Outstanding Contribution To Diversity In ADR 2024 Winners
New York, NY - The International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR), a global non-profit organization that helps others manage conflict so that they might better pursue their purpose, is pleased to announce Ingeuneal Gray, Vice President of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), and Dr. Katherine Simpson, international arbitrator, are the recipients of the 2024 Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award.
In 2007, the CPR National Task Force on Diversity in ADR created an Award for Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR to recognize a person or organization who has contributed significantly to diversity in the alternative dispute resolution field. Submissions for the Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR are reviewed by a panel consisting of past winners, the co-chairs of CPR’s National Task Force on Diversity in ADR, and the CPR President & CEO.
Gray has championed several AAA programs that have become benchmarks for the industry in attracting and developing ADR professionals from diverse backgrounds. The Higginbotham Fellows Program provides mentorship, training and networking opportunities for under-represented ADR professionals. The Diverse Student ADR Summit introduces law students to ADR and equips students with tools, mentorship and industry-specific insights for building successful ADR careers. The Pathways to ADR Series provides aspiring arbitrators with workshops and tailored programs to help them navigate the ADR field and equip them with the skills to succeed.
“I am truly honored to receive this recognition for my dedication to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in ADR,” said Gray. “This award reaffirms the vital role of fostering an inclusive and equitable dispute resolution system. At the AAA, we remain committed to championing these values, providing all individuals with the opportunity for a fair ADR process and equal access to justice. I am grateful to be part of an organization that prioritizes these principles, and I look forward to continuing this important work.”
For the past 25 years, Dr. Simpson has repeatedly challenged the status quo, in particular the continued dominance of a relatively small club of older white men in international arbitration. Rejecting the oft-stated canard, “there just aren’t any diverse arbitrators,” she compiled ample evidence to the contrary, presenting in 2020, the European Union and Canada with a list of seventy women arbitrators who were qualified to be appointed to the Chairpersons roster for the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement. Two years later, the EU signed the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge and created a new process for appointing arbitrators to trade treaty and investor-state disputes. Later, Simpson and Nancy Thevenin published the “Arbitrators of African Descent” List of 120 qualified, diverse arbitrators for commercial cases. Simpson also made early and significant contributions to the Ray Corollary Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the selection of neutrals.
“I am deeply moved and would like to thank the judges for selecting me as a recipient for this Award. This Award honors many who have worked hard to make ADR reflect and engage all of the available talent, and it is essential that those efforts continue,” Simpson said. “In these exceptional times, I am comforted and encouraged that CPR continues to value and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of alternative dispute resolution. I am grateful to be in the company of past winners, and I look forward to continuing our joint efforts to promote and celebrate increased diversity in alternative dispute resolution.”
“Ms. Gray and Dr. Simpson both understand the importance of diversifying the field and are working toward a more inclusive community of neutrals. By developing and supporting programs that offer diverse students and practitioners experiences and training, Ingeuneal is part of the ADR community’s efforts to transform future rosters of arbitrators. Katie demonstrates that ample talent is available now and serves as a catalyst for improvement in near-term selections. Supporting the pipeline of arbitrators and increasing the frequency with which diverse neutrals are selected are strategies that CPR practices and supports. We are excited to honor both winners today for their efforts and achievements,” said Serena Lee, President & CEO of the CPR Institute.
The award presentation took place on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at the 2025 CPR Annual Meeting in Miami, Florida.
Submissions for the Outstanding Contribution to Diversity in ADR award are reviewed by a panel consisting of past winners, the co-chairs of CPR’s National Task Force on Diversity in ADR, and the CPR President & CEO.
For more information, visit the CPR Diversity Award website page on cpradr.org.
ABOUT CPR:
Established in 1977, CPR is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes the prevention and resolution of conflict to better enable the pursuit of purpose through the CPR Institute and its subsidiary, CPR Dispute Resolution Services, LLC.
The CPR Institute builds capacity for dispute prevention and resolution through the thought leadership of its diverse members – companies, leading mediators and arbitrators, law firms, individual practitioners, and academics – who share best practices and develop innovative tools for dispute management through Committees, publications, education and training, and hosting events.
CPR Dispute Resolution is a boutique provider of leading-edge dispute management services – mediation, arbitration, custom appointing services, a panel of dispute prevention specialists, and more – that leverages resources generated by the CPR Institute. The case administrators are responsive, efficient, and detail oriented, and have extensive backgrounds in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The Panel of Distinguished Neutrals is a carefully curated, diverse group of prominent, experienced subject matter and ADR professionals based in 35 countries. And CPR Dispute Resolution’s Complete Case platform, a holistic end-to-end digital environment designed for ADR, handles matters efficiently and securely. To learn more about CPR Dispute Resolution, visit drs.cpradr.org.
To learn more about CPR, visit cpradr.org.
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