Joe Ventola BS, CEC
Joe was referred to as “one of the top performing dispute settlers in NJ” by the director of the entire NJ AOC mediation program and was honored to have been voted Best Mediator in the 2012 NJ Law Journal Survey. He has been 
mediating and arbitrating since 2003 when he began handling matters for the National Center for Dispute Resolution and Construction Arbitration Services. Joe’s skills were quickly recognized and he became the “go to guy” for these companies when there were particularly difficult matters that needed to be handled by a skilled neutral. Having seen the impressive results and accolades, Joe decided to join the NJ Superior Courts mediation roster after completing the advanced mediation course offered by the NJ Association for Professional Mediators (NJAPM). Again, Joe’s advanced skills and impressive results became evident as he began receiving referrals from very satisfied attorneys and clients almost immediately. Recognizing his skills, the NJ Administrative Office of the Courts placed him on the approved mediator mentor list. Joe is often asked to sit in on other mediator’s cases in order to provide feedback and insight. Please see the testimonials link for a partial list of quotes from his many satisfied and impressed clients. He is a respected member of the NJAPM and currently involved in developing training courses for NJ Mediators along with programs to improve mediator quality. He is a co founder of the NJAPM r1:40 committee members of which include a Superior Court Presiding Judge, Director of the NJ Mediation Program, President of the NJ Bar Association, member of the Garibaldi Inn of Court, etc.
What makes Joe so successful? He has been called a “natural mediator”. His ability to connect and interact with people combined with his highly developed strategy and problem solving skills are the main reasons. Joe is certified in life/business coaching by the Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching. It was in these studies that he attained the critical skills needed to relate to and communicate with various types of people. Joe is able to make is approach specific to each individual’s behavioral and communication style. He understands that a substantial part of many conflicts is the clash of the behavioral styles. He is able to hone in on the underlying issues and not only resolve the conflict, but also helping to prevent new conflicts from arising. Joe has presented seminars on Mediation and the Science of Behavioral/Communications styles. He is a natural problem solver as he has a degree and many years of experience in the Electrical Engineering discipline. How is it an engineer can be a good communicator and a skilled dispute settler? It is true that many engineers lean more towards introverted personalities. Joe is one of the unique individuals who is able to call on highly developed reasoning and problem solving skills and combine them with his superior abilities to relate to various types of people. Joe calls on these skills to help the parties communicate, negotiate, evaluate risks/rewards and also consider solutions to conflicts that were not immediately evident.
Joe has a background in Construction Dispute Settlement and Engineering which makes him the obvious choice for any matter involving construction or technology. The parties in technical and construction disputes very often utilize experts to enhance their position and argument. A dispute settler with working knowledge in these areas is critical in a successful mediation or arbitration. He has received many accolades regarding his ability to understand very complex technical issues.
Joe is also a highly skilled Arbitrator. He is an excellent fact finder and is able to sift through much information and break it down to its essential parts very quickly. He has written arbitration decisions that were referred to as “better than some judges”.
The proof is in the results! Joe maintains a 55% – 60% settlement rate in his NJ Superior Court referred mediations which is approximately twice the NJ State average.
Questions or Comments for Joe: Email him at joev@vnvsolutions.com