Cordover Receives FACP Inaugural Visionary Award
At the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals‘ (FACP) 8th Annual Conference, Family Diplomacy managing attorney Adam B. Cordover was awarded the inaugural Visionary Award. The FACP presented this award to recognize Cordover’s work in developing, co-chairing, and co-instructing the inaugural FACP Leadership Institute.
FACP Leadership Institute
In 2014, Cordover graduated the first ever Leadership Academy of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. Since that time, he dreamed of bringing a similar program to Florida.
In 2018, he proposed to the Board of the FACP a one-year intensive course of study to develop future leaders of Collaborative Practice. Collaborative Practice is an interdisciplinary form of out-of-court dispute resolution where professionals work with families in a private, goal-oriented, non-adversarial method. It is an alternative to traditional court-based divorce and other family law matters.
Orlando psychologist Deborah Day and Barrie, Ontario lawyer Brian Galbraith joined Cordover to build the program. As conceived, it would come to consist of three in-person meetings (though, due to current times, the last meeting was held via Zoom) throughout the year, and bi-monthly webinars led by leaders of Florida and International Collaborative communities. Participants (who would come to be known as “Fellows”) of the Leadership Institute would be expected to present a workshop at an FACP conference.
In 2019, the Leadership Institute would begin accepting applications in what would turn out to be a competitive process. Not all applicants who applied were accepted. And because of the intense work requirement and schedule of the Leadership Institute, not all professionals who started the program graduated.
Leadership Institute Graduates
During the 2020 FACP Conference, the Leadership Institute graduates were announced:
- Tammy Berman, LMHC of Collaborative Law Professionals of South Florida
- Wendy Coughlin, Ph.D. of Tampa Bay Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Natalya Evans, Attorney of Next Generation Divorce
- Rebecca Fischer, Attorney of Collaborative Family Law Institute
- Kelly Forst, Attorney of Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida
- Ari Harper, CPA of South Palm Beach County
- Rick Hoagland, CPA of Palm Beach Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Belinda Lazzara, Attorney of Tampa Bay Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Tiffany Loris, Attorney of Brevard Collaborative Association
- Lynette Mancuso, Attorney of Sarasota Collaborative Family Law Professionals
- Banda Nadeau, Attorney of Collaborative Family Law Group of Northeast Florida
- Lizette Reboredo, Attorney of Collaborative Family Law Institute
- Christen Ritchey, Attorney of South Palm Beach County
- Christopher Sprysenski, Attorney of Collaborative Family Law Group of Central Florida
- Matthew Thatcher, Attorney of Next Generation Divorce
The graduates have already gone on to become presidents and co-chairs of Collaborative Practice Groups, co-chairs of various statewide and local committees, and enthusiastic leaders of the movement to help families resolve disputes in a better way.
Conclusion
Cordover is grateful to have worked with such fine leaders in the Florida Collaborative community. He is humbled by the recognition of the inaugural FACP Visionary Award.
