Crown Heights Community Mediation Center Staff
Ruby-Beth Buitekant
Program Coordinator, Crown Heights Mediation Center
Ruby-Beth Buitekant is the program coordinator for Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets (YO S.O.S.) a program of the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. She works to provide resources and support for the Youth Organizers who are training to become anti-violence community organizers. In addition to one-on-one support, she facilitates workshops, writes curricula, and coordinates the social media efforts of the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center by managing the online accounts and building the Mediation Center's online presence. She has led and founded groups focused on gender, sexual health, race, and law. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University with a B.A. in African American Studies and American Studies.
Ife Charles
Coordinator of Anti-Violence Programs
Lizzie DeWan
Operations Coordinator, Crown Heights Community Mediation Center
Lizzie has been at the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center since October 2010, when she began as an Americorps member with the New York Juvenile Justice Corps. In this capacity she worked with walk-in clients and as the office manager, and she joined the team as a staff member when her year of service was complete. As the current operations coordinator, Lizzie continues to oversee "neighbor services," manage fiscal and administrative needs, and plan community programming and events. As of October 2012, she also joined the staff of YO S.O.S. as the youth workshop facilitator. Lizzie holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University and is in the process of becoming a state-certified mediator with the New York Peace Institute.
Amy Ellenbogen
Director, Crown Heights Mediation Center
As director of the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center, Amy Ellenbogen oversees the day to day operations of the neighborhood problem solving center. She is currently focused on providing conflict resolution and youth court programming to schools and youth organizations in Brooklyn. She has worked in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles as an educator, social worker, community activist and program founder. She founded ROOTED (Respecting Ourselves and Others Through Education), a Columbia University program designed to facilitate student dialogue around issues of identity as they relate to power and privilege. Ms. Ellenbogen has a BA degree in Ethnic studies and a Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University.
Allen James
Program Manager, Crown Heights Community Mediation Center
Marlon Peterson
Associate Director, Crown Heights Community Mediation Center
Marlon Peterson is the program coordinator of Youth Organizing to Save Our Streets, the youth development anti-violence program of Save Our Streets at the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. He is also the founder of a youth mentoring program based in a Brownsville middle school named How Our Lives Link Altogether (H.O.L.L.A.!). Mr. Peterson has an extensive history in youth development, prison re-entry, and program facilitation. He also served as the youth coordinator of Families for Freedom, an immigrant advocacy organization. Additionally, Mr. Peterson received his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Ashworth University and is currently completing his B.S. in Organizational Behavior & Communications from New York University.
Derick Scott
Outreach Worker Supervisor, Crown Heights Mediation Center
Lavon Walker
Outreach Worker, Crown Heights Mediation Center
