ElGene Ver Dught, a well known mediator with offices in Higginsville and Independence, was one of the featured speakers at Community Mediation Center (CMC), located on Pacific St., Independence, MO on April 6, 2026 where the CMC mediation group hosted the 1st weekly mediators group conference of 2026.

Mr. Ver Dught spoke on the subject: “Effective Marketing of Mediation: Thinking outside the Bun”. Over 10 local mediators from Kansas and Missouri attended this mediation conference.

ElGene Ver Dught, a past-president of the Association of Missouri Mediators (AMM) and a past president of Heartland Mediators Association, (HMA) welcomed the mediators to the conference and briefly explained the history of the weekly mediator conference, the campaign to increase public awareness of the advantages of using mediation to manage conflicts in a positive, constructive manner. ‘Mediation offers creative problem solving, generates options, empowers the participants to recognize the interests of all concerned and facilitates a process whereby the participants control the results of their conflict,’ stated Ver Dught.

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe is expected to join other regional governors (KS, IA, NE) in proclaiming April as Mediation Month in order to increase public awareness of mediation and its many benefits.

For more information, contact EIGene Ver Dught, Mediation Services of Missouri at 816-616-7513 or El-Genethemediator@gmail.com.