Employee Spotlight: Maryjo Bentley-Hibbert
Fri, Jan 24th, 2025 | by Miles Mediation and Arbitration | Employee Spotlights | Social Share
Key work trait: Solving problems
Meet Maryjo Bentley-Hibbert, an ADR manager who works out of Miles’ Houston office. She’s been working in the industry for 35 years and has earned the nickname “the fixer,” as people know she can fix email issues, computers, printers, you name it.
Maryjo started out working for mediator Gary McGowan. “He was leaving a lucrative law practice and going into mediation. Nobody knew what mediation was then,” says Maryjo. “We were flying by the seat of our pants and I kind of made it up as we went along.”
Over the years, Maryjo has worked with several mediators, including Miles’ mediators Ron Bankston, Robins Bryce, and Wiley George.
“As an ADR manager, you’re scheduling mediations, solving problems, making sure everybody is in the right place at the right time, making sure that the attorneys have everything that they need, and making sure that their clients have what they need — that everyone is happy and comfortable, and that there are as few fires as possible,” she says. The ability to stay calm and solve problems is integral to her work.
“The way my brain works is like, ‘see a problem — solve a problem!’” she says with a laugh. “When there’s a problem, I slow down. I find if I talk slowly and softly, people calm down and we can find a solution to whatever the problem may be.”
Maryjo is married to Al and has two grown children, Amanda, who’s a lawyer, and her son, Jaxon, who’s still in college. She’s also “mom” to three dogs — a one-year-old rescue, Lulu, and two chihuahuas (Reese and Zeke) who are brother and sister.
Away from the office, Maryjo loves gardening, and cooking, and has even mastered beef Wellington, a notoriously difficult dish. In Maryjo’s eyes, any “problem” is only a solution away.
ABOUT MILES MEDIATION & ARBITRATION
Miles Mediation & Arbitration is shaping the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) industry with our comprehensive professional services model that combines the expertise of our highly skilled, diverse panel of neutrals with an unparalleled level of client support to guide and empower parties to fair, timely, and cost-effective resolution regardless of case size, specialization, or complexity. For more information, please call 888-305-3553 or email support@milesadr.com.