Joy Lanzaro

Most of Joy Lanzaro’s past jobs involved some amount of communication, but after becoming a professional mediator, it became the focal point of her livelihood. “Several years ago, I worked in the Realignment and Closure Office for the former Hamilton Army Base in Novato, which was tasked with doing environmental studies and cleanup as the base was converted to a wetland area,” she recounts. “Part of my job was setting up public meetings to update local residents about the project’s progress. At one of these meetings, I met a woman who was a professional mediator, and after just five minutes of talking with her, I knew I found my calling and had to know more. As it turned out, the woman did mediation training, so that’s how I got involved.”

After completing her training, Joy gained professional experience as a mediator handling community disputes in Berkeley and working at small claims court in Hayward. In 2007, she was hired at American Ratings Corporation, where she now serves as Director of Mediation and Compliance. Joy says her role at ARC is primarily about resolving conflicts. “I help Diamond Certified companies and their customers resolve issues that arise when things don’t go as planned. In these situations, it’s often beneficial to have a neutral third party facilitating the conversation. I get a lot of fulfillment from helping craft solutions that satisfy people on both sides of a dispute.”

A resident of Novato, Joy spends her time outside of work on a variety of pastimes. “I like to go hiking, swing dancing and horseback riding,” she details. “I’ve been riding and training horses my entire life, and I actually studied horse science right out of high school. Other than that, I like reading and just having downtime.”

In regard to a professional philosophy, Joy believes in empowering people to create their own solutions. “A common mediation strategy is to create a framework that empowers clients to find their own way to resolution,” she explains. “The most satisfying outcomes in life are those we have a hand in creating ourselves, so I’m a firm believer in giving people the information and guidance they need to make good decisions.”