Meet Our Volunteers and Interns

I am currently on my last semester at California State University, Fullerton where my major is Sociology with a concentration on Deviance/Crime and a minor in Human Services. I am pursuing a career in law enforcement where I hope to eventually become a gang investigator. When not at work or interning, I enjoy going out with friends and going on new adventures such as snowboarding.

Avery, a Peace Studies major at Chapman University, just completed her Dispute Resolution Internship at OC Human Relations. Avery says, “OCHR has furthered my professional development and given me the tools and confidence to be an effective mediator. I am grateful for their support and expertise!”

A dedicated husband, father of three, and grandfather of two, Henry currently serves at Lamoreaux Justice Center as a Voluntary Dispute Settlement Officer. He has approximately three years of mediation experience handling diverse civil litigation caseloads in both Los Angeles Superior Courts and Orange County Superior Courts as a Spanish speaking mediator. He was recognized by the Orange County Human Relations Council-DRPA agency in 2016 and by the Orange County Superior Court as a DRPA/CHRPA Mediator in 2017 for his work in the family court mediation program.

Katie Freiberg is pursuing degrees in Criminology, Law and Society and Urban Studies at the University of California, Irvine. Katie’s participation in UCI’s 2019 Basic Mediation Training Program motivated her to work with OC Human Relations to deepen her knowledge in dispute resolution. A driven student leader and journalist, Katie enters the OCHR community with a strong background in writing and interpersonal communications. Katie looks forward to learning from the diverse voices within Orange County and furthering her commitment to public service.

OCHR is a very solid non-profit organization that has been around for a long time providing valuable, no-cost dispute resolution and other services to a large number of people in Orange County. Any support you can provide to them will be put to good use. If you would like to join in as a volunteer (and learn a lot and expand your skills in the process), they will welcome you and provide you with excellent training and opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the community. The training and experience I’ve received from HRC has been a major factor in enabling me to open my own divorce mediation practice. It is very satisfying to be able to help people in the community who are in the midst of a major conflict like a divorce.

Stephen is a professional mediator in Orange County, California. He volunteers as a mediator in state court through Orange County Human Relations, and he formerly served on the mediation panel of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. During the last banking and financial crisis, he served as the Managing Counsel of the FDIC office in Irvine from its inception in early 2009 until it closed in 2012. Because of his substantial experience with the FDIC, he has particular expertise in dealing with complex commercial litigation, including cases involving banking and lending, bankruptcy, breach of contract, creditor/debtor, and real estate. He also has significant experience with employment, EEO (employment discrimination), and ERISA (employee benefit plan) cases.

I first learned about OCHR from a flyer that was left at the Paralegal School I was attending. My experience as a mediator has changed my life. I started volunteering as I was beginning my retired life, after 30 years of Retail Clerk experience. I was looking for some way to make a “contribution” to society. I feel very grateful for the opportunity to help others and continue learning about the law in both Small Claims and Family Court. The best thing I could say about the skills I have learned as a mediator is that I use these skills on a daily basis. The best skill I have learned is the fine art of getting control of the ‘screamer’ in the group–you know–that person who has to talk louder than anyone else. You simply lower your voice, and pretty soon the ‘screamer’ will start to lower his/her voice too. It takes some practice, but it really works.”