Just four short days after the 2011 legislative session ended in early June, I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer as an evaluator for a mediation course hosted by the Nevada Air National Guard.

The 40 hour class provided military personnel (from across the country) and civilians with fundamental training for certification as Department of Defense mediators.  Once completed, participants had the basic skills necessary to mediate workplace disputes, including EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) cases.

My role, as part of a four person team of volunteers from the Neighborhood Mediation Center, was to evaluate trainees on the last day of the course to critique their mediation "role plays" and to provide constructive feedback on their newly learned skills.

One of the most gratifying parts of my volunteer work is the unexpected surprises. Last week, I received a personal thank-you note from one of the Reno participants. I am grateful to Tom Miller (Scolari's Market) for his wonderful gesture.  It was my pleasure to share my insights and mediation experience.

I hope you all have a terrific 4^th of July.