FOR A GOOD CAUSE -- Problem solved

Amy R. Spurgeon

Not many people can say they have settled the differences of quarrelsome

neighbors, unhappy co-workers and bitter divorcees in as little as 35

minutes.

But they aren’t Barbara Echan, a volunteer mediator at The Mediation

Center in Costa Mesa.

“She is a natural peacemaker,” said Susan J. Atkinson, the center’s

director of program development. “She has a natural ability to handle

highly emotionally charged issues and bring them to resolution.”

Echan, a Costa Mesa resident and former Orange County law enforcement

officer, has spent the last four years helping people at odds solve their

differences. She has even financed her own training to better serve those

seeking help at the nonprofit organization.

Echan has helped resolve a variety of disputes, from those between

tenants and landlords to employers and employees.

But animal issues are her thing. Especially barking dogs.

“Communication is almost always the issue,” Echan said of the bickering

neighbors she helps. “It’s not counseling. It’s identifying issues and

helping people find ways to negotiate.”

Echan’s 90% resolution rate puts her in high demand. Officials at the

center are quick to praise her work.

“She is so well-rounded,” Atkinson said. “She was last year’s mediator of

the year.”