Sarah Rudgers-Tysz, Esq.

Sarah Rudgers-Tysz serves as Senior Management Analyst for the New York State Unified Court System's Division of Alternative Dispute Resolution, where she is responsible for developing and implementing alternative dispute resolution training, both initial and advanced, for judicial and non-judicial staff, prospective neutrals serving on court rosters, and Community Dispute Resolution Center staff and volunteers. In this newly created position, Sarah focuses solely on training and education in all forms of ADR, including mediation, arbitration, and settlement skills, as part of the division's growing commitment to comprehensive ADR education.

Prior to joining the court system in December 2024, Sarah served as Executive Director of Mediation Matters from 2011 to 2024, a non-profit Community Dispute Resolution Center serving Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington Counties. During her 18 years with the organization (2006-2024), she built partnerships throughout the counties served, designed dispute resolution programs, conducted conflict resolution training, mediated cases, and facilitated multiparty dialogue for the community.

Sarah is an attorney licensed to practice in Maryland, with over 28 years of experience in mediation across various settings, both public and private. Her federal career began with the Department of Health and Human Services in their Dispute Resolution Unit, followed by the Federal Labor Relations Authority where she facilitated labor/management issues. She also served as Assistant General Counsel for the National Archives, where she ran their nation-wide workplace mediation program.

Sarah's professional experience in conflict resolution encompasses restorative practices, mediation and facilitation in community, federal, workplace, elder, youth, family, schools, and criminal justice settings; large group facilitation and team building; training for educational seminars and undergraduate classes; and program design and implementation.

Sarah served on the Judiciary's Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Committee, adding CDRC perspectives to discussions of ADR within the NY State Court System, and on the Capital Region's Regional Council of the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit of the Division of Human Rights. She is a NYS CDRC and Part 146 Certified Custody Visitation Trainer and formerly supervised the Community Mediation Clinic at Albany Law School.