About CDSC
Established in 1979, the Community Dispute Settlement Center (CDSC) is a private, not-for-profit mediation and training center dedicated to providing an alternative and affordable forum for resolving conflict.
CDSC promotes better ways to understand and deal with conflict through skilled teams of pro bono mediators, training programs in mediation and conflict management, and broad community outreach. We are committed to making our services accessible to underserved populations and to addressing emerging community needs.
Our Mission
CDSC empowers individuals and communities to solve problems collaboratively through conflict resolution services and training. At CDSC, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are core components of our mediation work and our decades-long belief in social justice.
We commit to providing a safe environment where equitable opportunities and outcomes are available to all members of our community regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, or perceived ability.
To succeed in our mission and address emerging community needs, we must continue to do our part to bring people together to build an inclusive and equitable world, starting with our own organization.
Core Values
- Community
- Accessibility
- Collaboration
- Equity
- Innovation
- Inclusion
- Empowerment
What CDSC Offers
Experience & Expertise
- 40+ years of mediation experience and conflict management.
- A roster of over 65 professional pro bono mediators.
Affordability & Convenience
- Fees on a sliding scale determined by your income.
- Scheduling flexibility with daytime and evening hours available.
- Convenient location accessible by car and public transit.
Service
- Two-person mediation teams.
- Case coordinators to assist you before, after, and between sessions.
Our Staff
Marty Walz
Interim Executive Director
Marty Walz joined CDSC as Interim Executive Director in February 2026. Marty knows CDSC well, having worked to secure funding for CDSC and other community mediation centers during her tenure as a State Representative. She was honored as a CDSC Community Peacemaker in 2011 and is excited about the opportunity to assist CDSC in a new capacity. Marty is an experienced non-profit leader, including having previously worked as an Interim Executive Director for six nonprofits.
Daniele Natali Ozeri
Director of Youth Programs
Daniele Natali Ozeri is a mediator and coach with an interest in youth, family and divorce mediation. In her role at the Center, Daniele designs, implements and supports youth-related programming with the intention of developing sustainable infrastructure for local and regional positive youth development since 2021.
Karen Sheu
Mediation Case Coordinator
Karen Sheu is a social worker and restorative justice practitioner. Prior to joining CDSC in July 2026, she oversaw constituent services and community affairs for two members of Congress and a New York State Senator. Karen is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Social Work and Harvard Divinity School, where she researched clergy sexual abuse and was a Social Innovation + Change Initiative Fellow.
Sooty Heng
District Court and Housing Mediation Coordinator
Sooty Heng is a seasoned educator hailing from Singapore. He recently completed his Master’s in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he served as an Equity and Inclusion Fellow. Since graduation, he has actively volunteered with CDSC as a mediator and facilitator, before becoming the organization’s Case Coordinator in 2024.
Chandra Banks
Practicum Coordinator
A Cambridge native, Chandra Banks has worked over the past thirty years with a passion to promote wellness practices in all domains: home, school, recreational and work environments for people of all ages through excellent communication and healthy relationships. She received a BA in English with a minor in Education from Spelman College and holds a degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Risk Prevention and Counseling with a focus on institutional climate. Chandra has been mediating since 2004 and working as a trainer with CDSC as since 2007.
Our Volunteers
Each year, CDSC’s roster of over 60 experienced mediators serve an average of 1,000 clients, mediating some 350 cases. Overall, 75% of cases are successfully resolved through mediation. Our mediators come from a variety of backgrounds including the legal community, social services, education, business, and mental health, and contribute their services pro bono. They are highly trained and experienced in a variety of dispute resolution areas.
Board of Directors
Amy Cashore Mariani
President
Sheila Hubbard
Treasurer
Akosua Bediako
Clerk
Sara del Nido Budish
Janet Grogan
Charlotte lselin
Kym Oliver
Robert Smith
Nikki Sonwane
Ellen Waldorf
Amy Wanger
Advisory Board
James Grumbach
President Emeritus
Alisha Bloom
Chris Karam Brodie
Bill Boris-Schacter
Debbie Evans
Patrick Field
Vivian Hsu
Claudia Kaufman
Fredie Kay
Victoria Lazzell
Michael Leshin
Barbara Lund
Steven Manos
James McGuire
Cathy Mondell
Delphene Mooney
Eileen Scafidi
Steve Seeche
Rafaela Serrano
Jacqueline Sonnabend
Conna Weiner
Emily Weiner
John G. Wofford
Frank Zito
Volunteer Mediators
Judy Abrams
Dennis Alexander
Antonio Castro Aranda
Gary Gill-Austern
Mark Bamford
Chandra Banks
Barbara Beardslee
John Berke
Brian Blancke
Melissa Brodrick
Halee Burg
Lydia Carbone
Jeanne Cleary
Janice Durham
Lydia Edwards
Talia Engelhart
Laura Fabiano
Debra Filiurin
Jeffrey Fink
Cathleen Finn
Rachel Freed
Ruth Freedman
Kimberly Frizzi
Molly Froelich
Frederick Golder
Dianne Hartman
Deborah Heller
Jane Hoffmann
Charlotte Iselin
Maria Joseph
Martin Kalisker
Chris Karam
Arline Kardasis
Roberta Kosberg
Audrey J. Lee
Jo-Ann Leinwand
Sarah Levy
Michelle Long
John Maiona
Harry Manasewich
Miriam Mandell
Amy Cashore Mariani
Thomas Marton
Yes Miller
Amy Nee
Daniele Natali Ozeri
Cynthia Pascuito
Paul Pedulla
Naomi Razso
Vrinda Rio
Cynthia Runge
Steven Seeche
Susan Sloane
Robert Smith
Doug Thompson
Gillien Todd
Robert Tuchmann
Kathleen Westervelt
Kim Whelan
Annual Reports
CDSC’s 2025 Annual Report
CDSC released our annual report for fiscal year 2025.The Community Dispute Settlement Center had another successful year in FY25, providing essential services to a wide range of individuals and organizations. In the past year, CDSC: Mediated 193 cases—a 30% increase...
CDSC’s 2024 Annual Report
CDSC released our annual report for fiscal year 2024. The Community Dispute Settlement Center (CDSC) had a successful year in FY24, providing key services to a many individuals and organizations under the leadership of new Executive Director Pedro Spivakovsky-Gonzalez...
CDSC’s 2023 Annual Report
CDSC released our annual report for fiscal year 2023. Court-referred mediations continued to be a strong part of CDSC’s work during the past year, with over 275 small claims and housing cases managed. More than 50% of these cases reached settlement. Additional cases...
Job Opportunities
CDSC welcomes job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation or perceived ability. We especially encourage applications from members of underrepresented communities and from those whose primary language is not English.
Now Hiring: Executive Director
The Community Dispute Settlement Center (CDSC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was formed in 1979 to provide mediation and conflict resolution services in Greater Boston. As one of Massachusetts’ oldest community mediation centers, CDSC promotes collaborative,...
Get In Touch
Interested in learning more or supporting our work? CDSC would love to hear from you! You are also welcome to call or email us directly at 617-876-5376 or cdscinfo@communitydispute.org.
Our Location
60 Gore Street, Suite 201
Cambridge, MA 02141-1236
CDSC is located in East Cambridge, near the Courthouses and the Galleria Mall, very close to the Lechmere T station on the Green Line. We are a half-block north of the intersection of Cambridge and Third Streets. The sign on the outside of the building says Bridges Homeward (CFCS).
Parking is available at nearby public garages (East Cambridge Garage, First & Spring Streets, Galleria Mall) and at parking meters along Cambridge and Third Streets. Limited parking is available adjacent to the building during evening hours.
Contact CDSC
60 Gore Street, Suite 201
Cambridge, MA 02141-1236
Phone: 617-876-5376
To request mediation, facilitation or conflict coaching: cdscintake@communitydispute.org
For all other inquiries: cdscinfo@communitydispute.org