ELIZABETH REA KOSIER
3401 Grimsby Lane
Lincoln, Nebraska 68502
(o) 402-423-7707 (cell) 402-770-7929
[email protected]
EDUCATIONMay 1993 Juris Doctorate
University of Nebraska College of Law, Lincoln, Nebraska July 1974 Master of Arts: Communication Disorders
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
May 1973 Bachelor of Arts: Liberal Arts/Communication Disorders University of the Pacific, Stockton, Califoniia
WORK EXPERIENCE
October 2002 President/Owner
to present Interaction Alliance
RESPONSIBILITIES: Leading private consulting business that provides collaborative process consulting locally and nationally; neutral facilitated processes including group facilitation and mediation; training; and organizational, project, and leadership development.
1998 – 2003 Adjunct Faculty
University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law, Lincoln, Nebraska RESPONSIBILITIES: Developing and co-teaching mediation course. January 1993 Executive Director
to October 2002 The Mediation Center: Resources for Collaborative Decision Making, Lincoln, Nebraska
RESPONSIBILITIES: Administering private non-profit corporation that provides county-wide services in the area of consensus building and collaborative strategies; developing and conducting presentations, public education and training programs; marketing; leading strategic planning and organizational development; spearheading policy and program development; facilitating referral networks; consulting on collaborative systems design; fostering community and statewide liaisons; writing grants and promotional materials; supervising and cultivating personnel and volunteers; and overseeing fiscal management including budgeting and fundraising
May 1992 to Law Clerk
December 1992 Bums and Associates, P.C., Lincoln, Nebraska
RESPONSIBILITIES: Legal research and writing; gathering case information; preparing documents; and assisting attorneys in trial preparation.
July 1986 to International Student Advisor
RESPONSIBILITIES: Administering International Student Affairs Office to facilitate educational objectives for foreign students and faculty;
comprehensive policy and program development and implementation; immigration advising and documentation; counseling and academic advising; marketing, recruitment and admissions management; developing enrollment and retention strategies; and contributing to midwest international education efforts as regional leadership team member.
August 1984 to Off-Campus Housing Director
July 1986 South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
RESPONSIBILITIES: Coordinating housing assistance program;
compiling and disseminating rental information; mediating landlord/tenant disputes; advocacy, counseling and advising; fostering community, campus and local government interface; developing community resources; organizing and conducting presentations; and providing administrative support for student legal aid services.
1981 to 1984 Self-employed freelance artist to accommodate child rearing. October 1978 Communication Disorders Specialist/Vocational Counselor
to June 1981 Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center, Clearfield, Utah
RESPONSIBILITIES: Designing and implementing communication skills training component for vocationally disadvantaged adults with
developmental disabilities; counseling; program development and management; establishing staff development program; revising facility's records management procedures; and organizing and conducting public events.
September 1974 Communication Disorders Specialist
to July 1978 Seattle Public Schools, Seattle, Washington
RESPONSIBILITIES: Delivering comprehensive diagnostic and
therapeutic services for students with multiple disabilities; counseling and advising; providing public education; supervising graduate interns;
developing district-wide guidelines; and implementing state and federal laws.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
April 2005 Heartland Regional Mediation Conference, (MO)
April 2005 Developing Logic Models Using A Theory of Change: Mario Hernandez (NE)
March 2005 Introduction to the Policy Governance Model: Mariam Carver (NE) January 2005 The Logic Model: Joyce Schmechel (NE)
July 2004 Wraparound Training: Pat Miles (NE)
May 2003 Defining Competency and Beyond: Terry Tafoya/Tamanawit Unltd. (WA) April 2002 Cross Cultural Competency Advanced Training: Roberto Chené (NM) December 2001 National Association for Community Mediation Regional Training Institute
(OR)
June 2001 Family Group Conferencing Training: Nebraska Mediation Center Association Training Institute
April 2000 Wraparound Training: John VanDenBerg (NE)
December 1998 Advanced Special Education Mediation Training: Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution Training Institute
October 1998 Advanced Mediation Training: Jim Melamed/The Mediation Center, Inc. (OR)
May 1998 Cross-cultural Perspectives Training: Angeles Arrien/Angeles Arrien Foundation (CA)
August 1997 Advanced Family Mediation Training: Zena Zumeta/Mediation Training and Consultation Institute (MI)
April 1997 Public Policy Collaboration Training: William Potapchuk/Program for Community Problem Solving (Washington, D.C.)
March 1996 Facilitation Training: Carl Moore/Westem Network (NM)
July 1995 Victim-Offender Mediation Training: National Crime Prevention Council (Washington, D.C.)
May 1995 Federal Court Mediation Training: CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution (NY)
March 1995 Special Education Mediation Training: Atlanta Justice Center (GA) March 1994 Cross-cultural Mediation Training: Mediation Center for Family Law (CA) November 1993 Family Mediation Training: Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution June 1993 School Mediation Training for Trainers: National Association for
Mediation In Education
November 1992 "Using Mediation in the Practice of Law" - Nebraska State Bar Association Continuing Legal Education
May 1992 and
September 1992 Basic Mediation Training and Community Mediation Training – Nebraska Office
of Dispute Resolution
June 1987 Advanced Training Institute for International Student Advisors (MN) 1974 - 1989 Other courses: "Communication in the Business Setting" and "Human
Behavior in Business" (Univ. of Utah), "Program Evaluation (Univ. of Northern Colorado - Greeley), "Chinese Culture" (South Dakota State University), "Alternative Modes of Communication" (Univ. of Washington)
DISTINCTIONS
1995 - 2002 Nebraska Mediation Center Association Training Institute - Lead Trainer Designation
1994 Admitted to the practice of law in Nebraska April 12, 1994
1993 National Association of Women Lawyers - 1993 Outstanding Woman Graduate of University of Nebraska College of Law
1993 The Mediation Center: Resources for Collaborative Decision Making - Mediator Certification (275+ hrs of continuing education and training;; 1,000+ hrs of facilitation and mediation practice)
Past Member/Officer Nebraska Mediation Center Association Board of Directors Presenter Heartland Regional Mediation Conference
Past Member Community Services Fund Board of Directors; Marketing/Public Relations Conmittee Chair; Worksite Development Committee Co-chair
Presenter Nebraska State Bar Association Annual Meeting
Member Nebraska State Bar Association and NSBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
Author Mediation in Nebraska: An Innovative Past, A Spirited Present, and A ProvocativeFuture. 31 Creighton L. Rev. 183 (1997)
Faculty Nebraska Mediation Center Association Training Institute and Nebraska Continuing Legal Education
Presenter Council on Education in Management Employment Law Seminars Author & Seminars and/or training manuals on Conflict Resolution, Negotiation,
Group
Trainer Facilitation, Public Policy Facilitation, Cross-cultural Dynamics in Conflict, Victim-Offender Mediation, Restorative Justice, Strategies for Effective Interaction, Program Development, Collaborative Leadership,
Organizational Development and Change Through Collaborative Strategies
Presenter 1996 Nebraska Mediation Conference
Presenter Investing in Children & Families Through Partnerships Conference (NE) Presenter 1996 & 1999 National Arbor Day Foundation Conference on Trees,
People, and The Law
Presenter 1996 & 1995 Governor's Conference on Community Service (NE) Presenter Heartland Mediation Association (Kansas Continuing Legal Education) Presenter 1995 Midwest Educational Leadership Conference on Autism (KS) Presenter University of Nebraska 1995 Student Leadership Conference and 1995
Women's Leadership Conference
Presenter 1995 National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution Former Member Lancaster County New Americans Task Force
Member Human Services Federation; Past Education Committee Co-chair Former Member 1992-93 Lincoln-Lancaster Mediation Center Founding Board of
Directors; Fundraising Committee Chair Keynote Speaker
and Presenter 1992 South Dakota College Personnel Association Conference
Former Member Nebraska Mediation Coalition; 1993 Statewide Conference Committee Former (for South Dakota) to National Association for Foreign Student Affairs Representative (NAFSA) and to Government Relations Advisory Committee for NAFSA
Region IV Leadership Team
Former Chair South Dakota State University (SDSU) International Student Relations Committee
Former Facilitator SDSU Staff Development Gender Issues Workshops
Former Appointee SDSU North Central Accreditation Task Force on Student Life Former Appointee SDSU Long Range Strategic Planning Program
Speaker 1989 NAFSA Region IV Conference; 1988 Joint Conference of Canadian Bureau for International Education and NAFSA Region IV; SDSU Student Leadership Conference; Tri-Region Library Association Conference Presenter South Dakota State University in-service training and
academic/community education programs on Multicultural Education; Valuing Diversity; Counseling Special Populations; Decision-Making; International Education; Immigration Regulations; Race, Ethnicity, and Cross-cultural Interaction; Effective Communication; and Non-legal Mediation
CURRENT & PAST COMMUNITY SERVICE
Member Harris Overpass Community Advisory Group Member Homestead Girl Scout Council Board of Directors
Member Woodsshire Homeowners Association Board of Directors Co-chair Antelope Valley East Downtown Citizen Subcommittee
Member Homestead Girl Scout Council Performance Assessment Task Force Officer Downtown Lincoln Association Business Improvement District Board Volunteer UNL College of Law Client Counseling Competition Judge
Volunteer UNL Friends of Foreign Students: member and host family
Past Volunteer & Beattie Elementary School Healthy Lifestyles Program (for students) and Presenter Parent Education Program
Former Co-chair 1989 Brookings Area United Way Fund Drive Past Co-chair SDSU Campus United Way Fund Drive (two years)
Past Chair Brookings Chamber of Commerce Area Betterment Committee (two years)
Past Chair Brookings Chamber of Commerce Education and Government Affairs Committee
Past Chair Brookings Committee on Human Rights (mayoral appointee) (two years) Former Member Brookings Chamber of Commerce Campus/Community Relations Board Former Member Brookings County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Committee 1986 Candidate Brookings City Commission
Former Member Brookings Summer Arts Festival Board of Directors
Invited Artist Brookings Area Arts Council Fundraising Auction (annually)
COMMERCIAL BUSINESS
Officer Hawley Terminal Inc. Board of Directors (California Commercial Real Estate Corporation)
Professional Profile
Locally and nationally, organizations look to Betsy Kosier for her training, facilitation and process expertise. She
specializes in designing strategies that strengthen human dynamics for optimal interaction and/or organizational performance and sustainability. Drawing on her background in communication, conflict resolution, international education and law, Betsy helps organizations capitalize on their strengths and enhance effectiveness through:
• Facilitated processes for decision-making, planning, issue clarification & problem resolution;
• Organizational development & preparation for change;
• Mediation, conflict resolution & consensus building strategies;
• Leader, manager & team development; and
• Customized seminars and training programs. Organizations value Betsy’s talent for strategically moving groups of any size through decision-making to plan
implementation. Her experience, including ten years as the founding director of an innovative non-profit organization in Lincoln, Nebraska (The Mediation Center: Resources for Collaborative Decision Making), provides Betsy with a depth of knowledge about what is critical to organizations’ vitality and productivity. She is committed to discovering individual and organizational capacity by improving the quality of human interaction within and among organizations and individuals.
Serving clients in private, public, and non-profit arenas with over 30 years of professional experience, Betsy develops and conducts educational programs on topics that range from mediation, conflict resolution, negotiation, and cross-cultural communication to collaborative practices for leadership, management, public policy, organizational development and planning. Betsy is an engaging public speaker who regularly makes presentations to an array of audiences of any size. Betsy develops seminar materials and process summaries that demonstrate her talent as a thoughtful, clear and proficient writer. She is adept at capturing ideas, inviting inquiry and stimulating reflective learning.
What Clients Say About Betsy Kosier
“She is professional, informative, and the best prepared presenter for any class I have ever attended.” (Attorney) “Betsy has a great capacity to listen and a wonderful sense of how to not be drawn into the fray.” (Professor)
“She is a master at facilitating.” (Manager)
“I highly recommend her to anyone.” (Project Administrator)
Client Focus
Betsy is known for her ability to assess individual and organizational effectiveness. By employing a keen awareness of the impact of human diversity, Betsy is highly skilled at helping people reconcile differences and at fostering a cohesive understanding of issues and perspectives. Her insight is evident in her role as organizational consultant, seminar leader, meeting and retreat facilitator, mediator and process consultant.
Education
Betsy has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Disorders from University of the Pacific, in Stockton, California and returned to school in 1990 to earn a Juris Doctorate from the University of Nebraska College of Law, where the National Association of Women Lawyers named her the 1993 Outstanding Woman Graduate. A life long learner, Betsy also has completed hundreds of continuing education hours in her field since 1992.
Academic Experience
For seven years, Betsy taught a mediation course as an adjunct faculty member of the UNL College of Law and she is the author of a review of mediation development in Nebraska. She has served as faculty for Continuing Legal Education through the Nebraska State Bar Association and has contributed to college level courses in Human
Resources; Management; Organizational Change; Counseling Special Populations; Race, Ethnicity, and Cross Cultural Interaction; Public Administration; School Administration; Negotiation; and Conflict Management.
Professional Affiliation/Certification
• Nebraska Mediation Center Association Training Institute Faculty 1993-2002
• Nebraska State Bar Association
• Mediator certification from The Mediation Center: Resources for Collaborative Decision Making
Training/Educational Style
Betsy uses an array of facilitative approaches that encourage participants to teach themselves, including traditional lecture and discussion, preparatory reading, small group activities, role-play simulations, written and reflective exercises, and demonstrations. The depth of her knowledge translates well into an energetic training style, and Betsy designs learning processes with attention to the internalization of concepts and to practical application. Her skill as an accomplished artist and writer also ensures a good measure of creativity.
Interaction
Alliance
Connecting People, Process & Purpose
