MACRO Staff

Cynthia M. Jurrius, Esq. - Program Director

Cynthia Jurrius is the Program Director of the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). MACRO’s mission is to collaborate with stakeholders statewide to promote the availability, use and quality of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) throughout Maryland. MACRO works to develop, evaluate, and consistently improve high quality and innovative dispute resolution programs, to expand awareness of the benefits and uses of ADR, and to increase the use of ADR to respond to changing community needs.

Learn more about Cynthia.


Alecia A. Parker - Grants and Strategic Initiatives Director

Alecia is responsible for managing MACRO’s grant programs, including reviewing grant applications and reports, providing advice and technical assistance to community mediation grantees, managing the post-award process and all grant payments.  In addition to grants, Alecia is also responsible for managing MACRO’s budget and expenditures.  She develops MACRO’s annual operating budget request.  She also advises the Director on budgetary issues.  Alecia is also involved in judiciary-wide activities, participating on committees and workgroups.  She staffs the Grants Advisory Workgroup of the Judicial Council Operations Committee, and co-staffs the Research and Grants Subcommittee of the Judicial Council ADR Committee. 

Learn more about Alecia.


Nick White, Ph.D. - Research & Evaluation Director

Nick works collaboratively with dispute resolution program managers in the courts as well as in community-based programs, schools, criminal and juvenile justice programs, and state and local government agencies to help develop assessment tools and procedures to evaluate conflict resolution initiatives.  Nick is managing a conflict resolution change project that is drawing on research and change models to foster positive conflict resolution decision making in Maryland.  Additionally, he is leading a team to finalize and implement the Alternative Dispute Resolution Evaluation Support System (ADRESS) which provides courts with real time data for informed decision making.

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L.M.D.D. Biggs, Esq. - Senior Program Manager

L.M.D.D. Biggs is the Senior Program Manager for the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). He is a point of contact for all Maryland circuit courts, working collaboratively with court personnel and other stakeholders to develop and enhance civil and family court ADR Programs.

Learn more about L.M.D.D.


Ellie Haight - Program Manager, Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence

Ellie serves as the Program Manager, Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME) for the Maryland Judiciary’s Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO). Ellie came to MACRO via the Circuit Court for Baltimore County, where she was a family mediator for the Office of Family Mediation.

Learn more about Ellie.


Cheryl Jackson - Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Media Resources Coordinator

As the ADR Resources Coordinator, Cheryl’s responsibilities include advancing ADR through public awareness campaigns, professional mediator development, outreach events, and collaborative initiatives. She also works on developing and executing practitioner engagement projects such as the Maryland Mediators Convention; supporting the Maryland Courts’ ADR programs; and expanding the Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence (MPME). Additionally, Cheryl manages the annual Conflict Resolution Day Bookmark Art Contest.  This contest is open to all Maryland students in grades K-8 and attracts between 1,500 and 2,000 bookmark entries each year.

Learn more about Cheryl.