Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Cardenas
Hi Jill, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Before joining the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, I built a career that allowed me to engage with diverse industries and cultures, offering opportunities to learn and grow in remarkable ways. As a consulting manager with Accenture, I worked in major urban centers across the United States, focusing on improving organizational effectiveness and employee performance. My path later led me to Sydney, Australia, where I served as a retail solutions manager with Arvato Digital Services, collaborating with global companies to develop innovative strategies. Along the way, I had the privilege of working with both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies such as Apple, AT&T, Microsoft, Motorola, and Sony Music. These experiences shaped my ability to approach challenges with creativity, adaptability, and a deep appreciation for teamwork.
In 2016, I began volunteering at the Mediation Center, drawn by its mission to create positive change through conflict resolution. As I facilitated mediations, I witnessed how providing people with the tools and space to resolve disputes could transform relationships and lives. This experience resonated with me on a deeply personal level and ignited my desire to contribute more fully. What began as a volunteer opportunity quickly became a professional calling, perfectly aligning with my passion for fostering collaboration and building resilient communities.
One of the most meaningful aspects of my role is witnessing the transformative impact of our work on families and organizations. I am deeply fulfilled when the Mediation Center creates a safe and supportive environment for parents to develop a positive co-parenting arrangement that prioritizes the needs of their children. These conversations help mitigate the long-term harm that conflict between parents can cause, offering children stability and hope for a brighter future.
Similarly, I take great pride in how we help business owners and nonprofit leaders navigate team conflicts. By reframing conflict as an opportunity for dialogue, we empower individuals to create thoughtful solutions that strengthen relationships and lead to healthier, more effective teams. These moments of resolution are powerful reminders of the potential for growth and healing when people are willing to engage in meaningful conversations.
Today, I am honored to lead the Mediation Center alongside an incredible team and a committed board of directors. Together, we are expanding access to conflict resolution services, empowering individuals and families to find peaceful solutions, and building stronger, more connected communities. My career journey has equipped me with the skills to guide this impactful work, and I feel privileged to contribute to a mission that transforms lives every day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Business leaders face countless decisions each day, and as the Executive Director of the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, I am no exception. Our nonprofit offers a wide array of critical services, including workplace seminars, voluntary mediation, court-referred mediation, youth programs, and family law resources. Each of these services plays a vital role in peacebuilding and community-wide conflict resolution. The challenge, however, lies in the reality that no single service is more important than another—they are all interconnected in creating a stronger, healthier community.
With a limited number of team members and volunteers, one of the most difficult decisions I face is determining where to allocate our time, resources, and expertise. The need for our services often exceeds our capacity, forcing me to make tough choices about priorities. While I am proud to say we find ways to balance our workload and ensure that no one is turned away, I am acutely aware of the community conflicts we are not yet able to address proactively.
Our perennial challenge is the ongoing need for mission-driven volunteers to mediate. As the community’s needs grow, so does our need for dedicated mediators across various sectors. For example, requests for court-connected mediation and workplace mediation have steadily increased. Volunteer mediators are at the heart of our work, enabling us to meet this demand and expand our reach. To recruit and engage these essential partners, we rely on word-of-mouth referrals, sharing our mission directly with the community, and leveraging media to highlight this meaningful volunteer opportunity. The contributions of our volunteers ultimately benefit the entire community, helping to create a culture of peace and collaboration.
To bridge the gap between growing needs and our resources, I am actively collaborating with local agencies to secure additional support and partnerships. Together, we are exploring ways to deploy conflict prevention strategies and address conflicts at earlier stages, before they escalate. These efforts include expanding our restorative practices training for schools and youth-serving organizations, as well as seeking funding to enhance programs like Restorative Conferencing and voluntary mediation.
For those interested in becoming a part of this important work, I encourage you to visit our training page at www.mediationsavannah.com/training to learn more about how to get involved. Your support as a volunteer can make a profound difference, not only for individuals and families but for the entire community. Together, we can continue to build a future rooted in peaceful resolution and mutual understanding.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire is unique because of our team’s unity and unwavering commitment to our mission: helping citizens proactively manage conflict, creating alternatives to litigation, and increasing access to justice. Every member of our team contributes to this mission, understanding that the impact of our work is greater than any one individual’s efforts. This shared purpose keeps us united as a dynamic, healthy, and effective team.
Our Restorative Conferencing initiative exemplifies how our team works together to create meaningful change. Launched in 2017, this program was designed to provide youth with an alternative to traditional justice system interventions by holding them accountable for their actions while addressing root causes and equipping them with conflict resolution skills. Since its inception, the program has served over 800 youth, achieving a recidivism rate of less than 9%, compared to the justice system’s 35%. This success reflects not only the power of restorative measures but also the collaboration, dedication, and innovative spirit of our team.
Every aspect of this initiative has required teamwork—from designing the program to implementing it, tracking outcomes, and continuously improving our approach. Our team’s diverse skills and shared values have been essential in building trust with youth and their families, ensuring that each restorative conference is a meaningful and transformative experience.
Over the years, I’ve worked to foster a deep-rooted culture aligned with our core values: modeling effective conflict resolution practices and building strong relationships within the community. These values are the backbone of our Restorative Conferencing initiative and all the work we do. By training youth-serving organizations and school system personnel in restorative practices, we extend our team’s impact, ensuring more young people have access to these life-changing opportunities.
One misconception about our team is that we never experience conflict ourselves. As skilled practitioners, we understand that conflict is natural and often serves as an opportunity for growth. For example, when developing initiatives like Restorative Conferencing, our team navigated different perspectives, conflict styles, and ideas. Through open dialogue and a shared commitment to our mission, we turned those differences into strengths, using them to create a program that has had a profound impact on our community.
Our shared mission unites us, reminding us of the greater purpose we serve. Together, we are not just resolving conflicts but creating pathways for individuals and families to thrive. Restorative Conferencing is one of many examples of how our collective effort continues to make a tangible, positive difference.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My parents are retired educators who taught me invaluable lessons through the way they lived their lives. Growing up in a small community, they were deeply trusted and respected. I remember seeing neighbors and community members come to our house to seek advice from my dad. His journey—from continuing his education to working his way from a football coach to becoming the Superintendent of Schools—showed me the power of perseverance and dedication.
My mom was equally inspiring. In her role as a school counselor, she designed programs that addressed the unique needs of her students, earning her the honor of being named Counselor of the Year in the state of Missouri. She demonstrated creativity, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to helping others thrive.
They lived a life rooted in service, teamwork, and the belief that we can always do more for others. They role-modeled these values daily, not just in their careers but in how we lived as a family. From them, I gained a deep sense of self-efficacy—the belief that, together, we can achieve great things—and a responsibility to show up every day and give my very best. Their example continues to guide me in my own journey of service and leadership.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mediationsavannah.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillanncardenas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillcheeks/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillanncardenas/
