CDR welcomed 
a new Program Associate, Emily Zmak, to the team in the Fall of 2018. Emily brings to CDR a background in active- and post-conflict contexts, in the Middle East, Central Asia, and sub-saharan Africa, and specializes in natural resource disputes. She holds an M.A. in Conflict Resolution from the University of Denver.
Emily has supported several CDR projects, including preparing for a land dispute workshop in Zimbabwe, co-facilitating the Thornton City Council’s Strategic Planning Conference, and public engagement for the I-25 Central PEL in downtown Denver. The stretch of I-25 Central–the same stretch Emily lives along!–has the highest average daily traffic in all of Colorado, and traffic continues to worsen with significant residential and economic development in the metro Denver area. “It’s really interesting to work on a project that impacts my day-to-day life,” Emily said, “and yet have the perspective of a neutral facilitator.”
But Emily’s favorite project at CDR, so far? “I loved facilitating for Historic Georgetown–helping the Board tackle abstract ideas and concerns into actionable items,” she said. “It was super rewarding to help them reach a concrete to-do list.” [See here for more details about the Georgetown project]
Outside of the office, Emily is an avid traveller, a rudimentary Russian speaker, an amateur painter, and an expert at burning dinner. Originally from British Columbia, she is always looking for new places to explore in Colorado–so feel free to reach out to her at ezmak@mediate.org with any recommendations.