8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 1100
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-588-5390

Testimonials

Testimonials

“Our condominium recently was fortunate to have the facilitation services of Ellen Kandell, LLC, President of Alternative Resolutions, LLC. Ellen worked closely with a small committee of resident owners and designed and facilitated a town hall meeting for our community which addressed a number of challenges, some of which were a result of Covid.
Ellen’s approach resulted in a town hall meeting that created a great deal of good will. While there were some people who had been skeptical about the town hall process and whether anything valuable was going to come from it, there were numerous positive suggestions, and everyone listened to each other. She was able to draw out the issues of concern and summarized these in a report to our board which included much needed recommendations. Over 110 participants were present either in person or remotely.
We could not have asked for a more professional, better accepted meeting. In fact, as other issues have arisen since that town hall, we have continued to call on Ellen for help in these areas. We highly recommend her serving as a facilitator.”
-Board of Directors of The Towers Condominium Association


“I really appreciated your calm demeanor and thoughtful approach throughout this process.”
-Mediation participant


“Ellen has provided mediation services to our firm on several occasions. As managing partner I participated in these mediations and witnessed how Ellen’s calm demeanor enabled me to have constructive dialogues and resolve difficult situations. In addition we have referred her to some of our clients who were having various internal conflicts. Accountants often hear about business conflicts between partners. After working with Ellen they reported successful outcomes. The prior tension in their working relationships was gone.”
-Steven Braunstein


“Ellen Kandell worked with our team to help us come together after overcoming crisis and the weight of the pandemic year. Ellen advised us and lead thoughtful conversations culminating in a retreat amongst our team that served to bring us together and help us move forward towards achieving our vision. We are so grateful for the hurdles Ellen helped us overcome, and everything we learned from our time working with her. She also provided us with wonderful recommendations to help our company succeed. She is a wonderful mediator and will be an asset to any company that decides to utilize her services, highly recommend working with her!”
-Laura Courrau


“Ellen advised on best practices and facilitated a highly contentious membership meeting for a nonprofit where I serve. The nonprofit’s membership is over 11,000 members. The meeting had approximately 200 members in attendance. It was a passionate affair fraught with risk, and Ellen performed admirably, maintaining control of the meeting. She was prepared, well-informed, brought support as necessary, and handled every aspect completely professionally. I highly recommend her for any internal dispute resolution, small or large. I cannot thank her enough for her assistance. She turned what could have been an organization-imploding disaster into an opportunity for open discussion and learning experience.”
-Haze McCrary


“Ellen Kandell and Alternative Resolutions has provided us with quite a few workshops on negotiations. A few of the workshops were under the aegis of National Science Foundation funded workshops promoting Women in Academic STEM. She is excellent, her sessions incorporated active learning and were supported by background legal and social information. Her session on negotiation was the best one we have ever had and the participants, more than 50 of them, had only the best to say about her. You have found a winner!”
-Rachelle Heller


“We hired Ellen Kandell as a facilitator when we faced the biggest challenge in our organization’s 40 plus year history. She advised and guided us in the planning and design of a contentious meeting attended by over 150 members. She facilitated that meeting with ease, managing conflicts and keeping the meeting on track to accomplish its goal which was to conduct a vote of confidence in the board. That successful vote allowed the board to continue to meet its strategic objectives.”
-Vice-Chair, Nonprofit Board


“I very much appreciate the excellent work of Ellen Kandell with my staff, working to resolve a difficult and potentially toxic work environment in a particular department. What stands out most of all is her steady, even handed wise guidance during the entire process.She provided a finely tuned structure for one-on-one meetings, mediation between two key players, as well as a productive retreat for an entire department. She moved the process along efficiently. She provided a calm and firm voice firm voice during conversations that were difficult. Ellen is clearly a highly skilled expert in the field.

Her work has provided a path forward. I can already discern altered patterns of behaviour and new discipline in communication between key players. I have confidence that tensions have been eased, individuals are more conscious of their impact, and lessons have been learned upon which healthier and more productive interactions can be built.”
-Nonprofit CEO


“I found Ms. Kandell to be an impartial, informative mediator, mindful of our deadlines and very professional, constructive and respectful. Her skills helped make what could have been a contentious process proceed very calmly instead, with a result that was satisfactory for all involved.” Government attorney


“I was a bit skeptical. I’ve been through many of these meetings in my career and a lot were just not useful. However, I thought yesterday’s meeting was extremely worthwhile. You did exactly what I think a good facilitator does – you kept us on track in a very unobtrusive way. We got where we needed to go and now the success will be in the follow-up.”
-Corporate executive


“Our large medical practice (125 physicians) had a significant internal conflict that was beginning to jeopardized the group’s cohesion. I was able to quickly consult with and intervene to stabilize the situation following the advice of Alternative Resolutions. In addition, their lead consultant followed up over the next 18 months to ensure that any similar event would be handled through a systematic approach involving a conflict management team with legal and mediation experience. The approach has since been tested with very good results. I can highly recommend Alternative Resolutions to a medical practice in need of this type of assistance. “
– Partner, Large Metropolitan Area Medical Practice


“I am a partner in a medical practice that was suffering the growing pains over 25 year of expansion from two doctors to six. With the complication of doctors getting older and the change in medical reimbursement – confusion, resentment, and anxiety reigned. Different agendas clashed. Ms. Kandell, with her intelligence, experience, talent and insight, as well as her calm and rational demeanor was able to make some sense and order out of the chaos and reestablish our relationships with each other. She was able to get the train on the track and bring humor back as well. We are so very grateful. “
– Partner, Small Suburban Medical Practice


“Your experience and expertise made the mediation the most productive I’ve witnessed. Your method for resolving the issue was clear, concise, smooth professional and warm. Something I believe the plaintiff and my company truly appreciated.”
– Divisional vice-president, large retail department store

“I am very grateful for your good work. It gave us some safe space to have a discussion and it was helpful to listen, thank you for your good advice. “
– Nonprofit Executive


Ellen facilitated a retreat for one of our teams. She took the band-aid off and provided an opportunity for the team to engage, have a difficult conversation and a dialogue. Several months later the change is like night and day. The manager listened and has made significant progress in managing her team.
Union executive


“I thank you for your dedication, your generosity of spirit and your talent. I also thank you for allowing me to ride on your ship and benefit from its mission to make good mediators. In light of your commitment and passion to educating attorneys and teaching invaluable skills, I have made a contribution in your honor to the Bar Foundation of Montgomery County.”

Click here to view letter: McMillan Metro, P.C
– A. Howard Metro


“I am very pleased with Ms. Kandell’s guidance in resolving some issues bearing on a divorce settlement with my wife. Ms. Kandell is methodical, patient and absolutely non-threatening. As I would think is the case with any good mediator, she does not take sides while insisting on both parties honestly looking at the situation. Highly recommended.”
-Private family mediation client


“You did a great job keeping the Council on its agenda which was a tremendous help to the Mayor and, I expect, a great relief to the rest of Council that the day proceeded and ended as promised. There was terrific interaction and it all went very smoothly. “
– Greenbelt City Manager


“I’ve heard only very positive things about last week’s meeting, and about the great job you did. Your efforts have been instrumental in getting this situation turned in the right direction. We’re most appreciative. “
Scott Ullery, Former City Manager, City of Rockville, Maryland


“This mediation was absolutely superb and Ellen deserves much, much credit. “
-Mediation participant


“Long story short, our combined lawyer fees exceeded $12,000, before we finally agreed to settle our affairs. The separation settlement which was then crafted into our final divorce was almost exactly what the settlement terms were, when we had you as a mediator. Mediation not only reduces unnecessary lawyer fees but the inevitable additional stress that the divorce process already produces on its own. “
-Mediation participant


“Ms. Kandell did a truly outstanding job and helped the group to generate an unexpectedly positive outcome. I give her work an A+ in all aspects. “
-Director of Recreation & Parks, City of Rockville, Maryland.


“You are a true credit to your field and we were fortunate to have you guide our direction.“
-Mediation participant


“It was rare to work with someone with the range and caliber of skills that you demonstrated in facilitation and mediation. Through your guidance, a group of employees having disparate agendas were encouraged to exercise their individualism, yet work toward common goals that they could embrace to become an effective team. Your advocacy for positive outcomes was exactly what we needed to move the initiative forward.“
-Management team leader, county government agency


“You did an excellent job facilitating our office’s strategic planning meeting — keeping the conversation on track, making sure everyone had a chance to contribute while ensuring that no individual imposed on the others. I am grateful for the way you helped me navigate through a very steep learning curve.
– Senior executive, federal agency


“Ms. Kandell quickly realized that another approach would serve the parties better than mediation and transparently tailored the process to meet the parties’ needs.”
– Dispute resolution program manager, federal agency


“Ms. Kandell’s professionalism and calm demeanor helped the parties to feel comfortable enough to have a difficult discussion on sensitive issues. She asked the tough questions. As a result the parties continue to have a good working relationship.”
– Dispute resolution program manager, federal agency


“You maintained an excellent balance between his need to express himself yet moving the meeting along and maintaining neutrality. It was a pleasure working with you.”
– Complainant’s advocate


“Your support was the major driving principal that allowed us to proceed and eventually accomplishing our intended outcome earlier this year.” -Family member and mediation participant


“I really appreciated your calm demeanor and thoughtful approach throughout this process.”  Mediation participant

Contact : 301-588-5390
Email for references.


Leave a Reply