Board of Directors - Bonnie Prouty Castrey, Board Chair
Mediator/Arbitrator/Factfinder
Board President, Huntington Beach UnHSD
CCS Board Chair
Bonnie Castrey received her Juris Doctorate Degree at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, CA in 1992. She attained her B.S.in Nursing, Magna Cum Laude, at California State University Long Beach, CA, 1972 and her R.N. at Edward J. Meyer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Buffalo, NY, 1964.
Ms. Castrey is an internationally recognized specialist in dispute resolution. She has assisted parties in reaching agreements through mediation in diverse industries from auto parts and construction to theme parks and transportation. She helped the parties resolve the 1984 Disneyland/Master Services 22 day strike. After a decade of distinguished service as a Commissioner with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service (FMCS), she began a private practice and expanded her dispute resolution practice to include facilitation, training, factfinding, arbitration and systems design.
In 1995 the President appointed Bonnie to a five year term as a Member of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP). In 2000, the President reappointed her as Chair of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) where she served until January of 2002. The Panel provides assistance in resolving impediments in negotiations between Federal agencies and unions representing Federal employees.
After investigating a situation, the Panel may recommend various dispute resolution procedures. The Panel also provides direct assistance such as fact finding, mediation, arbitration and/or written submissions. Final action, such as an arbitration award or a Decision and Order of the Panel, is binding on the parties involved. The Panel also has jurisdiction to resolve disputes under the Compressed Work Schedules Act of 1982.
Her private practice includes factfinding and arbitration, interest based problem solving, intraorganizational conflict management, family mediation and mediation of multi-lateral disputes in the community involving all the stake- holders. Bonnie teaches the principles of interest based relationships and collaborative problem-solving. She models those principles in her leadership style.
She specializes in employment and labor/management issues. In her three decades of neutral practice, Ms. Castrey has assisted parties in over 2000 disputes. Ms. Castrey maintains a full-time private practice in dispute resolution, mediating, facilitating and arbitrating all types of employment, labormanagement, community/public policy, and business disputes.
Since 1985, she has served her community as an elected Trustee of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. The District encompasses 3 cities, and has 6 comprehensive high schools, 1 continuation school, alternative education and adult education programs serving over 16,000 students.
She has served seven terms as President of the Board. Bonnie has also served as President of the Orange County School Boards Association and is currently a member of the California School Board Association's Delegate Assembly serving Dispute Resolution Services, Arbitration, Mediation, Factfinding, Educational Programs, Consultation, Intra-Organizational Conflict Management, Labor - Management and Community Disputes, continuously since 1987. As a result of her work in the educational system organizations, she devotes considerable time to numerous committees for the enhancement and support of public education.
As an active member of the Society of Professionals In Dispute Resolution (SPIDR), she coedited the International "SPIDR News" newsletter with her husband, Robert, for ten years, has served as Membership Chair for several years, Site Selection Chair 1992-1997, was Conference Chair in 1988, Board of Directors 1987-1992, and served as the International President in 1990-91 term.
While President-Elect, Bonnie helped to develop SPIDR's strategic plan which was implemented during her presidency. From 1993 to 1996, she also coordinated the Orange County SPIDR Chapter Mediation Week Conferences. Since SPIDR became The Association of Conflict Resolvers (ACR), Bonnie has maintained her membership.
Since 1975, Bonnie has been and continues to be, a very active member of the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA) in several local chapters. She was the Founding President of the Orange County Chapter (OCIRRA) and served a second term in 1986. She is a member of the National IRRA and was elected to a three year term on the National IRRA Board of Directors, 1998-2001.
She serves as Co-Vice Chair of the 2005 Program Planning Committee for the Philadelphia Annual Conference and is a member of the planning committee for the 2005 National Policy Conference. Since 1979, Bonnie has been an active member of the International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA) and regularly attends the International Conferences in various sites around the world.
Since 1985, Bonnie and Robert have been team teaching courses in Mediation at Western State University College of Law (WSU). They have also jointly authored published articles on the mediation process. In 1980, they taught the first group of community mediators in Orange County. Since 1965, she has taught negotiation skills, mediation skills, and arbitration at a number of colleges and universities as an adjunct professor. She also provides seminars on communication skills, group process, negotiations, facilitation, building internal capacity for dispute resolution and dispute resolution skills.
Ms. Castrey helped found and serves on the boards of directors of numerous organizations, including the California Foundation for the Improvement of Employer-Employee Relations (CFIER), The Mediation Center and the California Dispute Resolution Council (CDRC). She chaired the American Arbitration Association's Orange County Employment Mediation Advisory Council 1995-1999. She currently chairs the Center for Collaborative Solutions (CCS) which resulted from the merger of CFIER and The Workplace Institute. She also currently serves as a Board Member of the Golden West Community College Foundation.
Ms. Castrey began her career as a Registered Nurse at Harbor General Hospital while studying and receiving her B.S.N. in 1972. She then became a tenured instructor at El Camino College. From 1964 until 1975, when she was appointed as a Commissioner in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), she was very active in the California Nurses Association (CNA) as an elected Director-at-Large organizing nurses into bargaining units in the State, Federal, Public and Private Sectors. She also then prepared bargaining proposals, developed strategies and performed the contract negotiations.
She served on the Legislation, Professional Performance, Hospital Council of Southern California-CNA Liaison, and Professional Performance Manual Development committees. In 1972, Ms. Castrey was the elected Vice-Chair of the Commission on Economic and General Welfare Commission of the American Nurses Association (ANA) with the responsibility for National Policy decisions regarding Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining actions of affiliate units throughout the United states and its Territories.
In 1974, Bonnie presented testimony on the then pending Health Care Amendments to the National Labor Relations Act before the United States Senate Labor Committee hearings at the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C.
From 1965 to 1971, she was responsible, as an elected officer, for organizing and obtaining contractual recognition at 9 hospitals, 24 health departments, probation, jails and sheriff's departments in Los Angeles County.
In 1978, County Supervisor Harriett Wieder appointed Bonnie to the Orange County Commission on the Status of Women. She served on the Commission for nine years. During that time
she influenced public policy and in 1979, Conciliation Courts to mediate child custody disputes were established in the Orange County Superior Court.
She also was influential in the establishment of the Dispute Resolution Program Act (DRPA) funding in Orange County and worked with all five DRPA funded agencies through the years to assist them in initiating and maintaining successful programs.
Ms. Castrey holds numerous awards for her professional and community activities including the first Honorary Lifetime Membership in OCIRRA; three resolutions from the Orange County Board of Supervisors; Distinguished Professor of Law at WSU College of Law; Distinguished Service Awards, SPIDR and FMCS; YWCA Professional Woman of the Year Silver Medallion Award; and the Histadrut Community Service Award.
Bonnie was appointed to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), 1994, because of her knowledge and expertise in the mediation process and the design of dispute resolution systems. She served until the Agency was abolished in 1995.
She has studied dispute resolution systems in Ireland, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, England, France, Portugal, Germany and Peru.
Bonnie speaks nationally and internationally on comparative dispute resolution systems in the United States with particular emphasis on Employment/Labor Relations. In 1996, she was the keynote speaker at the annual Australian Industrial Relations Association and spoke on "Employment Dispute Resolution Systems: A Comparison of the United States and Australian Systems". Her most recent such experience was as a Visiting Scholar at Edith Cowen University, Perth, Australia in March and April 1999, and also as a Guest Lecturer at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy in January 2000.
In 1996 Bonnie was honored by the United Chinese American Association, Yulin School, for her continuing efforts to provide meeting accommodations for their Chinese school and other services at the Huntington Beach Union High School District facilities. In 2006 she and Robert were honored as Lifetime
Members of UCAA.
In 2001, Ms. Castrey was honored by the Orange County Chapter of Women For, in recognition of her contributions to the fields of Education.
Back to Board of Directors
Mediator/Arbitrator/FactfinderBoard President, Huntington Beach UnHSD
CCS Board Chair
Bonnie Castrey received her Juris Doctorate Degree at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton, CA in 1992. She attained her B.S.in Nursing, Magna Cum Laude, at California State University Long Beach, CA, 1972 and her R.N. at Edward J. Meyer Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Buffalo, NY, 1964.
Ms. Castrey is an internationally recognized specialist in dispute resolution. She has assisted parties in reaching agreements through mediation in diverse industries from auto parts and construction to theme parks and transportation. She helped the parties resolve the 1984 Disneyland/Master Services 22 day strike. After a decade of distinguished service as a Commissioner with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service (FMCS), she began a private practice and expanded her dispute resolution practice to include facilitation, training, factfinding, arbitration and systems design.
In 1995 the President appointed Bonnie to a five year term as a Member of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP). In 2000, the President reappointed her as Chair of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) where she served until January of 2002. The Panel provides assistance in resolving impediments in negotiations between Federal agencies and unions representing Federal employees.
After investigating a situation, the Panel may recommend various dispute resolution procedures. The Panel also provides direct assistance such as fact finding, mediation, arbitration and/or written submissions. Final action, such as an arbitration award or a Decision and Order of the Panel, is binding on the parties involved. The Panel also has jurisdiction to resolve disputes under the Compressed Work Schedules Act of 1982.
Her private practice includes factfinding and arbitration, interest based problem solving, intraorganizational conflict management, family mediation and mediation of multi-lateral disputes in the community involving all the stake- holders. Bonnie teaches the principles of interest based relationships and collaborative problem-solving. She models those principles in her leadership style.
She specializes in employment and labor/management issues. In her three decades of neutral practice, Ms. Castrey has assisted parties in over 2000 disputes. Ms. Castrey maintains a full-time private practice in dispute resolution, mediating, facilitating and arbitrating all types of employment, labormanagement, community/public policy, and business disputes.
Since 1985, she has served her community as an elected Trustee of the Huntington Beach Union High School District. The District encompasses 3 cities, and has 6 comprehensive high schools, 1 continuation school, alternative education and adult education programs serving over 16,000 students.
She has served seven terms as President of the Board. Bonnie has also served as President of the Orange County School Boards Association and is currently a member of the California School Board Association's Delegate Assembly serving Dispute Resolution Services, Arbitration, Mediation, Factfinding, Educational Programs, Consultation, Intra-Organizational Conflict Management, Labor - Management and Community Disputes, continuously since 1987. As a result of her work in the educational system organizations, she devotes considerable time to numerous committees for the enhancement and support of public education.
As an active member of the Society of Professionals In Dispute Resolution (SPIDR), she coedited the International "SPIDR News" newsletter with her husband, Robert, for ten years, has served as Membership Chair for several years, Site Selection Chair 1992-1997, was Conference Chair in 1988, Board of Directors 1987-1992, and served as the International President in 1990-91 term.
While President-Elect, Bonnie helped to develop SPIDR's strategic plan which was implemented during her presidency. From 1993 to 1996, she also coordinated the Orange County SPIDR Chapter Mediation Week Conferences. Since SPIDR became The Association of Conflict Resolvers (ACR), Bonnie has maintained her membership.
Since 1975, Bonnie has been and continues to be, a very active member of the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA) in several local chapters. She was the Founding President of the Orange County Chapter (OCIRRA) and served a second term in 1986. She is a member of the National IRRA and was elected to a three year term on the National IRRA Board of Directors, 1998-2001.
She serves as Co-Vice Chair of the 2005 Program Planning Committee for the Philadelphia Annual Conference and is a member of the planning committee for the 2005 National Policy Conference. Since 1979, Bonnie has been an active member of the International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA) and regularly attends the International Conferences in various sites around the world.
Since 1985, Bonnie and Robert have been team teaching courses in Mediation at Western State University College of Law (WSU). They have also jointly authored published articles on the mediation process. In 1980, they taught the first group of community mediators in Orange County. Since 1965, she has taught negotiation skills, mediation skills, and arbitration at a number of colleges and universities as an adjunct professor. She also provides seminars on communication skills, group process, negotiations, facilitation, building internal capacity for dispute resolution and dispute resolution skills.
Ms. Castrey helped found and serves on the boards of directors of numerous organizations, including the California Foundation for the Improvement of Employer-Employee Relations (CFIER), The Mediation Center and the California Dispute Resolution Council (CDRC). She chaired the American Arbitration Association's Orange County Employment Mediation Advisory Council 1995-1999. She currently chairs the Center for Collaborative Solutions (CCS) which resulted from the merger of CFIER and The Workplace Institute. She also currently serves as a Board Member of the Golden West Community College Foundation.
Ms. Castrey began her career as a Registered Nurse at Harbor General Hospital while studying and receiving her B.S.N. in 1972. She then became a tenured instructor at El Camino College. From 1964 until 1975, when she was appointed as a Commissioner in the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), she was very active in the California Nurses Association (CNA) as an elected Director-at-Large organizing nurses into bargaining units in the State, Federal, Public and Private Sectors. She also then prepared bargaining proposals, developed strategies and performed the contract negotiations.
She served on the Legislation, Professional Performance, Hospital Council of Southern California-CNA Liaison, and Professional Performance Manual Development committees. In 1972, Ms. Castrey was the elected Vice-Chair of the Commission on Economic and General Welfare Commission of the American Nurses Association (ANA) with the responsibility for National Policy decisions regarding Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining actions of affiliate units throughout the United states and its Territories.
In 1974, Bonnie presented testimony on the then pending Health Care Amendments to the National Labor Relations Act before the United States Senate Labor Committee hearings at the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C.
From 1965 to 1971, she was responsible, as an elected officer, for organizing and obtaining contractual recognition at 9 hospitals, 24 health departments, probation, jails and sheriff's departments in Los Angeles County.
In 1978, County Supervisor Harriett Wieder appointed Bonnie to the Orange County Commission on the Status of Women. She served on the Commission for nine years. During that time
she influenced public policy and in 1979, Conciliation Courts to mediate child custody disputes were established in the Orange County Superior Court.
She also was influential in the establishment of the Dispute Resolution Program Act (DRPA) funding in Orange County and worked with all five DRPA funded agencies through the years to assist them in initiating and maintaining successful programs.
Ms. Castrey holds numerous awards for her professional and community activities including the first Honorary Lifetime Membership in OCIRRA; three resolutions from the Orange County Board of Supervisors; Distinguished Professor of Law at WSU College of Law; Distinguished Service Awards, SPIDR and FMCS; YWCA Professional Woman of the Year Silver Medallion Award; and the Histadrut Community Service Award.
Bonnie was appointed to the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), 1994, because of her knowledge and expertise in the mediation process and the design of dispute resolution systems. She served until the Agency was abolished in 1995.
She has studied dispute resolution systems in Ireland, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, England, France, Portugal, Germany and Peru.
Bonnie speaks nationally and internationally on comparative dispute resolution systems in the United States with particular emphasis on Employment/Labor Relations. In 1996, she was the keynote speaker at the annual Australian Industrial Relations Association and spoke on "Employment Dispute Resolution Systems: A Comparison of the United States and Australian Systems". Her most recent such experience was as a Visiting Scholar at Edith Cowen University, Perth, Australia in March and April 1999, and also as a Guest Lecturer at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Public Policy in January 2000.
In 1996 Bonnie was honored by the United Chinese American Association, Yulin School, for her continuing efforts to provide meeting accommodations for their Chinese school and other services at the Huntington Beach Union High School District facilities. In 2006 she and Robert were honored as Lifetime
Members of UCAA.
In 2001, Ms. Castrey was honored by the Orange County Chapter of Women For, in recognition of her contributions to the fields of Education.
Back to Board of Directors
