Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP)
The first VORP in the US began in 1978 in Elkhart, Indiana, under the auspices of the probation department. It was quickly restructured as a community based and community funded program. Howard Zehr is recognized as the principal developer and organizer of VORP in the US. From Elkhart, victim offender mediation has spread to all corners of the US and today there are over 200 US programs.A program began in Anderson County, TN in 1987, Cumberland County in 1989, Davidson County (Nashville), Knox County (Knoxville) and Putnam County in 1993, in Shelby County (Memphis) in 1994 and in Maury County in 1996. Other communities began expressing interest in knowing more about victim offender mediation and reconciliation.
VORP of Sumner County, Inc.
Sumner County, TN, Juvenile Court Judge Barry Brown wanted some alternatives to use in many of the cases that came before him. He hired Mary Ann Williams, who had just retired from the Sumner County Department of Children’s Services, to start VORP.Ms. Williams’ diligent work in 1999 paid off and in early 2000 the first meeting of VORP’s executive board was held. Training of volunteer mediators was held soon after, and there were 61 mediations in 2000.
Sumner Mediation Services/VORP of Sumner County
In 2007, the organization’s name was changed to Sumner Mediation Services but we are still VORP of Sumner County, Inc. and continue mediating court-referred cases. As Sumner Mediation Services we are able to provide additional services, including community education and mediation of cases that are not court-referred in order to further promote the process of peace-making and peace-keeping among families and other members of our community.
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Executive Director
Doris Brocker, Executive Director
Ms. Doris Brocker began with VORP of Sumner County Inc. in 2003 as a community volunteer mediator. In 2004 she accepted the position of Executive Director.
Ms. Brocker is a State listed Rule 31 General Civil Mediator and is Rule 31 trained Family Mediator. She is an active participant in the Building Bridges Project designed to address conflict and violence at Maplewood High School and is currently enrolled in the Masters Program at the Institute for Conflict Management, Lipscomb University. Doris represents Middle Tennessee on the Steering Committee for the Coalition for Mediation Awareness in Tennessee (CMAT) and is a Board Member for the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators (TAPM).
Under Doris’ leadership, Sumner Mediation Services was the proud recipient of the 2008 Marvin Runyon Nonprofit Leadership Award for Middle Tennessee.
