About CMSMC
Community Mediation of St. Mary’s County has provided mediation services to Southern Maryland since 2001. We are sponsored through a grant from the Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO) and donations from our community, which keep our services free.
Board of Directors
Mia Bowers, Executive Director
Angela Bennings, Program Manager
Joshua Brewster, President
Joshua joined the board in 2014 with the intention of increasing awareness of the Center and the benefits of alternative dispute resolution, especially within the legal community of St. Mary’s County. Joshua is an employment and social security attorney with experience in mediating employment disputes. He frequently mediates disputes before the District Court of Maryland.
Kat McClernan, Vice President
Kathleen McClernan was born and raised in Maryland. She is a 2004 graduate of the University of Arizona and a 2007 graduate of the University Of Baltimore School Of Law. Mrs. McClernan began her professional career as an attorney with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in 2007. She first served in St. Mary’s County where she defended over 4,000 criminal and traffic cases. She is now a private attorney handling cases involving a wide range of topics from criminal to family law in both District and Circuit Court. Kathleen McClernan volunteers her spare time as the President of the St. Mary’s County Bar Association and as the Mock Trial Coach for Leonardtown High School.
Michael Blackwell, Secretary
Michel Blackwell is the Director of St Mary’s County Library. Michael has over 20 years’ experience in libraries. He enjoys this work for the same reason that he is interested in community mediation: promoting a stronger community through understanding, self-awareness, and life-long learning. Michael and his wife Lisa, who is also a librarian, relocated to St Mary’s County in 2015. They live in Tall Timbers and are enjoying making our county their new home. When not at work or engaged in the community, Michael enjoys cycling, sailing, cooking, and of course, reading.
John Roberts, Treasurer
John and his wife Karen are the founders of Community Mediation. He has served as the Treasurer since inception and has remained very active as a mediator, trainer, and fundraiser.
John Weiner, Director
In 2016, we welcomed John Weiner to join our Board of Directors. John has been practicing law since 1976 and has his own firm in Leonardtown, Md. He actively volunteers with several charities in the Southern Maryland area including Christmas in April, St. Mary’s County Inc. and the WARM program for homeless individuals.
John received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law and has a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Maryland College Park.
Sharon Weiner, Director
Sharon is a retired educator after 36 years of elementary teaching in Baltimore City and St. Mary’s County. She is the owner of a jewelry, gift and art gallery in Leonardtown, Md where she has a line of her own painted jewelry. Sharon is active in a number of charitable organizations and a welcome member to our Board of Directors.
Sharon received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Maryland College Park and her Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University.
Angela Bennings, Program Manager
Joshua Brewster, President
Joshua joined the board in 2014 with the intention of increasing awareness of the Center and the benefits of alternative dispute resolution, especially within the legal community of St. Mary’s County. Joshua is an employment and social security attorney with experience in mediating employment disputes. He frequently mediates disputes before the District Court of Maryland.
Kat McClernan, Vice President
Kathleen McClernan was born and raised in Maryland. She is a 2004 graduate of the University of Arizona and a 2007 graduate of the University Of Baltimore School Of Law. Mrs. McClernan began her professional career as an attorney with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender in 2007. She first served in St. Mary’s County where she defended over 4,000 criminal and traffic cases. She is now a private attorney handling cases involving a wide range of topics from criminal to family law in both District and Circuit Court. Kathleen McClernan volunteers her spare time as the President of the St. Mary’s County Bar Association and as the Mock Trial Coach for Leonardtown High School.
Michael Blackwell, Secretary
Michel Blackwell is the Director of St Mary’s County Library. Michael has over 20 years’ experience in libraries. He enjoys this work for the same reason that he is interested in community mediation: promoting a stronger community through understanding, self-awareness, and life-long learning. Michael and his wife Lisa, who is also a librarian, relocated to St Mary’s County in 2015. They live in Tall Timbers and are enjoying making our county their new home. When not at work or engaged in the community, Michael enjoys cycling, sailing, cooking, and of course, reading.
John Roberts, Treasurer
John and his wife Karen are the founders of Community Mediation. He has served as the Treasurer since inception and has remained very active as a mediator, trainer, and fundraiser.
John Weiner, Director
In 2016, we welcomed John Weiner to join our Board of Directors. John has been practicing law since 1976 and has his own firm in Leonardtown, Md. He actively volunteers with several charities in the Southern Maryland area including Christmas in April, St. Mary’s County Inc. and the WARM program for homeless individuals.
John received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law and has a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Maryland College Park.
Sharon Weiner, Director
Sharon is a retired educator after 36 years of elementary teaching in Baltimore City and St. Mary’s County. She is the owner of a jewelry, gift and art gallery in Leonardtown, Md where she has a line of her own painted jewelry. Sharon is active in a number of charitable organizations and a welcome member to our Board of Directors.
Sharon received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Maryland College Park and her Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University.
Our Partnerships
We offer mediation services to school staff, parents and students for conflicts involving attendance and individual education plans.
Mediators provide and alternative dispute resolution services to individuals participating in court cases. They assist in diverse legal actions, including unsatisfactory services, unpaid accounts, return of deposits and claims for damages.
The State’s Attorney in St. Mary’s County refers minor cases to the Center for mediation. Experience with these cases has been very positive, giving participants the opportunity to deescalate their conflict and resolve their differences outside the criminal court system.
Our partnership with the Sheriff’s Department focuses on early intervention. Deputies carry tear-off pads of mediation referral sheets that they offer to residents involved in family or neighborhood conflict.
Upon referral from the Circuit Court Family Services Coordinators in St. Mary’s and Calvert Counties, specially trained mediators help parents, children, Department of Social Services (DSS) representatives, and their respective attorneys have constructive conversations in support of family and foster care issues, permanency planning and termination of parental rights (TPR).
