NYSDRA's 2026 Annual Conference

Rooted in Peace:

One Tree, Many Branches

O C T O B E R 8 - 9 , 2 0 2 6   ·  A L B A N Y , N E W Y O R K

📅 Oct 8 — Virtual | Oct 9 — The Desmond Hotel, Albany    📍All 62 New York Counties Represented      👥 ADR Practitioners, Court Partners & Community Leaders

Be Part of Something Historic!

THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT

For 30 years, the Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award has recognized the builders — the people who planted trees in hard ground, trained others to do the same, and understood that dispute resolution is not just a profession. It is an act of faith in human community.

This October, NYSDRA's 2026 Annual Conference brings that legacy into its next chapter through keynote conversations, workshops, and structured dialogue — leaving participants with new connections, sharper tools, and a deeper sense of what this work means.

Rooted in Peace: One Tree, Many Branches is both our theme and our invitation. The roots hold the values that have anchored this work for decades: dignity, equity, voice, and repair. The branches are ours to grow — into every community, every conflict, every place where peace has not yet taken hold. And this year, we grow them together.

The conference is NYSDRA's signature statewide gathering — the place where the full breadth of New York's ADR community comes together: CDRC leaders, staff, and volunteers; independent practitioners; court professionals from the NYS Unified Court System; educators; advocates; and emerging voices entering the field for the first time. Through keynote conversations, interactive workshops, and structured dialogue, participants will leave with new connections, sharper tools, and a deeper sense of what this work means and where it is going.

This year carries something extra. Andrew Thomas himself will return to present the 30th anniversary PeaceBuilder Award in person — a milestone celebration of the individuals and organizations whose commitment to community-based peace has shaped New York State. And the conference will serve as the public launch of the Lawrence H. Cooke Dispute Resolution Legacy Fund, NYSDRA's inaugural endowment campaign to sustain community dispute resolution for generations to come.

Thirty years of peace. One gathering. Come be part of it.

Andrew Thomas
Founding President, NYSDRA

Founding Member and Former President, NAFCM

To learn more about Andrew Thomas, click here.

 2026 Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award Honoree

MACRO is the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office. They  promote the availability, use, and quality of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) throughout Maryland. Their work focuses on supporting ADR programs in courts and communities, supporting the growth and development of ADR practitioners, and creating resources to help the public access ADR services. Their team of dynamic and innovative professionals are working to:

• Advance ADR in the Courts
• Support Quality ADR Practice
• Collaborate with Statewide Partners 

(Back row) Cheryl Jackson, Nick White, Lisa Mannisi, Monica Villarreal, Cynthia Jurrius, Alecia Parker, Tara Cuffia

(Front row) Judy Muller, Tisha McDuffie, Jenn Williams

9:00 - 10:00 AM | Keynote Address

What the Machine Can’t Mediate: The Human Root of Dispute Resolution in a Founding Moment (CLE)

Examine what technology can extend, what it must never replace, and why community mediators are uniquely positioned to shape the next founding moment in dispute resolution.

10:15 - 11:15 AM | Concurrent Sessions

11:30AM - 12:30 PM | Concurrent Sessions

12:30 - 12:45 PM | The Promise Endures: Honoring Robert A. Baruch Bush

Presented by Leonard L. Riskin, J.D., LL.M

As part of the 2026 NYSDRA Annual Conference, we will pause to honor the life and legacy of Robert A. Baruch Bush, who passed away on February 27, 2026. Baruch was a pioneering scholar, educator, and one of the principal architects of transformative mediation, whose work fundamentally shaped the theory and practice of conflict resolution around the world.

This remembrance will include a special virtual tribute from Leonard L. Riskin, J.D., LL.M., Baruch’s longtime friend and colleague. In an informal and personal reflection, Len will share memories of Baruch, reflect on what he brought to mediation and to those who knew and worked alongside him, and offer thoughts on the legacy he leaves to the field.

Baruch’s scholarship, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to human dignity continue to influence mediators, educators, and dispute resolution practitioners across generations. We are grateful for his remarkable contributions to our field and honored to create space at this year’s conference to remember not only the scholar and pioneer, but also the friend, colleague, and human being behind that extraordinary legacy.

12:45 - 1:30 PM | Virtual Lunch

A Small Dialogue About Meaningful Moments

1:45 - 2:45 PM | Concurrent Sessions

3:00 - 4:00 PM | Concurrent Sessions

4:15 - 5:15 PM | Concurrent Sessions

5:15 - 5:30 PM | Closing Remarks

Friday, October 9, 2026 

Crowne Plaza Albany - The Desmond Hotel

Sessions marked with 🌐 offer hybrid attendance (in-person + virtual).

Sessions marked with 🏨 are in-person only.

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8:30 - 9:30 AM | Registration & Networking Breakfast 🏨

Light refreshments and informal networking with colleagues across sectors.

Room: Fort Orange Courtyard

9:45 - 10:45 AM | Keynote Address  🌐

Managing Differences in a Polarized World

How do we navigate this environment as professionals who help resolve conflicts and as individuals who experience the effects of polarization. This presentation will lay out the problem, engage the audience in reflecting on its sources, and describe the approach that Braver Angels is taking to influence how we relate to one another across the political divide.

Room: Town Hall

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Practical Strategies to Move from Polarization to Connection 🌐 

After his keynote, Bill Doherty will engage participants in conversation about how they see the effects of polarization in their work and social worlds, and offer tools for handling the challenges of engaging constructively during difficult conversations.

Location: High Street Ballroom

12:00 - 2:00 PM | Celebration Lunch & Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award Presentation 🌐

Honoring the 2026 Andrew Thomas PeaceBuilder Award Recipient

Location: Fort Orange Ballroom

2:15 - 3:15 PM | The Imperative to Use All Available Talent in ADR Through Intentional Neutral Selection 🌐

Chris Heagarty interviews Prof. Homer LaRue about key reflections from his career as an arbitrator and developing the next generation of ADR professionals, as well as his observations and recommendations for how to remove systematic barriers in arbitrator development and selection and to create more opportunities for parties and ADR selectors to "utilize all of the available talent."

Location: Town Hall

3:30 - 4:30 PM | Interactive Session & Cocktail Reception 🏨

Interact with the day's keynote speaker and session presenters, ask questions, hear stories & enjoy a cocktail.

Room: High Street Ballroom

2026 Annual Conference Sponsors