The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire – Savannah, Ga.’s leading organization dedicated to helping citizens proactively manage conflict and creating a more conflict-resilient community for the past 40 years – is delighted to welcome Dr. Aimée Bellmore as the nonprofit’s new Executive Director. In her new position, Bellmore provides visionary, strategic and operational leadership while cultivating partnerships and elevating The Mediation Center as a leader in conflict resolution, trauma-informed programming and community resilience.

Prior to joining The Mediation Center, Bellmore served as the Dean of Students at The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she led a team of more than 50 professionals providing comprehensive wellness, mental health, student conduct, emergency response and conflict resolution services. A collaborative leader with a strong commitment to conflict resolution and mental health, she brings extensive experience in the public and private sectors to her new position.  

In addition, Bellmore is a licensed mental health provider in Georgia, North Carolina and Florida who has provided trauma-informed treatment to individuals seeking political asylum as well as victims of crime and human trafficking. She has been an active member and volunteer with the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies since 2014, contributing as a scholar, presenter, researcher, teacher and practitioner. Bellmore is fluent in Spanish and, early in her career, worked at the Georgia Department of Corrections, where she earned a special Certificate of Recognition for developing and implementing a behavioral treatment program for female inmates living with serious mental illness.

Prior to moving to Savannah, Bellmore served as an Associate Professor, Department Chair and Faculty Senate Chair at Pfeiffer University, where she earned the prestigious Webb Award for Excellence in Teaching. She also worked as a Visiting Professor at the Jiangsu University of Technology in China and as an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of the Virgin Islands. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Aimée Bellmore to The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire and are confident that she has the experience, passion, expertise and commitment to help us take our community-based programming to even higher levels of success in the future while strengthening our partnership with the local courts in providing mediation services,” said The Mediation Center’s Board Chairman David Purvis. “As we celebrate The Mediation Center’s 40th anniversary throughout 2026, we will continue to develop programming and expand partnerships to meet the growing needs of the community."

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Bellmore earned a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Research from Portland State University, an M.A. in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University and a B.S. in Environmental Education from Lesley University. She is an active member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Psychological Association, the Global Institute of Forensic Research and the American Counseling Association and currently resides in Thunderbolt, Ga.