Trainers

Nancy Maldanado Nancy Maldonado is a visionary leader with extensive expertise in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. She has been recognized for her significant contributions, earning honors such as Becker's Healthcare "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer to Know" and the San Diego Business Journal "Latino Leaders of Influence." Additionally, she received the prestigious Libby ... Read more

Richard Markell Dr. Markell is a Member of the Advisory Council for A Path Forward for the NCRC as well a Trainer for multiple sectors at the NCRC. He is a mission driven key opinion leader, business and science entrepreneur, experienced DVM+MBA consultant in the human and animal health industry including clinical practice, pharmaceutical, educational, ... Read more

Lisa Maxwell Lisa Maxwell began working at the National Conflict Resolution Center (then called the San Diego Mediation Center) in 1989 as an Assistant Trainer.  She is currently the Director of the Training Institute. When she began her tenure as Director, NCRC offered three workshops (The Theory and Practice of Mediation, The ARTful Conversation, and ... Read more

Ashley McGuire Ashley McGuire is an independent consultant specializing in relationship transformation, communication, and conflict resolution. With over 25 years of experience across sectors such as education, nonprofits, and corporations, she focuses on helping teams and individuals improve communication, resolve conflict, and build stronger communities. Having founded and led companies dedicated to transforming relationships, Ashley ... Read more

Luis Mendez Luis Vargas went from a fisherman to a jewel when he moved from Pescadero in Northern California to La Jolla in San Diego about a decade ago, to better himself through higher education and a new city. Although he studied aerospace engineering, he has since diversified and works as a civil project manager, ... Read more

Marc Meyer Marc A. Meyer is currently the Director of Operations at the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC). Originally from Delaware, he moved to California in 2001 to attend college. After studying in San Luis Obispo, San Diego, and Belgium, Marc received his B.S. in International Security and Conflict Resolution. Marc has been involved with ... Read more

Veronica Montenegro Veronica Montenegro has been with the National Conflict Resolution Center since 2005 and has been mediating and scheduling mediations for almost 20 years. She is a certified bilingual mediator who has extensive experience mediating a variety of disputes. Veronica believes mediation fosters cooperation and understanding and helps clients reach creative solutions to complex ... Read more

Saima Nasim Saima Nasim is a trainer, mediator, and facilitator who owns her own practice, Moeen, which specializes in addressing cultural and religious sensitivities in conflict resolution. She also leads sessions with the National Conflict Resolution Center, working with diverse clients, including executives, HR  professionals, staff, landlords, students, and more. As a facilitator, Saima focuses ... Read more

Ana Navarro Ana Navarro (she/her/hers) and NCRC first crossed paths through a Faculty Mediation Program. The program was sponsored by the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Vice-Chancellor’s office at UC San Diego, where Ana was a professor of Family Medicine and Public Health. As a faculty member there, she focused on advancing health equity by bringing ... Read more

Luz Nuñez With over 25 years of experience in human resources and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), Luz is a seasoned leader dedicated to creating inclusive, high-performing organizations. As the Founder and CEO of Aurora Consulting Services, Luz has built a reputation for developing HR policies, procedures, and training initiatives that support teams across the ... Read more

Brittney Ochira Brittney Ochira is a conflict resolution professional and scholar. In addition to being a trainer and community circle facilitator, Brittney works in NCRC’s Training Institute as a Senior Project Manager and serves as the Liaison for the NCRC/UC San Diego Applied Research Center for Civility. Brittney holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Justice ... Read more

Daniel Orth Daniel Orth is the Associate Director of NCRC’s Training Institute where he develops new initiatives, customizes training curriculum for clients, supports trainer development, and leads trainings. For more than 18 years, Daniel has supported individuals, organizations, government agencies, businesses, and communities in the U.S. and abroad to resolve conflict. He specializes in working ... Read more