NMC Directors
Alysoun Boyle (Chair) Alysoun has been a NMAS accredited mediator since its inception in 2008, and is a Senior Mediator Member of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal. She has been active in the DR/CM community for more than twenty years. She has been a Director of IAMA, or RI, and of Citizen Science Australia, in each of which capacities she has had an instrumental role in governance reviews. She is a member of ADRAC and of the ADR Research Network.
Maureen Inglis (Design Committee NMC2027) Maureen Inglis works as a mediator, facilitator and coach. An IMI certified mediator she has a strong interest in intercultural situations and peace building. Mediation experience includes workplace, civil court and not-for-profit organisations. She has worked with a broad range of people from executive level through to weekly paid employees in city, rural and remote locations. In addition, Maureen’s experience includes facilitating processes such as conflict management and problem solving, counselling, planning, training and development. Her range of roles over the past several years has involved working as a Contractor for a national firm in areas such as critical incident (trauma), employee assistance programs, conflict consulting, counselling, planning, training and development. She has been on deployments across Australia. As a member of Mediators Beyond Borders International, Maureen has facilitated intercultural mediations, recently worked in East Java training University students in Mediation and Dialogue as well as training and coaching women and youth leaders in Sierra Leone.
Ippei Okazaki (Chair NMC2025) With extensive experience across remote and regional communities in the Northern Territory and South Australia, Ippei Okazaki specialises in facilitating complex, culturally diverse and trauma-informed mediation and restorative processes. Since 2003, Ippei has worked continuously as a mediator, facilitator, coach and trainer. He is a former Director of Community Justice Centres NT, has served as a Director of the Mediator Standards Board, and was recognised as a Fellow of the Resolution Institute in 2022. An award-winning practitioner, Ippei’s work is firmly grounded in community practice. He has supported people and communities affected by institutional abuse and the ongoing impacts of colonisation, and has extensive experience working with vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. He also led Community Legal Centres SA’s legal assistance response following major natural disasters, including the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires and the 2022–23 River Murray floods. His practice brings together mediation, restorative practice, cultural awareness and trauma-informed approaches, with a strong emphasis on creating processes that are safe, practical and responsive to the people and communities involved.
Ilknur Bayari Ilknur Bayari was admitted as a solicitor in 1996. She has worked for various suburban firms and commenced sole practice in 2001. Ilknur is also a NAATI accredited Turkish Interpreter and Translator. She has a prior Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Ankara and a Master of Arts Degree from the University of New South Wales. As a solicitor, Ilknur has practised extensively in property, criminal law, commercial law, retail leasing, family law and wills and probate. Ilknur regularly appears in the Local Court jurisdiction as an advocate in Criminal matters, including traffic offences as well as acting for plaintiffs or defendants in Civil Litigation.
Dr Serge Loode Dr Serge Loode is a community mediator with more than 20 years of experience in various conflict areas including intercultural mediation, restorative justice and engagement with First Nations communities. Serge works for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General in Queensland, is a director of Peace and Conflict Studies Institute Australia (PaCSIA) and teaches mediation and dispute resolution at the University of Queensland. He is also engaged in a number of peacebuilding projects in the South Pacific. Serge’s practice focuses on building relationships across difference, managing uncertainty and understanding complexity.
PROF LOLA AKIN OJELABI (Design Committee NMC2027) Lola is a Professor at the Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT University. She is admitted to legal practice in Nigeria and Australia and a nationally accredited mediator (Australia). Lola has researched extensively in the field of conflict resolution, particularly focusing on culture and alternative dispute resolution processes, alternative dispute resolution and access to justice, ethics and justice in mediation and conflict resolution and international law. Her research projects have included evaluation of the Broadmeadows Family Relationship Centre focusing on cultural appropriateness and family violence issues, the use of ADR by Community Legal Centres as a means of improving access to justice, justice quality and accountability in mediation practice, ethics and justice in mediation and an exploration of ‘reality testing’ as a technique in mediation practice.
DR SAMANTHA HARDY Dr Samantha Hardy is the Director and Lead Trainer of the Conflict Management Academy. She is an experienced mediator and conflict coach and the founder of the REAL Conflict Coaching System™. She provides conflict support to managers and leaders across the world. She also provides professional development training, supervision and mentorship to mediators and coaches who work with clients in conflict. Sam has been accredited as a mediator under the Australian National Mediation Accreditation System and is a Certified Transformative Mediator by the US Institute of Conflict Transformation. She is a Certified Narrative Coach. In 2021 Sam was awarded the Australian Resolution Institute Award for Service to Dispute Resolution for her leadership and innovation in the field. She was also awarded 2022 Conflict Coach of the Year at the Australian Dispute Resolution Awards. Sam holds a PhD in Law and Conflict Resolution, as well as other postgraduate qualifications in adult education. Sam is a well known trainer and university educator, holding adjunct appointments at a number of universities in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the USA. Sam has also published widely in conflict resolution, including her books Dispute Resolution in Australia, Mediation for Lawyers and Conflict Coaching Fundamentals: Working with Conflict Stories.
Linx Macpherson (Secretariat)