Community Mediation Center of Rhode Island
Our Staff
Abigail Jones-Herriott, Executive Director
Abigail Jones-Herriott graduated with highest honors from Middlebury College in 1993 and from Northeastern University School of Law in 1999. From 1999 through 2004 she worked as a legal services attorney, first at Rhode Island Legal Services and then at Southeastern Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (now South Coast Counties Legal Assistance Corporation), representing low-income clients in family, domestic violence and housing matters and performing community outreach and legal education. In 1998 while in law school Abbie took a semester-long negotiation and mediation course, and subsequently as a legal services attorney represented hundreds of clients in mandatory mediation sessions in the Massachusetts Probate Courts. Discouraged by the high level of conflict inherent in cases that have reached the litigation phase, Abbie became interested in doing more prevention-based and Alternative Dispute Resolution work. In 2004 she left the practice of law and began working as Program Director of CMCRI, overseeing the Center’s various court and community programs, and in June of 2007 she began as CMCRI’s Executive Director. Abbie also serves as an adjunct professor of mediation at the Roger Williams University School of Law, and as a Board Member of both the Fund for Community Progress and the Rhode Island Mediators Association. She has over eight years experience in non-profit management, including grants management and program design, and extensive experience in mediation, conflict assessment and coaching, group process design, and training design and implementation. In her spare time she chases after her two daughters, gardens, and volunteers for a Labrador Retriever rescue organization. She can be reached at (401) 273-9999, or at ajones-herriott@cmcri.org.
Victoria Moreno-Jackson, Program Director
Victoria Moreno-Jackson was born and raised in Louisiana. She obtained her bachelors degree from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, with majors in Psychology and English. Upon moving to New England, Victoria worked for Brown and Harvard medical schools. As a psychiatric research assistant, she worked with individuals who had anxiety disorders, as well as individuals with Schizophrenia. Victoria graduated from Roger Williams University Law School in 2006. Beginning in January 2006, while in law school, Victoria both interned and volunteered with CMCRI, and she began as a Program Associate with the agency in September of 2006. In June of 2007 Victoria took on the job of Program Director, where she currently works managing the Center’s court and community programs, and supervising CMCRI’s Program Associates and volunteers. When not working at CMCRI, Victoria enjoys crafting, reading, and gathering random bits of data. She can be reached at (401) 273-9999, or at vmoreno-jackson@cmcri.org.
Elmis Navarro, Program Associate
Elmis Navarro has worked as a Program Associate under CMCRI’s Eviction Prevention Program since September of 2007, where she performs intake and mediations in the landlord/tenant cases that come through the Center. Elmis also mediates in the Small Claims Courts and assists with the design and implementation of CMCRI’s conflict resolution trainings. In addition to basic mediation training, she has participated in an array of trainings, including human rights, restorative justice, USDA/Agricultural mediation, Non-Violent Communication, and facilitation training. In May of 2008 Elmis graduated from the five month Leadership for a Future Program, jointly run by the Institute for Labor Studies and Research and Rhode Island for Community and Justice. Elmis brings to the Center an extensive background in chemical dependence counseling, family violence work, and case management, as well as bilingual Spanish/English skills. In her free time she makes jewelry, tends to her family, and pursues a degree at the Community College of Rhode Island. She can be reached at (401) 273-9999, or at enavarro@cmcri.org.
Pamela S. Humphreys Muschiano
Program Associate
Pam is the Program Associate for the Juvenile Restorative Justice Project. A native Rhode Islander, she began her work with CMCRI as a law student at Roger Williams University School of Law completing her public service requirement during the fall of 2006. Pam was first introduced to mediation while taking an intensive certification course in law school - an experience that inspired her to take her legal career in a direction where she could combine her previous professional experience working with at-risk youth and families, along with her legal education and mediation training. Pam received a Bachelor of Arts in Human Ecology from The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine in 2001 and her Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law in December of 2007 as a member of last graduating Extended Division class. Prior to and during law school Pam worked as a Case Manager and Assistant Program Manager for both the Key Program, Inc. and Child and Family Services of Newport County for five years. CMCRI’s Juvenile Restorative Justice Project was the perfect opportunity for Pam to combine her education, experience and passion for working with youth in an interdisciplinary and community-based atmosphere with a focus on conflict resolution and strengths-based programming. She can be reached at (401) 273-9999, or at phumphreys@cmcri.org.
Meri Kaufman, Administrative Assistant
Meri Kaufman graduated from Mt. Ida College in 1969 with a degree in Business. She has had many varied job responsibilities in her career, ranging from working in an office setting as an Administrative Assistant, to providing support to an organization doing training for day care providers, to working in the IS Department at CVS Corporate Headquarters. At CVS Meri became interested in computers and web design, and has since gone on to get her certification in Microsoft Office. She has also worked for the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities and served on the City of Warwick’s Commission on Disabilities at the invitation of the Mayor. Meri was introduced to mediation and the Community Mediation Center when she underwent training to become a mediator in the fall of 2006. She began volunteering to mediate in the small claims courts as well as in community mediations, regularly attending CMCRI-sponsored trainings and workshops, including 9 hours of training in non-violent communication. In November of 2007 Meri starting working part-time as the office Administrative Assistant. She also continues to volunteer doing mediation for the center, both through its court and community programs. Meri enjoys teaching her 1st and 2nd graders in religious school each Sunday. She also enjoys going to Florida to visit her grandchildren, working on the computer, creating web-sites, desktop publishing and spending quality time with family and friends. She can be reached at (401) 273-9999, or at mkaufman@cmcri.org.