Speaking of our team, we added two new members to the IMS team this year. Stephanie VonAhnen joined IMS in October as our Office Administrator. Stephanie was instrumental in learning all about Zoom so we could put our best foot forward for our virtual trainings! Stephanie will be taking our next Introductory Mediation Training and Advanced Mediation Skills Training in the spring to become IMS’s newest mediator. Elena Greenberg joined IMS in September as our Development and Communications Manager. Before coming to IMS, Elena was a family and criminal law attorney for twelve years. Elena has also been a family law mediator since 2015 and we are excited for the opportunity to add court ordered family law mediations to our list of services. Check out our new team member bios and fun facts here.

Kiley Fleming, Executive Director, and Elena both provide Life Coaching Services in a consulting capacity and believe these skills help further augment the work provided at IMS. The organization continues to seek ways to implement and deliver holistic services that help Iowans reach their greatest potential.

IMS was awarded a 2021 COVID Adaptation Grant from The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines to improve our technology resources. We are thankful to be awarded this grant, and we anticipate the technology updates will make our next live virtual training even better! Our next Introductory Mediation Training begins on April 25, 2022 and our Advanced Skills Mediation Training will begin on May 17, 2022. Click on the hyperlinks to download the brochures for more information and to register. Even though the trainings are virtual, we will be limiting the number of trainees, so register soon before we sell out! Both trainings will be live and held on Zoom. We hope to offer in person or hybrid training options again in the Fall. In addition to virtual trainings, IMS can now provide state-wide mediation services via Zoom. We implemented these services this year and found them to be highly effective for the parties involved. It creates an environment conducive for constructive conflict management while reducing costs and scheduling issues. If you have areas where you would like to explore conflict management, interpersonal skills development, communication improvement, or other areas related to human dynamics consider a virtual platform or in-person services offered by IMS.
​
Let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to what awaits IMS in the new year, and we wish you the happiest of holidays and new year!

On Thursday, staff from Iowa Mediation Service(IMS) visited the Urbandale offices of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to provide information about the mediation process in Iowa. Kiley Fleming, Kathy Hall, and Daniel Butters of IMS presented information to new Farm Service Agency Loan Officers about the role of mediation when it comes to agricultural debt in the state of Iowa.
​Since 1985, the State of Iowa has mandated that mediation be offered to debtors before a creditor can take certain actions to collect agricultural debts. As the USDA’s Farm Service Agency is a popular source of financing for farmers in Iowa, it is important for new Loan Officers to understand the laws, purpose, and benefits of mediation. 

Kiley Fleming, the Executive Director of IMS, said, "Mediation empowers all parties to find solutions that may not otherwise be available,” adding “We really find it to be a successful method to resolve disputes between creditors and debtors. When we get to the mediation table, we have success, reaching an agreement over 75% of the time.”

The training lasted approximately 2 hours and covered the legal, administrative, and personal aspects of mediation.

Stan Deardeuff, Regional Coordinator for Iowa Mediation Service, shares his experience with farmers and the rising Farm Bankruptcies in Iowa. Click the image above or the link below to view the article in the Des Moines Register.