Committees
Conference Committee
The conference committee consists of seven members of the WIPCOD's Board of Directors. The main responsibility of the conference committee is to plan the annual WIPCOD conference, which is held in Wisconsin every Spring. The planning includes choosing a topic & locating well known national speakers to present information that is current, relevant, and many times new to our profession, and selecting a site.
Over the years, the conference committee has organized over 25 annual conventions. We are always seeking new ideas and suggestions for the conferences, including topics and presenters. For further information or if you have any suggestions, please contact the conference committee chairman, Steven Bolda, at (920) 386-3888 or by email at, sbolda@co.dodge.wi.us.
Scholarships for attending the annual conference are available. Scholarship eligibility and recipients are determined by the membership committee.
Legislative Committee
The legislative committee of WIPCOD is in charge of staying on top of purposed and new legislation that may effect the professionals who belong to WIPCOD, children, and families. The legislative committee seeks to inform those who may be effected by such legislation so they can prepare and act as they feel fit.
Long-Range Planning Committee
The purpose of this committee in the general scheme of WIPCOD is to go beyond the more urgent yearly tasks of putting on conferences and conducting the organization's business. The committee identifies trends and discusses reasonable goals for WIPCOD in the years to come. Projecting topics for future conferences, recommending future programs, such as the recently adopted "scholarship" program for helping persons new to our field get involved in the conferences at reduced rates.
The committee normally meets 2 to 3 times a year and makes recommendations to other committees or the board of directors, depending on the scope of the issues. The committee also tends to technology (website) and potential research. The committee is currently researching the effects of parent relocation for children.
Membership Committee
WIPCOD has no formal membership application process, nor is there a fee for becoming a member. Anyone attending a WIPCOD conference is added to the WIPCOD mailing list and is considered a member of the organization.
The membership committee screens potential members of WIPCOD's Steering Committee, and presents those candidates to the full committee for approval. The membership committee also presents a slate of officers (President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer) to the Steering Committee for election. Officers serve 3 year terms.
There is a scholarship sub-committee which determines persons eligible for scholarships to attend the annual conference. Scholarships are designated for students and/or new practitioners in the field of mediation who have not attended previous conferences.