Conflict Management Prevention Center - Meet Your Team
Linda Burroughs
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Branch Chief and FS Ombuds
Zone 1: WO
Linda.Burroughs@usda.gov
202-205-1062
Linda Burroughs serves as the Branch Chief of the Conflict Management and Prevention Center. She previously spent two decades as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist and Washington Office CMPC Manager with the Forest Service, managing and resolving disputes across all areas of redress through mediation, facilitation, coaching, and training. Her work in the dispute resolution field began in 1998, following 14 years with the National Weather Service. She received Department of Commerce Bronze Awards in 1999 and 2002 for her facilitation work within NOAA.
Linda is a certified mediator through the Justice Center of Atlanta and holds certifications in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Boss Whispering, DISC + Values, True Colors, EQi, the Conflict Dynamics Profile, and several other assessment tools. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland, specializing in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Behavioral Science.
Linda is committed to supporting her community through volunteering. She lives in northern Virginia and enjoys spending time with her family.
Dwayne Haynes
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager and Associate Ombuds
Zone 1: Region 8/9, SRS
Dwayne.Haynes@usda.gov
205-761-3656
Dwayne Haynes is an enthusiastic leader with a heart for customer service and people. Prior to joining the CMPC, he served as the head of the Planning Department as the Facility Planning Officer for the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System. In this role, he oversaw all aspects of planning, including strategic planning, organizational planning, space management, project management, and activations as well as serving as the Contracting Officer Representative. Dwayne is a trained mediator and, while serving in this role, he has conducted mediations and trainings for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Office of Resolution Management.
Dwayne is a proud U.S. Army Veteran. He has a BS in Business Administration and has recently obtained his Juris Doctorate. He keeps up with current mediation, legal trends, and trainings by taking continuing education courses through Ohio State University, Harvard University, ORM’s Lunchtime Series, and Franklin Covery’s courses. In his free time, Dwayne enjoys golfing, fishing, traveling, and reading. He coaches Jr. League basketball and serves as the Minister of Music for his church. (No, he does not sing.) Dwayne looks forward to providing trainings and ADR services to promote better communication and a positive work environment.
Martin Gutierrez
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager and Associate Ombuds
Zone 2: Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and the ASC
Martin.M.Gutierrez@usda.gov
530-260-6973
Martin has built a 25-year career in three areas: private sector (computer technology, media, and entertainment); elected politics (presidential, congressional, state-wide); and public sector (civil rights, labor law, conflict management, and wildland fire). This unique blend has afforded him an eclectic amalgam of what drives high performing individuals and teams amidst high-pressure profit-driven advertising campaigns, zero sum political elections, and employee work environment challenges as well as managing personalities during a natural crisis.
Martin merges his work experience with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and graduate degree in Public Administration. The focus of Martin’s education was to explore the tools, resources, and approaches of shaping global peace by mitigating human conflict. He is a certified federal mediator conducting work-place mediations, equal employment opportunity mediations, group facilitated meetings, coaching employees to success, and bringing conciliation to conflicted groups.
During the wildland fire season, he also serves as a human resources specialist, helping incident commanders in managing the operational stress of our most valued resources: wildland firefighters.
During his free time, Martin enjoys trail running with his dogs, bicycling, hiking, observing the night sky, exploring petroglyphs and historic sites, gardening, cooking, reading several novels at once, and all forms of art.
Jessica R. Simpson
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager and Associate Ombuds
Zone 2: Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and Job Corps
Jessica.Simpson@usda.gov
720-471-0072
Jessica R. Simpson is a Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager with the USDA Forest Service, Conflict Management and Prevention Center. She specializes in helping organizations identify systemic barriers, maintaining ethics and compliance, resolving conflicts, and improving emotional intelligence in the workplace.
Jessica enlisted in the Air Force in June of 2000 out of Sumter, SC. She initially joined the Air Force as an Information Manager and held several positions within the career field. In 2013, Jessica attended and graduated from the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute as an Equal Opportunity Advisor. From 2013 to 2017, she held the positions of Superintendent, Equal Opportunity and Alternative Dispute Resolution Manager at Shaw Air Force Base. Her last assignment culminated as Director, Equal Opportunity and Alternative Dispute Resolution Manager at Buckley Space Force Base where she oversaw equal opportunity operations for over 15,000 military and civilian members. She retired with 20 years of military experience in July 2020.
Some of Jessica’s interests include reading, being a sports mom, and volunteering. She received her B.A. in Psychology and M.Ed. in Education and Human Resources Studies. She holds certificates in basic and advanced mediation, and as an Associate Ombuds. Jessica holds certifications in numerous behavioral and personality assessments to include Everything DiSC, Elite True Colors Facilitator, MBTI, DiSC + Values, and the list continues to evolve.
Mario Melendez
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager and Associate Ombuds
Zone 2: Regions 1, 2, 3, 4
Mario.Melendez2@usda.gov
559-939-3468
Prior to joining the Forest Service, Mario worked for the Department of Defense (Investigations and Resolutions Directorate), as an EO Investigator. Before joining the DOD, he worked for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for thirteen years as an Investigator, Systemic Investigator, Intake Supervisor (detail), and ADR Mediator, having mediated hundreds of cases involving statutes enforced by the Commission. Mario has a master’s degree from Pepperdine University in Conflict Resolution. Additionally, Mario has worked as a volunteer Ombuds/Mediator for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve helping military service members/reservists and their respective employers resolve Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) related disputes.
Mario is married with two school age children, a dog, and the most recent addition to the family is a guinea pig. He also practiced jiu-jitsu and was an avid golfer, albeit not a good one. He enjoys the comradery more than the sport itself. Nowadays he lives vicariously through his son who wrestles at the youth level. Mario’s motto is, "helping people be in a better place than they were before they came to me/us for assistance."
Markette Murphy
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager and Associate Ombuds
Zone 3: Regions 5, 6, 10, Pacific Southwest (PSW), and Pacific Northwest (PNW)
markette.murphy@usda.gov
707-853-6191
Markette Murphy is the servicing Conflict Management and Prevention Center (CMPC) Manager for the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) and the Pacific Southwest Research Station covering California, Hawaii, and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. In Zone 3, she also covers Region 6 and the Pacific Northwest Research Station. She has 40 years of civilian service accumulated across three federal agencies. She worked 12 years with the U.S. Navy; six with the U.S. Air Force; and 22 years with the USDA Forest Service. She has held a wide variety of positions all centered on serving people and shaping a healthy and productive federal workplace to include Discrimination Complaints Counselor, Complaint Processing Manager, Employee/Labor Relations Specialist, Misconduct Investigation Program Manager, and Settlement Agreement Liaison. She also served as the Region 5 Sexual Harassment Inquiry Coordinator, Labor and Employee Relations Branch Chief, and Deputy Director of Civil Rights.
Ms. Murphy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology and is certified in multiple behavioral assessment instruments that support personal growth through greater emotional intelligence. She is an experienced trainer with a passion for helping people improve their work environment as they develop their communication and conflict resolution skills. She is also a seasoned and certified facilitator and mediator who enjoys assisting parties in articulating their interests, working through differences, and identifying solutions.
Rahwa Woldeyesus
Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager and Associate Ombuds
Zone 3: Regions 5, 6, 10, Pacific Southwest (PSW), and Pacific Northwest (PNW)
Rahwa.Woldeyesus@usda.gov
970-652-5917
Rahwa Woldeyesus is excited to return to the Conflict Management Prevention Center (CMPC) team. She is trained in and applies facilitative and transformative methods to conflict resolution, an approach which includes individual coaching, group intervention, and education and outreach programs.
Over her career in conflict resolution, Rahwa has worked in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for various agencies including U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Department of Defense. Most recently, Rahwa served as the Associate Director for Conflict Resolution Services in the Student Resolution Center at Colorado State University, managing restorative intervention services in support of student wellness, development, retention, and recidivism following incidents of conflict, conduct, and crime.
In addition to advanced mediation and Restorative Justice community conferencing, Rahwa is also certified in Mental Health First Aid. Rahwa earned a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and an undergraduate degree from Haverford College.
Rahwa loves spending time with friends and enjoys traveling, volunteering, running, and reading every possible book on human psychology and behavior.