About Us

Six Rivers Dispute Resolution Center is a non-profit dispute resolution center serving the Mid-Columbia region. We receive funding from local, state and federal organizations in order to provide low cost conflict resolution and education services. Our mediators and facilitators are highly trained community volunteers dedicated to helping people solve problems and resolve conflict. We strive to create positive conversations and a safe environment for settling disputes, as well as education and training opportunities.

Who we are:

Our team is made up of dedicated board members, staff, and volunteers who work together to provide affordable conflict resolution services. The past year brought unique challenges, changes, and opportunities – and Six Rivers DRC rose to the occasion. We are so proud of our volunteers who met every challenge with creativity and resilient hope, knowing our community needed us more than ever. 

Six Rivers DRC was founded by Marti Dane, who retired in 2020. The conflict resolution programs and practitioners throughout the Gorge – and across the country – owe Marti a debt of gratitude. Her creativity, passion for peace, and dedication to mentoring mediators has changed countless lives.

Six Rivers is proud to be a part of hundreds of Dispute Resolution centers throughout the nation working to provide effective and comprehensive conflict resolution services to community members and organizations. We bridge the Columbia River Gorge, providing services in both Oregon and Washington State.  We are an active member of the network of Dispute Resolution Centers (DRC) in the Pacific Northwest and work together with other DRCs to ensure Best Practices in mediation, conflict coaching, facilitation, and training in communities large and small.

Resolution Washington (ResWA) is the member association for the 21 Dispute Resolution Centers (DRC’s) in Washington state. In 2014, ResWA DRCs served over 80,000 adults and 15,000 youth statewide, 1,100 volunteers delivered over 40,000 service hours, trained over 13,000 Washington residents, and mediated 5,468 total cases with an average settlement rate of 61%, and a 70% settlement rate in Superior Court. We are proud that a member of our staff, Andrea Pacheco, was recently elected Vice President for ResWA.

The Oregon Office for Community Dispute Resolution (OOCDR) administers grants to support 20 centers serving 25 counties throughout Oregon.  Centers are characterized by a dual purpose of promoting civic engagement and resolving community disputes at the earliest point of engagement.  OOCDR works to support Community Dispute Resolution Centers (CDRC’s) through grantmaking, training, consultation, networking, and research.

What we believe in:

At Six Rivers DRC we honor the mediation principles of Self-Determination and Impartiality in all of our work. This means that we customize our services – from mediation to community workshops – for each client. Staff and volunteers respond to client needs and requests without judgement or bias. We prioritize supporting clients to build their own skills to resolve conflicts, so that the Gorge community grows more resilient every day. 

Our Mission:

By establishing a forum where each party is heard, we teach listening. 

By creating an environment where each party can speak, we teach communication.

By developing processes that seek resolution, we teach the importance of dialogue. 

By building these processes into a method of mediating disputes we teach citizenship.