Community Service Award 2006
Avis Ridley-Thomas—Director of Dispute Resolution, Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office

Avis has effectively used her vision and leadership skills to create and grow organizations that make a difference in promoting peace in our communities. She has served as Director of the Dispute Resolution Program of the Office of the Los Angles City Attorney for over 15 years since its inception in 1989. Under her guidance, the program has grown from four staff members to include over 1,500 volunteer mediators, trainers, facilitators and peacemakers who handle thousands of disputes annually. She also served as a civilian Hearing Examiner for the Los Angeles Police Department and an Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau and the National Futures Association.

In 1984 Avis helped establish the Rosa Parks Sexual Assault Crisis Center and assisted in efforts to establish the Loved Ones of Homicide Victims, and the Martin Luther King Dispute Resolution Center. She also formerly served as Consumer Services Coordinator and Victim Witness Services Coordinator in the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney. She chaired the California Advisory Committee on Sexual Assault Victim Services and the South Central Los Angeles Domestic Violence Task Force.

Her tireless work in the field of conflict resolution and rape crisis management has garnered her many awards and recognition, some of which include the Healers of Conflict Award from the Southern California Mediation Association, the Rosa Parks Award of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Phenomenal Woman Award from the Women’s Studies Program of California State University at Northridge in October 1996.

Avis is married to California State Assemblymember Mark Ridley-Thomas and is the mother of twins, Sebastian and Sinclair, who attend Morehouse College In her many roles, leader, teacher, wife and mother, she as been a true peace warrior, continually encouraging and teaching our communities how to heal and resolve conflict in non-violent ways. Peace Over Violence is proud to honor Avis Ridley-Thomas with the 2006 Community Service Humanitarian Award.