Western Insights Presents: Building Supportive and Compassionate Workplaces

Mary Sass

Mary Sass joined the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University in the summer of 2005 as a lecturer and has since become an Assistant Professor of Management. She completed her PhD in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Behavior and Development at the George Washington University in 2006.

Mary's current research focuses on the impact that individual characteristics have on negotiation processes and outcomes. In addition, she is interested in further defining types of negotiation. Mary has published in Human Performance and the Journal of Management Education.

Mary teaches courses on teamwork, organizational change and development, and negotiations. 

Moonwater

Moonwater is an experienced mediator, facilitator, and trainer, helping individuals and groups move through conflict with ease and grace. She has enjoyed teaching the art of mediation for the past 18 years and holds an MPA from Seattle University, where she specialized in non-profit management, and a BA in Psychology from Whitman College.  She is past president of Resolution Washington, the statewide Association of Dispute Resolution Centers, and currently serves on the Bellingham-Whatcom Commission on Sexual & Domestic Violence. Since 2005, she has served as the Executive Director of the non-profit Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC). In 2017, she was recognized as Professional Woman of the Year by Whatcom Women in Business and in 2023 she and the WDRC were voted Best Nonprofit, Best Place to Work and Best Executive Director by Cascadia Daily Readers. Along with her passion for the field of alternative dispute resolution, Moonwater savors time with her family, and all things sweet. 

Cori Lovejoy

As an organization and leadership development consultant and coach, Cori designs and facilitates programs that help individuals, teams, and organizations unlock more of their potential. Underpinning her work is a deep conviction that our work and our workplace cultures can contribute positively to our well-being and the well-being of humanity and our planet.

Cori works in collaboration with other consultants, as well as independently through her latest project, C. Bridge. Cori will also be joining the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University this Fall as a part-time, non-tenure track faculty member. Refer to Cor's LinkedIn profile for more information. 

Jason Kanov

Dr. Kanov earned his PhD in (organizational) psychology from the University of Michigan and has been with the CBE since 2007. His research and teaching are firmly rooted in the assumption that people matter, particularly the rank-and-file members of an organization as well as the members of the communities in which organizations exist and operate. They are not resources to be depleted, exploited, or carelessly handled; rather they have the basic right to be "managed" in ways that honor their fundamental dignity and worth as human beings.