Frank Liberti Named President

The first dispute mediation center in the state has a new boss.

The Center for Dispute Settlement in Rochester announced Thursday that Frank Liberti will take over as president and chief executive officer on Jan. 1, replacing outgoing Sherry Walker-Cowart. Walker-Cowart departure was announced last month.

A Rochester native, Liberti joined the agency as a board member in 2002 and would later be hired as the center's director of police community relations programs.

"It was important to the board that our next CEO bring a deep passion for the work of the agency and its mission and we feel strongly that Frank is the right fit," David Tang, chairman of the center's Board of Directors, said in a statement. "He has an impressive track record serving in strategic positions in both the private and public sector."

The St. John Fisher College graduate has held numerous labor relations and management positions with the United States Postal Service, where he worked on contract negotiations and other labor management issues.

Sherry Walker-Cowart

"We have so much to offer, particularly in the very polarizing times we find ourselves in," Liberti said. "We provide a safe place for people to have hard conversations. We actually believe that conflict provides an opportunity for personal and community growth, and that’s what we see all the time."

Walker-Cowart served as president and CEO for 12 years. She plans to transition into a volunteer role.

(source: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/12/22/center-dispute...)