AFCC OH Annual Conference 2026

Ohio Chapter of AFCC

2026 Innovations Conference

April 10, 2026

 5.5 CLEs/CEUs Approved

Link for Hotel Block at the Hampton Inn & Suites Columbus Polaris

9:00 – 12:00 PM

When DV Shapes the Case: Multidisciplinary Considerations

Mindy Mitnick explores how domestic violence affects custody cases, focusing on the nature, context, and impact of allegations and evidence. This session highlights what attorneys, judges, coaches, evaluators, mediators, and mental health providers in Ohio can do to assess and respond in ways that protect children’s safety and developmental needs. Include the fine line of advocacy on both sides of DV cases.

12:00 – 1:00 PM

Lunch & AFCC Membership Meeting

1:00 – 2:30 PM

Judges Panel with Mindy Mitnik, Moderated by Judge Randall D. Fuller

A panel of Ohio judges joins Mindy to discuss real-world DV cases, what evidence is most persuasive, and how courts apply best interest factors in practice in Ohio.

2:45 – 4:00 PM

Legislative Update

 SB 174: Potential Changes to the Allocation of Parenting Rights and Responsibilities

• Shawn Welch, The Ohio Judicial College

Dispute Resolution Services

 Settlement Week

• Judge Fuller, Delaware County Court of Domestic Relations

• Cassandra Munoz & Karissa Dodge, Franklin County Court of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch

Neutral Evaluation

• Larry McQuain, Delaware County Court of Domestic Relations

• Patricia O'Malley, Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations

Coaching

• Laura Bradford, Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations

• Amy Armstrong, Delaware County Court of Domestic Relations

• Wendi Stern, The Center for Family Resolution

Disclosure meetings

• Jamie Niesen, Niesen Resolution Services

• Laura Bradford, Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations

About the Speakers

Presenter Bios

Mindy Mitnick, Ed.M., is a Licensed Psychologist practicing in Minneapolis. She received a Master of Education from Harvard University and a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota. She specializes in complex custody cases, working as an evaluator, coach, and parenting consultant. Ms. Mitnick has trained professionals throughout the country about developmental issues in parenting schedules, effective interventions in high-conflict divorce, assessing allegations of sexual abuse during divorce disputes, and the use of expert witnesses in divorce cases. She is a past president of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, National Association of Counsel for Children, the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, the Ontario Office of the Children's Lawyer, and numerous statewide training conferences. Ms. Mitnick served on the Minnesota Supreme Court Task Force on Parental Cooperation and the American Bar Association working group to update guidelines for child witnesses in criminal cases.

 Amy Armstrong, LISW-S, is a pioneer in bringing innovative conflict resolution practices to the arena of family law and beyond. Amy founded The Center for Family Resolution (CFR) in Columbus, Ohio, to support families experiencing high conflict during separation and divorce. Trusted by family law professionals nationwide, the team of 7 coaches at CFR offers welcome relief for parents with even the most heated challenges, including domestic violence and parent-child contact problems. Amy also leads the co-parent coaching program at the Delaware, Ohio Domestic Relations Court and trains coaches as Director of Education at The Center for Coach Development, an authorized training program of the International Coaching Federation.

Laura J. Bradford is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She has worked in the Dispute Resolution Department of the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations since October 2016. Her practice focuses on court-ordered child custody evaluations, mediation, and Neutral Evaluation sessions. Laura regularly testifies in contested custody cases and helps facilitate parenting classes for co-parents. She has received training for the basic mediation, 40-hour advanced mediation, and 14-hour domestic abuse issues. In 2019, she completed the Introductory Collaborative Practice Training. Prior to joining the Court, Laura worked as a Licensed Professional Counselor at Lighthouse Youth Services, providing in-home family therapy. She is a graduate of Georgetown College and Cincinnati Christian University.

 Judge James W. Brown has served as a Judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch since December 2014.  Prior to taking the bench, James was a sole practitioner representing parties in domestic relations and juvenile matters for thirty-two years. Since taking the bench, Judge Brown has been appointed to and served on various committees, including the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee on Domestic Violence, Vice President of the Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges. Judge Brown is also a Member of the 1st Fellowship of Judges addressing domestic violence through the Judicial Engagement Network/NCJFCJ; Member of Franklin County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board and Member to the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges’ Family Violence and Domestic Relations Advisory Committee. Judge Brown spearheaded the creation of the Franklin County Family Protection Center.  The Center has been providing assistance to the survivors of domestic violence since March 2021.  Judge Brown received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The Ohio State University, B.A. ’79 and J.D. ’82.

Karissa Dodge is Supervisor of the Dispute Resolution Department at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Divisions. She began her career with the court as a staff mediator when the department was formerly known as the Mediation Department. Since then, the court has expanded the dispute resolution options available to parties to help manage and resolve cases in a timely manner, including parenting coordination, neutral evaluation, and settlement week. She also serves as a board member of the Ohio Chapter of AFCC and is the chair of the Communications Committee.

Judge Randall D. Fuller took office in 2017 as the first Judge of the newly unified Common Pleas Court of Delaware County, Ohio, Domestic Relations Division. Judge Fuller currently serves as President-Elect of the Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Supreme Court Judicial College and on the Executive Committee of the Ohio Judicial Conference. He serves on several Ohio Judicial Conference committees including Domestic Relations Law and Procedure, Legislative, and the Judicial Advisory Group (JAG). Judge Fuller is Immediate Past President of the Ohio Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, an international organization. Judge Fuller is also a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution.  Fuller has presented on several topics on behalf of the Ohio Judicial College to Domestic Relations Judges and Magistrates. He also assists with the training of new judges and serves as a mentor to a new Ohio judge. He has testified several times before the Ohio House of Representatives, Civil Justice Committee and Criminal Justice Committee, and the Ohio Senate, Judiciary Committee; on behalf of the Ohio Judicial Conference and the Ohio Association of Domestic Relations.  Judge Fuller, a native of Delaware County, graduated from The Ohio State University and the University of Toledo, College of Law. He began his second term as the Delaware County Domestic Relations Judge in January 2023.

Marya Cody Kolman is the Manager of the Dispute Resolution Section of the Supreme Court of Ohio and an adjunct instructor in mediation and dispute resolution at both the Moritz College of Law and Capital University Law School. Previously she was the Supervisor of Mediation Services for the Franklin County Ohio Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court and a mediator and attorney in private practice. Marya was a member of the taskforce that updated the Model Standards for Family and Divorce Mediation in 2025.    Marya is a current member and past president of the Association for Conflict Resolution Board of Directors and a member of the Board of Director of the Ohio Chapter of the Association for Family and Conciliation Courts. She holds a law degree from Yale Law School and an undergraduate degree in social work from Penn State.

Judge Cynthia Martin serves on the Greene County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, bringing over three decades of legal expertise to the bench. Prior to her election to the Court in 2021, Judge Martin served as the Court’s Chief Magistrate for 15 years, where she established a reputation for the fair and efficient resolution of complex family law matters. Throughout her career, Judge Martin has been a dedicated advocate for judicial excellence and domestic relations policy. She currently serves as a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio’s FLRI Subcommittee and as the Program Coordinator for the AFCC Board. Her leadership experience includes serving as President of the Greene County Bar Association and contributing to the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Custody Evaluator Standards Workgroup. A graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law (1992), Judge Martin has also shared her expertise with the next generation of legal professionals as an Adjunct Professor of Appellate Practice. Her extensive background—ranging from private practice to her service in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office—underscores her deep commitment to the families and citizens of Greene County.

Judge Denise McColley, retired was judge of the Henry County Family Court from 2005 through 2022. Prior to her election, she served as magistrate of Henry County and Fulton Couty Common Please Courts for eight years, and prior to that, engaged in private practice for fifteen years.  During her career she has held many positions in law-related organizations.  She is a former president of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), the Henry County Bar Association, and the Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges.  She was also a member of the Ohio Taskforce for Family Law and Children, the Ohio Lawyer’s Assistance Program Judicial Advisory Group, the Ohio Judicial College Board of Trustee, the American Bar Association Pro Bono Child Custody Project Advisory Committee, the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges Board and the Ohio State Bar Association’s Board of Governors and House of Delegates. 

Magistrate Larry McQuain serves as the Court Administrator for Judge Randall Fuller at the Common Pleas Court of Delaware County, Ohio, Domestic Relations Division. He has been appointed to the bench as a Magistrate in the Delaware County Domestic Relations Division, having previously served in this capacity in the Franklin County Domestic and Juvenile Courts. A new Neutral Evaluation Program has been developed by Judge Fuller, and Mr. McQuain has assisted in the pilot project and serves as a neutral evaluator. Mr. McQuain practiced law in the private sector and has served as Guardian ad litem representing children’s best interests. Mr. McQuain is a seasoned Administrator with experience as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Franklin County Auditor’s Office and former Director of Real Estate and Mediation. While at the Auditor’s office, he spearheaded several initiatives including development of a mediation program on property valuation disputes, which was the first in the State of Ohio under Auditor Clarence Mingo. He also was heavily involved in creating an Employee Recognition Program for the office. He is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), Ohio Association for Court Administration (OACA), the Delaware County Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and Columbus Bar Association. He is also a travel baseball coach and proud father of two amazing children, Ryan and Logan.

Cassandra Munoz serves as the Director of Court Services for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Divisions. In this role, she provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for eight departments that support the court’s daily operations and service delivery to the public. Mrs. Munoz has more than twenty years of experience in the criminal justice system. Prior to her current role, she served with the Franklin County Municipal Court, Department of Pretrial and Probation Services, where she supervised specialized units and led operational and programmatic initiatives. As manager of the Domestic Violence Unit, she led the implementation of evidence-based risk assessment tools and helped develop specialized programming and high-risk case response strategies.

She is a faculty instructor for the Ohio Judicial College and a Certified Court Manager. Mrs. Munoz also serves as faculty for the Certified Court Manager (CCM) and Certified Court Executive (CCE) programs, contributing to the professional development of court leaders. She holds state and national certifications as a defensive tactics instructor and has presented for numerous professional organizations, including the Ohio Chief Probation Officers Association, the American Probation and Parole Association, and the Battered Women’s Justice Project. Mrs. Munoz holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration. She is an active member of the Ohio Association for Court Administration and the National Association for Court Administration and currently serves on the Ohio Association of Court Administrators Board. She also contributes to several collaborative initiatives and advisory groups focused on improving justice system coordination and service delivery within the community.

 Jamie C. Niesen, MA, MS, Niesen Resolution Services, Worthington, Ohio.  Jamie Niesen has fifteen years’ experience serving children and families within a psycho-legal role.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and criminology and master’s degree in forensic psychology with an emphasis in child and family evaluation from the University of Denver.  She has practiced in a variety of settings including correctional facilities, the District Attorney’s office, and private practice providing forensic evaluation and clinical therapy.  Ms. Niesen has worked with both criminal and domestic courts and child services agencies in Texas, Colorado, California, Illinois, and Ohio. 

In 2020, Ms. Niesen founded Niesen Resolution Services, LLC, which provides evaluation, counseling, coaching and other alternative dispute resolution services to clients in several counties throughout Ohio.  In addition to her practice, Ms. Niesen acts as a mental health neutral for the Neutral Evaluation process in Delaware County Domestic Relations Court.  She is an active member of the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA), the Central Ohio Academy of Collaborative Divorce Professionals (COACDP), and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).  Ms. Niesen provides presentations and training in complex trauma, parent/child attachment, and parent child contact problems to several agencies and programs.  Ms. Niesen’s overarching goal is to create accessible services to clients challenged by systemic barriers. 

Patricia O’Malley has served as a Magistrate for the Hamilton County Court of Domestic Relations since October 2021 and as Director of the Court’s Dispute Resolution Department since January 1, 2023. In her role, she acts as a mediator and neutral evaluator while overseeing a team of eleven social workers, counselors, magistrate mediators, and support staff. Patricia has presented on dispute resolution processes for the Ohio Association of Magistrates, the Cincinnati Bar Association, and the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. She also contributed to the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Parenting Coordinator Toolkit committee. Before joining the Court, Patricia practiced family law and general civil litigation in private practice, served as in-house corporate counsel, and worked as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals, 1st District, San Francisco, California. She earned her B.A. in English with honors from UCLA in 1992 and her J.D. from UC Law San Francisco in 1996. Patricia was admitted to the California Bar in 1996 and the Ohio Bar

Wendi Stern is a family mediator, divorce mediator, an ACC Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, PCI Certified Parent Coach, parenting coordinator, and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® with The Center for Family Resolution. She has extensive training and experience working with parents, teaching them how to engage in conflict and conflict resolution in a healthy, meaningful way. Wendi works with hundreds of parents every year to identify their strengths, determine the areas where they need some additional support, and co-create strategies to achieve their co-parenting goals.  Outside of work, Wendi enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and extended family. She is currently serving as President-Elect of the Ohio Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Shawn Welch is the Deputy Legislative Counsel at the Ohio Judicial Conference.  He previously served as an assistant state public defender in the Office of the Ohio Public Defender and the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission. He is a graduate of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, The University of Oxford – St. Anne’s College and Case Western Reserve University.