Local volunteers, staff expand restorative justice skills at Wenatchee summit

WENATCHEE — A group of staff members and volunteers from the Wenatchee Valley Dispute Resolution Center recently completed advanced restorative justice training during a first-of-its-kind summit held in Wenatchee.

Five participants — Paige Ahnemiller, Theresa D-Litzenberger, Cathy Oden, Jenn Riley and Jennifer Talbot — attended the inaugural Restorative Pathways Summit in April 2026, joining practitioners, educators and legal professionals from across the state to explore alternatives to traditional responses to domestic and community violence.

The two-track, in-person conference was organized through a collaboration between the Washington State Office of Public Defense and Resolution Washington, drawing participants from across Washington’s network of dispute resolution centers.

As part of the summit, the Wenatchee group completed Circle Keeper certification training based on the Circles of Peace model, a restorative approach focused on guided dialogue, shared accountability and relationship-centered problem solving.

Restorative justice is an approach to addressing harm that focuses on bringing together those affected, including victims, offenders and community members, to talk through what happened, take responsibility and work toward repairing the damage, rather than relying solely on punishment through the court system.

The training was led by Krystal McLeod of New York University Center on Violence and Recovery, which develops and supports restorative justice practices in communities across the country, and Spencer Murray of NO HARM, the National Organization for Healing and Redefining Manhood.

For the Wenatchee Valley Dispute Resolution Center, the training represents a continued investment in expanding its ability to support individuals, families and organizations navigating conflict.

The center serves Chelan and Douglas counties, offering mediation and restorative practices aimed at resolving disputes and repairing harm outside of traditional court processes.

Organizers said the skills developed during the summit will help strengthen those efforts locally, particularly as communities continue to explore new approaches to addressing harm and accountability.

More information about the Wenatchee Valley Dispute Resolution Center is available at www.wvdrc.org.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media