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PETER G. MERRILL
PRESIDENT & CEO
petergmerrill@cdrsllc.com
EDUCATION
Peter G. Merrill received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in accounting and minors in business administration and economics from the State University of New York at Albany. Upon graduation, he worked for the CPA firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Co. (now known as KPMG). During his years with the CPA firm he specialized in tax accounting and auditing. He also learned a great deal of financial information that relate to the construction industry including items such as cash flow and cash management, accounts receivable, inventory control, cost and depreciation methods of inventory control, job estimating, job costing, and other financial information relating to profit and loss statements and balance sheets.
Over the years, Mr. Merrill has taken many courses related to the construction industry and he has received several certifications in various specialized fields. He continues to attend seminars at various National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) conventions, meetings and related programs. He also attends seminars and educational programs of other organizations such as the New Mexico Home Builders Association, the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the New Mexico Chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the American Institute of Architects, the Associated General Contractors Association of America, and other construction related associations.
He is an active member of the NAHB and continues to increase his construction related knowledge by serving as a member of or attending meetings of the Construction Codes and Standards Committee and several related subcommittees such as the Green Building, Construction Standards, Building Codes, Energy and Conventional Construction Subcommittees. He also serves on the Residential Construction Performance Guidelines Work Group who is rewriting and updating the current issue of the guidelines. Mr. Merrill finds that by staying current on building codes, construction standards and performance guidelines, he can be a very effective and knowledgeable mediator and arbitrator or provide CDRS mediators and arbitrators advice when appropriate.
Because of his background, his mediation experience and his mediation training, he was selected to attend the Advanced Mediation Training Intensive Program at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine University School of Law located in Malibu, California. The Straus Institute is widely known as the best Dispute Resolution Graduate School program available in the United States. In addition, he was able to enhance his arbitration knowledge by attending the week-long Arbitration Training Institute conducted by the American Bar Association at the Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California. Mr. Merrill continues to attend mediation and arbitration programs to keep him current on any legal or procedural changes related to the dispute resolution process, including advanced mediation training programs at the University of New Mexico School of Law.
INDUSTRY
ACTIVITIES AND
CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND
Since 1971, Mr. Merrill has been involved in the construction industry as a builder, remodeler and designer. He specialized in kitchens and baths since 1981 when he became a Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD) through the Society of Certified Kitchen Designers of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. From 2002 through 2005, he served a three-year term as the construction industry representative on the Community Development Advisory Council to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City representing the 10th Federal Reserve District. He also serves on the New Mexico State Fannie Mae Advisory Council. He also serves on the New Mexico State Fannie Mae Advisory Council.
In 1994 he served as the President of the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association and in 2000, he served as the President of the New Mexico Home Builders Association (NMHBA). In 1999, he served as the chairman of the Remodelors Council of the Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association. Since 1998, he has been serving on the New Mexico State Construction Industry Commission Building Codes Review Committee. He was the only builder representative on the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s International Fire Codes Review Committee in 2003 because of his construction background and his extensive fire training experience and expertise as he served as a Fire Chief from 1992 to 1995 and Fire Marshal from 1996 through 1999 in the Santa Fe area. He was recently appointed to a three-year term on the International Code Council Fire Code Review Committee for the years 2006 – 2009, representing the National Association of Home Builders. He has served many years on the New Mexico Home Builders Association International Residential Code Review Committee and he continues to serve on the NMHBA Codes Technical Advisory Committee.
Mr. Merrill is a Past President of the New York Tri-State Chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA). In April 2004, he was the first member to ever receive an “Honorary Life Membership” from the National Kitchen and Bath Association at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago. The Honorary Life Member award was created specifically to recognize Mr. Merrill’s contribution to the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
Mr. Merrill has served many years on the Santa Fe High School Building Trades Advisory Corporation that oversees the construction of a new house each year by the Santa Fe High School Building Trades Program.
INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT AND NEUTRALITY
Mr. Merrill has been involved in construction mediations for several years. In January 2004 he decided to retire from the construction industry to devote his time and expertise to aid consumers and contractors in resolving construction disputes. His continued involvement with construction organizations keeps him current on building codes, general construction standards and residential construction performance guidelines. His active participation with Alternate Dispute Resolution organizations keeps him up to date on new developments and issues that affect the mediation and arbitration process. His ability to remain neutral is a direct result of his extensive alternate dispute resolution training and his years of mediation experience. His reputation for honesty and his integrity are well known throughout the construction industry.
MEDIATION-ARBITRATION
PROFESSIONAL
INVOLVEMENT
Mr. Merrill is currently, at the time of writing this bio, an Associate Dispute Resolution Section Member of the American Bar Association and currently serves as the Chair of the Arbitration Rules subcommittee of the ABA. He also serves on the American Bar Association “Other Dispute Resolution Processes Committee” and is a member of the “Construction Industry Forum” of the American Bar Association. Mr. Merrill regularly attends meetings of the American Bar Association and attends local meetings of the New Mexico State Bar Association. Mr. Merrill has served on the “Steering Committee” of the NM State Bar ADR Committee. He attends various alternate dispute resolution training programs, seminars and professional conferences to keep abreast of changing laws and regulations related to the Dispute Resolution profession and to enhance his ability to conduct successful mediations and arbitrations. Mr. Merrill is a Nationally recognized speaker and has made presentations to various trade and legal organizations across the USA.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
For several years, Mr. Merrill had served as the Santa Fe District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America. He has served on the Executive Board of the Great Southwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He is an Eagle Scout and is a Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scout’s National Honor Society. In 2001 he received the Silver Beaver Award, which is the highest award that any adult can receive from the Boy Scouts of America Great Southwest Council. He was also presented with the coveted “Distinguished Commissioner Award” by the Great Southwest Council.
INDUSTRY
AWARDS & RECOGNITION These are some of the awards that Mr. Merrill has received. Many were awarded to him several times over various years. This list does not include the many awards that he has received for his volunteer work in organizations such as the Fire Service, Boy Scouts of America, Industry-related associations, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION-RELATED AWARDS:
NEW MEXICO HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION -
HOUSING EXCELLENCE AWARDS:
SANTA FE AREA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION -
EXCELLENCE IN REMODELING AWARDS:
NATIONAL KITCHEN AND BATH ASSOCIATION
SUMMARY INFORMATION
ARBITRATION TRAINING American Bar
Association—Arbitration Training Institute
CDRS Dispute Resolution Training Institute MEDIATION
TRAINING Straus Institute for Dispute
Resolution University of New
Mexico School of Law COLLEGE EDUCATION Bachelor of Science Degree—Major
in Accounting PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
In 1999, he officially resigned his position as Fire Marshal for the Agua Fria Fire and Rescue Volunteer Fire Department. He served as Fire Chief from 1992 to 1995 and Fire Marshal from 1996 to 1999, and he put in over 19 years altogether in various capacities for volunteer fire districts in New York and New Mexico. In 1994 he was awarded the first Fire Chief of the Year Award by the Santa Fe County Fire Marshal’s Association. He served in the past as a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Fire Marshals Association. He acquired his formal fire-fighting training as a member of the Elsmere Fire and Rescue Company in Elsmere, New York.
Mr. Merrill is a classical singer. He has served as the President of the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus for several years. He has performed in various locations including Carnegie Hall. Mr. Merrill has also been involved in the business community and has served as the president of his local Chamber of Commerce.
Golden Gate University School of Law
San Francisco, California
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pepperdine University School of Law
Malibu, California
Albuquerque, New Mexico
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, New York
New Mexico Mediation Association
Association for Conflict Resolution
New Mexico State Fannie Mae Advisory Council
National Association of Home Builders
New Mexico Home Builders Association
Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association
Associated General Contractors
National Kitchen and Bath Association
National Fire Protection Association
International Fire Marshals Association
