Melinda Ostermeyer

Director of Programs

Before joining in 2023 as the Director of Programs, Melinda worked with ADR Vantage as an independent consultant for almost two decades. She currently oversees client projects through our Conflict Mangement; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); and Organization Effectiveness consulting pratices. She supervises Program Managers and practitioners, supports business development, and provides direct client services including organization and team assessments; coaching; mediation and other conflict management processes; organization development services; team resilience and strengthening process design and delivery; strategic planning; leadership development; change management; small and large group facilitation; curriculum development and training; data analysis and report writing; and DEI initiatives.

Melinda has provided consulting services to a variety of clients and managed dispute resolution and organization resilience programs since 1984. Her expertise in designing and leading effective processes helps people operating in even the most complex organizations work better together. Melinda is known for her clear, insightful and collaborative style, her effectiveness in working with individuals at all levels of an organization, and her application of coaching and facilitation skills to help people grow individually and to move through difficult conversations to build group unity.

Melinda most recently served for 9 years as both the Senior Organizational Resilience Advisor for The KonTerra Group and the Program Manager for a contract with USAID providing a wide array of leadership development and organization enhancement services. For 11 years, she was a senior leader directing two mediation organizations that provided dispute resolution services to the courts, community, and governmental entities in Houston, Texas and at the DC Courts in Washington, DC. She has also traveled to more than a dozen developing countries helping leaders incorporate mediation into their country’s justice systems. She has coached and consulted in the U.S. and abroad with leaders and teams in government agencies, not-for-profit organizations, international NGOs, and the private sector to enhance effectiveness since 2014.

Melinda holds an advanced degree in Organization Development from Johns Hopkins University and, among other accreditations, an Executive Coaching certification from Georgetown University.

She resides in Washington, DC. where she enjoys her two dogs and practices her hand at painting.