Christopher Alba' s 30+ years experience in complex building environments and conflict resolution has imparted an exceptionally keen ability to listen, understand disparate viewpoints, and solve complex problems. Over 600 cases involving litigation mediation, arbitration, consensus-based conciliation, negotiation, investigative evaluation, expert testimony and consultation have made him a thoughtful, effective and practical dispute resolution professional.

Fermin Aragon, was the Building Official for the State of New Mexico, Construction Industries Division’s (CID) General Construction Bureau for 17 years. He holds national certifications in Certified Building Official (CBO), Building Inspector, Plan Review, Accessibility, and Plumbing and Mechanical.

Sid is an attorney with 17 years in private practice, specializing in construction disputes, and 20 years in state government. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator in hundreds of residential construction disputes for the American Arbitration Association before relocating to New Mexico, where he serves on the New Mexico Supreme Court’s ADR Commission.

Barry J. Byrnes is an experienced construction lawyer and business owner. He has over twenty years experience in the construction industry. The Byrnes family always worked construction; a grandfather, an iron worker, peened his trade on the Panama Canal and Brooklyn Bridge projects. Barry advocating the Med/Arb process as the preferred way to resolve most construction disputes.

Danny Carrillo is a 27 year licensed general contractor in New Mexico, and has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from New Mexico Tech. His stucco experience has earned him a reputation as an expert. Mr. Carrillo has performed as an expert witness, representing homeowners to nationwide homebuilders. Danny is also a certified EIFS inspector.

Philip Crump has been involved in the alternate dispute resolution arena since 1992 as a professional mediator, facilitator and an expert witness, assisting people to reach mutually agreeable resolutions of their differences; giving them opportunities to represent their own interests ...

John Darden is an experienced arbitrator and adjudicator with construction litigation experience. During his 46 years as an attorney, he served 16 years as a United States Magistrate Judge, conducts arbitrations, and final dispute hearings for Construction Dispute Resolution Services, LLC, the American Arbitration Association, The Forum and FINRA. He holds an "av" rating with Martindale Hubbell.

Walter Drew is a man for whom conflict resolution is a way of life. Whether mediating or arbitrating construction-related disputes, training others in the process, or helping to resolve conflicting points of view. Walter has performed over a hundred mediations and arbitrations ...

With 42 years experience in judicial architecture, Mr. Dwore has become nationally recognized as an expert in the field of courthouse facility design. He practices almost exclusively in the field of Justice Architecture, specializing in courthouses for federal, state and local governments. He was elected by the AIA to the College of Fellows in February, 2001.

Brian Egolf is an experienced negotiator, mediator, litigator and trained diplomat. Mr. Egolf has mediated disputes and negotiated settlements on four continents. He brings to his practice a commitment to obtain positive outcomes and to avoid litigation. Mr. Egolf will mediate or arbitrate all types of cases with his trademark style of understanding and effectiveness.

 

Senior Risk Manager / Insurance & Real Estate Broker / Certified Arbitration Specialist. Over 30 years in sales / marketing and advertising with a focus on quantitative business analysis and risk management / insurance consulting for the home building industry. Indiana University dual major Marketing and Advertising. School of Business, Class of 86’.

For over forty years Howard A. Feldman has been responsible for claims prevention, mitigation and resolution services that are provided to owners, contractors, architects, engineers, and other construction-related trades worldwide. He has extensive experience in the evaluation and resolution of claims in the construction industry ADR continuum including the construction insurance and legal professions.

Stan Hatch has practiced construction law since 1977. He has litigated, arbitrated, and mediated numerous construction cases ranging in size from thousands to millions of dollars. During this time, he has represented owners, contractors, architects, suppliers, surveyors, developers, and agencies, as well as acting as a mediator and as an arbitrator.

Brad E. Hill is a construction industry professional with over thirty years of experience in residential construction. He is a dedicated public servant and is currently the Mayor in his home community of Edgewood, NM. Prior to his election as Mayor he served two terms as a Town Councilman

With degrees in architecture, engineering and construction management, John Hooker has 30 year’s experience in the AEC industry serving as designer, owner’s representative and construction project manager. His work as a project manager includes negotiations with contractors, architects, engineers, suppliers and subcontractors over change order claims and more. Experience includes forensic CPM schedule analysis.

Doug Holen managed the DRB Program at the University of Washington for 15 years and Chaired a DRB in Colorado. He currently chairs or serves on DRB’s at the University and SEATAC Airport. He is a member of the DRB Roster for Colorado DOT, WASHDOT, Idaho DOT, and the University Hospital in San Antonio.

Jerry Huckaby has forty-five plus years of varied construction experience.
Fourteen of those years were as a certified Building Inspector. This gives him a unique perspective in the arbitration and mediation field. As an inspector he had to practice remaining neutral between all parties on a construction project.
Jerry brings that neutrality and the knowledge learned as a field engineer...

Scott Hughes is Director of ADR Programs & Dickason Professor of Law at University of New Mexico School of Law.  Scott teaches ADR full time and trains mediators in the U.S. and Europe.  Scott trains for CDRS in the Advanced ADR and Dispute Review Board Training Courses.  Scott is a professional mediator, facilitator, and arbitrator.

John F. Kennedy has 34 years experience as an attorney representing public sector entities in procurement of design and construction services; contract negotiation; public financing of construction work; construction management and contract administration; dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration or litigation; pursuit of bond claims and negotiation and litigation with sureties; resolution of procurement challenges and litigation.

PRESIDENT & CEO

of CDRS

About Peter Merrill

Michael Ossorgin has been involved with the construction industry for over thirty-five years. Michael has been involved with dispute resolution since 1986 and has served as an American Arbitration Association arbitrator since 1989.

Mr. Prindle, a civil engineer with over 30 years experience, specializes in geotechnical and environmental engineering. Current practice: forensic geotechnical engineering, including investigation, evaluation, and repair design for distressed structures. Engineering and construction experience: includes highway, industrial, commercial, and residential structures, retaining walls, and deep excavations. Additional experience: changed soil conditions, construction stormwater management

Carmine became a New Mexico Building, Plumbing Contractor in 1973. In 1995 he became a construction inspector, holds ICC Certifications in Plan Review, Building, Plumbing & Mechanical; he attended and taught classes in construction. Carmine is the City of Albuquerque green build program manager. He is knowledgeable in all types of construction including Green.

Lee has served our construction industry as a supplier of residential and commercial specialty building products, subcontractor, and contractor for 37 years in southern New Mexico and west Texas. Being a third-generation licensed contractor with extensive property management experience, along with 22 years as a state legislator, Lee provides unique insights to mediation and arbitration.

George has built over 750 residential homes since getting his contractors license in 1971. He has built apartment complexes and specializes in concrete tilt-wall commercial projects and land development. George has served on the New Mexico Board of Finance and the Las Cruces Housing Authority. He understands financing, investments and bonding procedures.

Yvonne has been building since 1987. She specializes in the sheetrock stage thru completion and customer service but has been construction manager for residential, mulit-family and commercial projects. She has served on the New Mexico Housing Authority, helped develop the weight training facility at NMSU and received awards for model merchandising.

Jim Redford has been a licensed Architect since 1968. His experience is varied, with projects ranging from design of military housing, management for Grand Prix racetrack construction, and numerous university campus planning throughout the United States and abroad. Redford’s experience as a generalist in his practice has earned him a reputation for fairness and creative problem solving.

Tom brings 31 years experience in home building industry has been a licensed contractor since 1980. He has a reputation for quality and fairness among his peers and clients. He is president of Scenic Structures, Inc; a custom home builder in Angel Fire, NM and serves as president of the Sangre de Christo Homebuilders Association.

A 1990 graduate of Penn State University, Jim began his construction career after moving to New Mexico in 1994. Working in the construction industry eventually led to a career shift into home inspection beginning in 2002. Jim has been a member of ASHI since 2006, and has performed over 3,000 inspections in Northern New Mexico.

Kim Shanahan has been a licensed general contractor in Santa Fe, NM since 1990. A nationally recognized expert on green building codes, he’s built both luxury homes and affordable housing subdivisions. He writes a weekly newspaper column called Building Santa Fe and served as the executive officer of Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association 2008-2018.

Lorn Shields has been involved in the construction industry for over 40 years. Besides being a registered Architect, he is a licensed contractor with both commercial and residential experience. He has done work for Department of Energy, the Air Force and other commercial institutions. He has vast experience in Residential Remodeling, winning national awards.

Ronald J. Sikorski’s “hands on knowledge and hard work ethics” as a skilled professional in construction and engineering projects for over 20 years has earned Mr. Sikorski a high degree of respect among his many customers and colleagues. Mr. Sikorski is an experienced and licensed custom homebuilder ...

Mr. Stih, a Board-Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) and aerospace engineer, tests residential and commercial buildings to identify and correct sources of environmental quality problems related to “green” buildings. Stih once worked in construction, got sick and decided to test buildings to figure out what made him sick.

40+ yrs: Land Surveyor (3 states), Land Planner (AICP). 35+: owner of regional consulting firm (civil). GIS, GPS, title / mortgage instruments, boundaries, ALTA’s, easements and covenants.  Entitlements, zoning, layout, design guidelines including Business Park architectural review. Many subdivisions, PUD’s, Site Plans, Master Plans, condominiums. Construction staking, quantities, CADD, project management. E&O contracts trained.

Over forty years of experience related to stucco and various processes utilized for the installation of stucco including the proper use of materials utilized and installed to accept the final stucco product. I have assisted customers and builders in solving various stucco installation problems. I am familiar with building codes related to stucco applications.

R. Lar Thomas has been a lawyer licensed in all courts in the State of New Mexico and several other jurisdictions for over 15 years.  He is also admitted to practice in the 9^th and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.  His practice has primarily focused on construction and environmental law...

Mr. Tully’s great depth of practice in the construction industry as Architect, Engineer, Cost Estimator and Builder has acquainted him with the wide variety of the problems one finds in construction and he has developed a skill in problem solving. He has turned this creative problem solving ability to dispute resolution services..

David Valencia is a construction industry professional with 20 plus years of experience. David holds a New Mexico contractor’s license. He is the past president of the San Juan County Home Builders Association and current chairperson of both the Building Issues and Government Affairs committees of the NM Home Builders Association which gives him a unique insight into construction issues.

Patrick Vandergriff has over 35 years experience in all areas of the construction industry having worked as a design/build contractor, city building official, community development supervisor, as New Mexico Director of the Construction Industries Division and as a contract instructor, curriculum development and test development expert for the International Code Council (ICC)

Lora Vassar joined the construction industry in 1986. She has designed, built, estimated, and managed clients before launching her own award-winning, nationally recognized, full service remodeling company in 2010. She has a GB-98 commercial & residential contractor’s License, BA in Architecture, CAPS and CGP certified. Lora is well-versed in residential building and remodeling.

Don Wallis has over 40 years of experience as an upscale residential and light-commercial contractor. A former attorney, he has 20 years of experience as an arbitrator, mediator and expert witness. He is the author of numerous articles on Construction Law and teaches Environmental Law at Santa Fe Community College.

Joel Wheeler, a nationally published commercial and residential contractor with almost 40 years in the industry and hundreds of projects, was trained as a master woodworker. The last fifteen years he established a kitchen design business with three New Mexico showrooms. In 2004, he built a home that was featured on the Green Home Tour.