Presented by Elizabeth Grossman

Introducing our next multisession practice group!

ACR-GNY is launching a new Employment and Commercial Mediator Practice Group exclusively for its members!

Mediators strive to encourage understanding and bridge boundaries. Yet many work alone, with few opportunities to share their questions, frustrations, and ideas with colleagues. To provide support and education to members of the ADR community, ACR-GNY is starting a new five-part practice group for mediators working in the employment and commercial spaces, creating a confidential forum where practitioners can come together to share puzzling moments and give each other honest feedback.

Starting in October 2026, this Practice Group will meet every other Wednesday morning via Zoom from 8:30 – 10:00 am and will be limited to 15 participants. It will be led by Elizabeth Grossman, ACR-GNY Treasurer and Board member, and will include guest facilitators in some sessions. Mediators at all experience levels are welcome to attend. To promote community support in a small group space, participants are expected to make their best efforts to attend all sessions.

Group discussions will address:

October 7 Topic: Navigating Power Imbalances

October 21 Topic: Managing Challenging Behaviors

November 4 Topic: Ethical issues – Who’s in the Room?

November 18 Topic: Challenging Scenarios (participants share)

December 2 Topic: To be Determined with Group Input

Registrants are expected to attend all five sessions.

These practice group sessions are interactive and a safe space for questions and honest feedback; registration will be capped at 15 participants, and sessions will not be recorded.

The Details

Frequency: Every Other Wednesday

Dates: October 7, 2026 | October 21, 2026 | November 4, 2026 | November 18, 2026 | December 2, 2026

Time: 8:30 - 10:00am (Eastern Time)

Price: Free for ACR-GNY members

Format: Virtual (Zoom)

Elizabeth Grossman

This program is supported by ACR-GNY's 365 Sponsor:

ACR-GNY & CUNY Dispute Resolution Center at John Jay College present:

Grandpas United:

Building Intergenerational Connections

Grandpas United was created in White Plains, NY in 2018. Jim Isenberg and Frank Williams came together to start the first "grandpas" organization. After they began recruiting local grandpas to join Grandpas United, a local newspaper reporter wrote a front page story with the headline, "Gramps Not Grumps". Apparently this was the mainstream view of grandpas! After more than eight years of mentoring, youth/police training support, the JumpStart for Dads program for fathers, a Civic Engagement/Vocational awards program for high school seniors and lots of guest speakers from the health, government and sports world at the monthly Coffee with Grandpas program. Grandpas United receives funding from many NYS political leaders and private donations too. Grandpas United has also received awards from the national intergenerational organizations, Generations United and Co Generate. Jim was also a first Innovation Fellow in the CoGenerate intergenerational leadership program in 2019.

During our presentation, Frank and Jim will discuss the development of Grandpas United and the many opportunities that have been created to engage grandpas in building an intergenerational community in White Plains as well as other NY cities.

Jim will also share some of his experiences from his years working in the Conflict Resolution field. He will share some of the early challenges of the San Francisco Community Boards program and the resulting impact that this program now has after 50 years of important work in SF. In addition, Jim will share his experience starting Partners for Democratic Change (Partners Global now) and some of his experiences building this organization and its leadership in the 1990s.

This will be an interactive presentation that will facilitate discussion about intergenerational experiences of Grandpas United as well as the relationship for this work to Conflict Resolution and supportive efforts with fatherhood and overall youth development. We will also discuss the development of intergenerational programs and the ongoing challenges of recruiting grandpas and creating Grandpas United organizations across the country.

Grandpas United website: grandpasunited.com

Jim Isenberg            Frank Williams

Jim Isenberg and Frank Williams are the co-founders of Grandpas United, which they started in 2018. They have worked together on a wide range of youth programs including a national police/youth "trust building" program, the Youth Police Initiative.

Jim has a long history in the Dispute Resolution world. He joined with the founder, Ray Shonholtz to start the San Francisco Community Boards program in 1976. He was Ray's partner in starting and managing the international conflict resolution organization, Partners for Democratic Change (now Partners Global) in 1991. In addition, he served as an initial board member of the NY Peace Institute, has served as an executive leader in the transportation, youth development and criminal justice world both in government roles and as a non profit organization leader. He has served as a labor negotiator in the transportation world, a national organizer of police leadership programs across the U.S. and as senior executive in the Corrections world in the 1970s in Massachusetts and San Francisco with a focus on establishing the Community Correction programs. He has a PhD in Criminology from the University of California at Berkeley and has written a book, Police Leadership in a Democracy: Conversations with America's Police Chiefs.

Frank Williams Jr. is a prominent community leader and youth advocate in Westchester County, New York. He serves as the Executive Director and Administrator of Youth Services for the White Plains Youth Bureau, where he has dedicated his career to youth development, employment, and community programs. He also holds a Master of Social Work from Fordham University, and has been honored broadly for his civic impact, including induction into the Westchester County Senior Hall of Fame, receiving the CoGenerate Gen2Gen Innovation Award, and recognition from Volunteer New York and the NYS Office for the Aging. Additionally, Frank serves as the leader of the NYS Youth Bureau Association and is a national leader of the My Brothers Keeper program.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Roundtable Breakfasts are online meetings via Zoom. The link will change each month and will be distributed to all registrants the day before and the morning of the event. All listed times for ACR-GNY events are for Eastern Time. 8:00 am – 8:30 am | Join call to network with attendees 8:30 am – 10:00 am | Presentation and discussion About the Roundtable Breakfasts The Roundtable Breakfasts are organized by ACR-GNY and the CUNY Dispute Resolution Center at John Jay College. They take place the first Thursday of the month and are ongoing since 2001. Views expressed in connection with any Roundtable event publicity or at sessions are those of the speakers and participants and not of the CUNY DRC or ACR-GNY. This program is supported by ACR-GNY's 365 Sponsor: