SHAUNA RIES, LCSW, MFT

Shauna Ries brings a rich background of corporate and human services work to her role as CEO of IADR Global. She is a principal partner in Ries/Murphy Associates, founded in 1994, to offer educational training in stress management and conflict resolution to corporations, healthcare professionals, and the general public. Ries co-authored a book based on this dynamic training, entitled Quality of Life released by William Morrow and Company in 1999.

In 2003, Ries/Murphy Associates began to do business as the Institute for Advanced Dispute Resolution. Ries created IADR after working downstream as a family therapist helping families pick up the pieces after contentious divorces that drained the family finances and goodwill. She recognized the need for skilled mediators to enter the divorce process much more quickly. Ries and her team analyzed the skill level of mediators, compensation rates, and current training programs. This research demonstrated a clear and present need for more comprehensive training with greater accessibility for students. Ries soon realized an organization that provided superior training in a career focused format, combined with online learning would fill a necessary market need and have the potential for great success.

Ries assembled the initial executive team, and tapped key outside experts to help create a high quality graduate certificate program in mediation and conflict resolution. In 2003, IADR began offering online and live classroom graduate level courses for students entering the field of mediation and conflict resolution. As of 2007, IADR has successfully trained hundreds of mediators.

Ries began her corporate career as the Vice-President and Liaison between operations and the sales and marketing division for Cardinal Services, Inc. an Ohio-based company with over 800 employees. She was responsible for keeping the operations, marketing, and sales divisions working at a high level of collaboration, resulting in increased financial success. She was instrumental in blending marketing and operations strategies with the result of turning Cardinal into a $32 million company. Ries was Start-up Manager of a Hearst publications office. She created a sales office with a budget of $30,000, hired 22 employees, secured office space and furnishings, and developed a budget. She was responsible for cash flowing within thirty days and was a fully operational office within three months. Within the first year of start-up, Ries had her office up to $3 million in annual gross sales.

Today, Ries manages IADR partnerships with Colorado Technical University and Colorado State University with a central goal of unifying and advancing the mediation profession. Her mission is to keep IADR at the pinnacle of mediation training nationally and internationally. She currently serves on the board of the Colorado Council of Mediators and is on the leadership committee of Colorado NASW. Shauna lives at her ranch, Coyote Ridge, in the mountains outside Boulder, Colorado where she spends her free time riding her beloved horse, Big Sky. She is the proud mother of a wonderful son and talented attorney, Mike Herrick.

GENNA MURPHY, M.A., M.A.

Genna is the Chief Operating Officer of IADR where she is responsible for managing operations across channels and support functions to ensure that the best in business performance is consistently delivered. Prior to her role at IADR, Murphy co-founded the IADR parent company, Ries/Murphy Associates, with Shauna Ries is 1994. This company soon began doing business as the International Institute of Health and Wellness, an educational training institute offering stress management and conflict resolution training to corporations, healthcare professionals, and the general public. During this time, Murphy co-authored a book based on the training, entitled Quality of Life, which was published by William Morrow and Company in 1999.

In 2003, Murphy helped found IADR, a dba of Ries/Murphy Associates, to begin developing a graduate certificate program in mediation and conflict resolution. As the founding partner of IADR, she was instrumental in developing the courses and programs for the company and overseeing faculty and ongoing course revisions.

Murphy has over twenty years experience in research and writing in various fields such as Urban Redevelopment, Human Development, and Stress Management. As the project manager for the book, Quality of Life, she was instrumental in securing a prominent New York agent within six weeks, writing a proposal that landed an editor within three months, and spearheading the book writing, which was completed to meet a three-month deadline. Murphy was responsible for the development of all training and educational materials for the International Institute of Health and Wellness and wrote all website and marketing materials for various marketing and sales drives for the company.

Genna has long followed the path of peace making beginning with her involvement in 1986 with the World Instant of Cooperation, a global event designed to focus energy and intention on peace in the world. Genna lives in the beautiful Rocky Mountains where she delights in skiing, horse back riding, and relaxing with her family and loving group of dogs, horses, cats, and parrot.