Submitted by Dispute Resolution Center
The Board of Directors of the Dispute Resolution Center of Thurston County (DRC) has named Elizabeth Drake Ph.D. as the organization’s new Executive Director. She will step into this role on June 1st, succeeding Jody Suhrbier Leff, who had led the DRC since 2016.
Drake has been associated with the DRC since 2019, first as a volunteer mediator before joining the staff in 2022. Serving most recently as the organization’s Associate Director, she has overseen program operations, staffing and systems, strategic direction and grant-writing.
Prior to joining the DRC staff, Drake served as Senior Research Associate for the Washington Institute for Public Policy from 2005 to 2021. She holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in Criminal Justice from Washington State University, and is currently completing her involvement as a member of Leadership Thurston County’s Class of 2023-24.
Serving residents of Thurston and south Mason Counties since 1991, the DRC provides a range of conflict resolution and conflict prevention resources to individuals, families and organizations. The organization served more than 7,000 people in 2023 through mediation, conflict coaching, housing support, training and group facilitation services.
The DRC is a member of Resolution Washington, a network of 21 community mediation centers serving residents across Washington State.
