Baltimore Community Mediation Center (BCMC) has named Erricka Bridgeford as
Erricka Bridgeford, BCMC Executive Director
its new Executive Director. Erricka has a long history with BCMC, having worked as a mediation coordinator with the organization beginning in 2001 before later moving to Community Mediation Maryland (CMM), where she has served as the Director of Training since 2005. In that role, Erricka has provided training in conflict management and mediation skills to police departments and sheriff’s offices, universities, national and local governmental agencies, and at several national conferences, and has mediated countless disputes.
Erricka also is well known in the community as the co-founder and public face of Baltimore Ceasefire 365, an organization formed with the simple purpose of encouraging Baltimore residents to put down their weapons and reduce violence for 72 hours at a time. Since its creation in 2017, Ceasefire has gained national attention, and Erricka was named the 2017 Marylander of the Year by the Baltimore Sun.
Erricka is stepping into her new role with passion and enthusiasm, and with the support of her colleagues at CMM. CMM supports community mediation centers across Maryland, and will bring additional resources and support to BCMC during this transition period. We are confident that Erricka will continue to build on the excellent foundation put in place through the Center’s 23-year history. Erricka may be reached at the Center at director@communitymediation.
Erricka replaces outgoing Executive Director Shantay Jackson, who is leaving BCMC to found EVOLVE to Lead, a consulting firm that will allow her to leverage her experience in corporate, non-profit, and government sectors to support, advise, and transform organizations in Baltimore and beyond. Under Shantay’s leadership, BCMC expanded its services to include more mediation locations, more outreach, greater visibility, and more community engagement, spearheading initiatives such as the opening of the Woodbourne-McCabe Safe Streets Center and partnerships such as the Baltimore Neighbors Network.
“We at BCMC are grateful for Shantay’s leadership, particularly through recent times of adversity relating to Covid-19 and its economic impact, and are certain that she will continue to serve the community in innovative and exciting ways,” stated BCMC Board President Ben Schuman. “We are also thrilled to welcome Erricka back into the BCMC family, and can’t wait to collaborate with her on the next chapter of BCMC’s mission of transforming conflict in Baltimore.”
Baltimore Community Mediation Center believes that relationships matter. Mediation lets people speak for themselves and make their own decisions. Mediation is an informal process done in a neutral and private setting with two professionally trained volunteer mediators. Mediations in the programs are neutral, voluntary, and confidential, and model reflective listening and transparency. Programs focus on communities, schools, and criminal justice, including prisoner re-entry and state’s attorney-referred cases. Mediation has proven to reduce recidivism by 10% for the first mediation session and an additional 7% for every subsequent session.