Sue Ballentine: Mediating with PDRC since 2004. Teaching Co-Parenting Class since 2016
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Restorative Justice Facilitator
Career Background: Certified teacher in Ohio, New York and Virginia for over 30 years
Educational Background: B.S., University of Cincinnati; M.Ed., Xavier University, OH
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center; Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA
Susan Buckley: Mediating with PDRC since 2016
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Circuit Court/Family
Career Background: Attorney, licensed to practice law in Virginia and District of Columbia
Educational Background: B.B.A and J.D., University of Texas/Austin
Mediation Training: Northern Virginia Mediation Service, Fairfax, VA
Anna Dixon: Mediating with PDRC since 2011
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, OES Circuit Court Family, Mentor
Career Background: General District Court mediator in Northern Virginia and for the District of Columbia Superior Court.
Educational Background: B.A., Accounting, Howard University, Washington, DC; M.B.A., Bowie State University, MD
Mediation Training: Northern Virginia Mediation Services, Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center, Community Mediation Center, Harrisonburg, VA; District of Columbia Superior Court; District Court of Maryland; Supreme Court of VA
Amos Hewitt: Mediating with PDRC since 2017
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Mentor
Career Background: Director of Business Operations & Human Capital, Director of Diversity & Fair Employment Practice and Director of Human Resources and Compliance for major national and international Fortune 500 Companies.
Educational Background: B.A., Urban Metropolitan Studies and M.A., Labor and Industrial Relations, Michigan State University, MI.
Mediation Training: Northern Virginia Mediation Services, Fairfax, VA
PHOTO NOT PROVIDED: Tanya Hunter: Mediating with PDRC since 2012
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court
Career Background: Former Prosecutor
Educational Background: B.S., West Chester University, Pennsylvania; J.D., The Dickinson School of Law of Pennsylvania State University, PA
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center
Sylvia McDevitt: Mediating with PDRC since 2021
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court and Juvenile Domestic Relations Court
Career Background: Former Membership Director of Fauquier Chamber of Commerce and Advertising Executive for Fauquier Times Newspaper network; former catering business owner
Educational Background: Studied Business at Piedmont Virginia Community College
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center and Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA
Susan Lease-Trevathan: Mediating with PDRC since 1998
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Circuit Court: Family and Civil, Mentor
Career Background: Economist with U.S. Department of Commerce
Educational Background: B.A., Economics, State University of New York
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center and Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA
Edward (Ned) Madden: Mediating with PDRC since 2011
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court
Career Background: Retired attorney for Office of Chief Counsel IRS
Educational Background: B.S, B.A, Public Administration, University of Denver; J.D., University of Texas
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center and Mediation Center of Charlottesville, VA
A. Blanton Massey: Mediating with PDRC since 2011
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certification: Mediates General District Court only for PDRC but is certified in Family
Career Background: Attorney with A. Blanton Massey & Associates, P.C., and Mediator with The Mediation Center, Inc., Fredericksburg, VA. Lecturer and trainer for the Office of Dispute Resolution of the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court, Virginia Mediation Network, Rappahannock Mediation Center and ADR Institute and Mediate-Tech, Inc. Adjunct faculty instructor at Germanna Community College, VA
Educational Background: B.S., Randolph-Macon College, VA; J.D. University of Virginia; LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC
Mediation Training: Lemon Mediation Institute, Oakland, CA; Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA; Pepperdine University Law, Malibu, CA
Lawrie S. Parker: Mediating with PDRC since 1990
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Circuit Court, Mentor, Trainer
Career Background: Founder and Executive Director of PDRC (1990-2023); current member of the Supreme Court of Virginia Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, including Complaint Panel and Ethics Committee; a founder and Board member of the Restorative Justice Association of Virginia
Educational Background: B.A., Journalism, University of Michigan; M.B.A., University of Mary Washington, VA
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center, Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA; Rappahannock Mediation Center; Mennonite University, VA; Supreme Court of VA.
Ron Williams: Mediating with PDRC since 2013
Virginia Supreme Court Mediation Certifications: General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, Mentor
Career Background: Retired Attorney; Senior Executive Service; Board Member – Northern Va. Mediation Service; Member- Association of Conflict Resolution; Also, affiliated with the DC Superior Court Multi-Door ADR Program
Educational Background: B. S. Political Science, Hampton University, J.D.; University of Richmond
Mediation Training: Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center, Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Greenbelt , MD.; Northern Virginia Mediation Service, Fairfax, VA; Alexandria Mediation Services, Alexandria, VA; Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, VA; DC Superior Court, Washington, DC; VA Supreme Court
Tribute to Our Mediators
Jim G. Smith, Jr. (1951 – 2019)
Jim Smith was one of a kind. He had an immense brain, a heart of gold and a deep commitment to helping his fellow man. Jim was selfless. He began mediating with PDRC in 2008 and mediated prolifically until his death on March 16, 2019. He insisted that all of his cases were done on a volunteer basis; as he liked to say, mediation and helping others was his calling in life. He put countless miles on his vehicles as he drove from his home in Dahlgren, Virginia to courts in Culpeper, Stafford, and Fauquier Counties. On his “off” days he volunteered at his hometown thrift store and played the organ for his church on Sundays. He had an infectious laugh and would give the shirt off his back to help others. He was also a foster parent for many years.
In 2014, he was awarded the prestigious Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Award, senior volunteer category. Then-Governor Terry McAuliffe presented Jim with this award at the Governor’s Mansion. 
Jim had a varied educational background. He had a B.S. degree in Nuclear Engineering from University of Michigan, an M.S. degree in Computer Science and Application from Virginia Tech, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. He passed the very difficult bar exam on his first attempt. Prior to volunteering his services at PDRC, he was a Computer Scientist with the Department of the Navy.
Jim was a beloved member of PDRC and is missed by all who knew him.
Mr. Bill Barr (1924 – 2015)
Walking down Warrenton’s Main Street with Bill Barr was tantamount to accompanying a celebrity. The community activist and icon was continually stopped by passersby interested in a few moments of his time to chat about family, church, community or simply to garner a few words of his sturdy wisdom. Bill always delivered. People were drawn to his gentle spirit and listening heart. At 83, Bill had never lost his childhood wonder over life and his genuine delight in learning something new every day was infectious. “Life is full of serendipitous moments waiting to be experienced,” he would say.
Bill had been an active PDRC volunteer since 2002 when he was asked to star in a mediation video which has since been distributed throughout the Commonwealth and nation. Soon after, he enrolled in the Center’s basic mediation training, became certified by the Supreme Court of Virginia, and began volunteering as a community mediator in Fauquier General District Court, primarily mediating landlord-tenant and consumer-merchant cases.
Bill also completed his family mediation certification, working with parents who were separated and needed to make decisions about child custody, visitation and support. In addition, he was a stalwart in the Center’s Restorative Justice Program which serves victims of crimes and the offenders as well as neighborhood disputes.
“I’m a peacemaker and it pleases me to spread the principles of restorative justice in our community, especially to minority groups,” Bill would say. “You can’t get away from your neighbor or community; you will always see those whom you harmed. That’s why restorative justice is so important.”
Prior to retirement, Bill worked 22 years for the District of Columbia government, primarily in human service programs. He attended public schools in Pittsburgh, PA, earned his B.A. from Howard University and his MSW from Catholic University. He was married to first wife, Pauline, for 40 years and nine months and they had two daughters, Pamela and Bonnie. When Bill married his second wife, Pat Balasco-Barr, he added her four children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild to his family. He had been a resident of Midland since 1968. Sadly, Mr. Barr passed away on April 25, 2015.
Wesley Kain Harris (1935 – 2017)
Wesley Kain Harris, 82, passed away on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at the Winchester Medical Center. He was born on January 20, 1935, the son of Dr. Wesley Kain Harris Sr. and Mae Evans Harris of Washington, D.C.
He received degrees in Government and Public Administration from the American University and Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore.
His early years were with private firms including Lawyers’ Title Insurance and Bureau of National Affairs (Tax Management). He spent most of his career as a tax and labor relations lawyer with the federal government. He was a member of Psi Sigma Alpha honor society.
Wesley worked as a tax lawyer in the rulings division of the IRS; he served as a labor relations employee consultant and investigator for NIH, Department of Agriculture, National Labor Relations Board and Office of Thrift Supervision. As an appeals examiner for the Merit Systems Protection Board (Office of Appeals), he wrote decisions for panels of administrative law judges.
Following retirement from the federal service, Wesley volunteered his services as an in-court mediator for the general district courts in Manassas, Warrenton, Culpepper, Front Royal, Rappahannock and Luray, as well as for federal agencies. He was a board member of the Piedmont Dispute Resolution Coalition.
Wesley was a member of the Front Royal Presbyterian Church where he had served as elder.
Surviving are his wife, Gloria Garber Harris; his son, Winston Kain Harris and his wife Julie and their three sons, Evan Kain Harris, Nathan MacKenzie Harris and Tyler O’Neal Harris of Ashburn, Virginia. He is also survived by his nephews, Dana Harris, John Chiles, Joshua and Jesse Garber, Matthew Cooke and his niece, Laura Rathbone and their families.
The Honorable Judge H. Dudley Payne, Jr. (1945 – 2017)
The Honorable Judge Payne was born on November 16, 1945 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. He grew up in Arlington, VA before leaving home to attend Wake Forest University, where he earned his B.A. After graduation, he enlisted with the United States Marine Corps in 1967, earning the rank of 1st Lieutenant. He served three years including one combat tour in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart.
After his service, he earned his J.D. from Catholic University in 1973 and served as the Managing Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. He served as Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Fairfax County from 1974 – 1977, before returning to his family’s home county, where he practiced law in Marshall. In 1982, he joined Martin & Walker P.C. where he practiced criminal and civil law.
In 1995, he was appointed Judge of the 20th Circuit Juvenile and Domestic Relation Court and retired from the bench in 2007. After his retirement, he went on to become a mediator and started his own business, Payne Mediation. He also volunteered his mediation services at the Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center.
Dudley enjoyed playing golf, watching baseball with his family and he was also an avid outdoorsman at his farm in Orlean.