Andrew Thomas

Andrew Thomas is the Community Relations and Engagement Director for Sanford, Florida, and Former Executive Director, Center for Dispute Settlement, Rochester, N.Y.  Mr. Thomas has served as President of his consulting business, ALT Associates: Conflict Management Consultants; executive director of the Center for Dispute Settlement, a non-profit corporation responsible for services in a ten-county region in Western New York; and Director of Human Services Planning for the City of Rochester, N.Y.

As a certified Transformative Mediation Trainer for the United States Postal Service, Andrew has trained human resources managers and mediators in Transformative Mediation throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.  Andrew has designed a variety of ADR programs for state agencies, police departments, private corporations, community organizations, and Native American Nations in both New York State and Ontario, Canada.  He has trained thousands of individuals to become mediators, facilitators and arbitrators for court ADR programs.

Mr. Thomas was the first president of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association Board of Directors and a past Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Community Mediation.  Andrew has received numerous awards and special recognition for his dedication to promoting human rights, social justice and peaceful dispute resolution processes throughout his professional career.

In his current position Mr. Thomas is responsible for the Nine-Point Plan: Reuniting the Community to move the City of Sanford forward following the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin and the George Zimmerman trial.