a Superior Court Commissioner, and a Superior Court Judge. As presiding judge of the Pima County Juvenile Court from 2011-2014, Judge Adam led the effort to convert PCJCC to a trauma-responsive court. She facilitated a trauma audit of the Court, and implemented many of the recommendations, including training for all court employees and system partners in trauma and vicarious trauma. Judge Adam writes and lectures on juvenile and family law topics and has served as faculty for the National Judicial College since 2007 and as a Professor or Practice for the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law since 2018.

She is a contributor on HCI’s domestic violence series: Conversations About Domestic Violence in Family Law
with 16 Experts: click here to view

L. Georgi DiStefano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive experience in the management of substance abuse and employee assistance programs. The former Executive Director at San Diego State’s Center for Alcohol and Drug Studies, she provides management consultation, executive coaching, and seminars on managing high conflict people. Georgi has worked with Bill Eddy for many decades and is the co-author with him on the award-winning book, It’s All Your Fault at Work! Managing Narcissists and Other High Conflict People and the New Ways for Work® Coaching Manual and Workbook (Personal Skills for Productive Relationships).

Sonja Wood became a mediator in 2019 after completing a master’s degree in chemical engineering in Europe. During her time as an engineer, Sonja witnessed the impact that a lack of communication skills had on the employees she worked with. Motivated by this experience, she chose to become an HCI specialist, teaching programs that offer organizations conflict management and human relations skills. Sonja speaks French as her first language in addition to English and some German.

Susie Rayner is a mediator, co-parenting coach and founder of Mediate Negotiate, a family dispute resolution practice in Australia. Prior to becoming a dedicated family dispute resolution practitioner and family coach in 2018, she held positions in the corporate arena for 20 years. She is co-author of New Ways for Life™ Instructor’s Guide and Student Journal with HCI co-founder, Bill Eddy. Susie joined HCI as both a core team member on staff and as an educator/trainer in 2020 and serves as HCI’s New Ways Coordinator.

Rehana Jamal is a conflict resolution specialist, mediator, and lawyer. She holds an LL.M. in dispute resolution from Pepperdine Law School, a J.D. from Cardozo School of Law, and is a member of the New York State Bar. She has tremendous experience and passion working with people from different cultural, sociopolitical, and economic backgrounds from her experience living abroad in Ecuador, Colombia, Kenya, and Spain. Rehana completed an internship with HCI in 2022 and later joined the HCI team as a trainer/educator.

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Michael is a lawyer, mediator, and a speaker/trainer with more than two decades of experience in family law and mediation. Early in his career, he ceased his court practice to focus on mediation and collaborative law, and has now conducted hundreds of mediations spanning family, workplace, multi-party, and court-related matters. He lives on Vancouver Island and has been an associate speaker/trainer with High Conflict Institute since 2011.

Cherolyn Knapp is a conflict resolution consultant, mediator, trainer, workplace investigator, and lawyer based in Victoria, Canada. She holds a B.Comm (Human Resources) from Toronto Metropolitan University and an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa. Cherolyn began teaching HCI’s techniques in 2019, and she now brings a thorough knowledge of high conflict personality traits and resolution strategies to HCI’s trainings. Cherolyn is the New Ways for Work® instructor for HCI.

Sandra is a certified Conflict Influencer™ trainer with HCI. With a 31-year career in Denver Public Schools, she has served as a teacher, counselor, performance management advisor, school leader, and interim regional assistant superintendent. She has also served as the interim human resources director for another Colorado school district and mentors at the University of Northern Colorado Center for Urban Education.

Ginger is one of HCI’s in-house New Ways for Families Coaches and a graduate from Columbia University. After college, she moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where she worked on independent films and became the co-principal of San Telmo Productions. Returning to the US in 2015, she then served as the Executive Director of the National Parents Organization. Apart from her work with HCI, she has directed the feature documentary, Erasing Family, and has appeared on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith. Ginger is the co-creator of a training for family law professionals and parents on alienation, using clips from her Erasing Family documentary with Bill Eddy’s commentary on the clips.

John began practicing law in 1977. He became a full-time mediator in 2015, receiving his mediation training at Harvard Law School. He specializes in real estate, professional malpractice, personal injury, employment, probate, and business disputes. John’s experience, training, and insight give him a foundation that enables him to not only successfully work with high conflict personalities and mediate cases in which conflict is driven by non-legal issues, but to share those valuable insights in his trainings for HCI.