Student Spotlight: Wynona James Receives High Honors for ADR Work

Wynona James, alumnus of ACU’s Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (MACRR) program, is receiving well-earned recognition. Honored with the Air Force General Counsel's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Award in December 2011, and, more recently, the Individual Achievement Award for Workplace ADR.  The latter award will be presented to Ms. James by the Honorable Charles Blanchard, general counsel of the Air Force and chief legal officer and ethics official for the Air Force in Washington D.C., in June 2012 in Arlington, VA.

Her award states, “Ms. James showed outstanding professional skills and leadership by developing a robust base-level guidebook on policies, procedures, laws, ethics, and the administration of the ADR program. Ms. James made major contributions resulting in ADR resolutions of sensitive, high visibility, high dollar, and mission-critical workplace disputes resulting in savings of an estimated 100 hours and $180,000.”  A federal employee for 31 years, Ms. James is the installation ADR manager for the ADR Program for workplace disputes at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. 

"I was absolutely stunned when my leadership contacted me about the award.  I credit our military installation having a wonderful program as a result of the outstanding education I received at ACU. It continues to pay wonderful dividends in my professional, educational and spiritual life," said Ms. James. 

Well-known by ACU’s Conflict Resolution faculty and alumni for her encouraging and optimistic spirit, Joey Cope, executive director at the Duncum Center, commented, “The Duncum Center is proud of Wynona and her work.  It is no surprise that she is being recognized for her impact on Peterson’s ADR Program.”

In addition to her work in the ADR Program, Ms. James serves as Peterson’s special emphasis program manager in diversity and is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in Nova Southeastern University’s Conflict Analysis and Resolution program. Slated to graduate in the fall of 2014, she is exploring the impact impasse has on resolution and motivators that hinder forgiveness. Upon graduation, Ms. James plans to continue her work for the federal government as a diversity consultant and conflict resolution practitioner.

For more information about the Duncum Center’s MACRR program, click here.