Staff and Board Leadership (OLD)

Advoz is committed to helping those in challenging life situations–whether involved in conflict or impacted by violence. Our skilled staff and volunteers offer conflict resolution and restorative justice services based out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania that have been recommended again and again by thousands who have participated since 1980. Advoz is overseen by a dedicated staff including:

Chris Wenden,
Executive Director
chrisw@advoz.org

Chris Wenden was originally born in Sydney Australia. He has headed up a number of non-profits in Lancaster County and holds an MBA in Non-profit and Executive Leadership. Chris is married to Michelle, a Lancaster County native, and they have two children through adoption and have been foster parents for three others. Chris has developed a unique perspective on reconciliation as he has journeyed through the process of building relationships between his adopted children and their birth families. Chris is excited for the challenge of leading Advoz as we continue to work toward changing futures for individuals and the larger community.

Photo of Addrienne — Addrienne Whitfield, Office Manager
addrienne@advoz.org

Addrienne, is the friendly voice of Advoz, working in the organization since 2019 as administrative assistant and now office manager. She joins Advoz from the travel and service industry with extensive customer service and organizational skills. On any given day, you’ll find Addrienne directing inquiries for mediating disputes, inviting volunteers to work an event or getting fair deals with our vendors. Addrienne enjoys spending time with family and friends, where she already has achieved peacemaker status. In her free time, you’ll find her at music concerts or escaping to the beach. We’re excited to have Addrienne contribute to Advoz’s present and future as she keeps our office humming — with an extra-friendly voice.

Chris Fitz
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Training & Business Development
chris@advoz.org

Chris studied and worked in conflict resolution, program management, and fund development for 25 years and now leads the development of strategic partnerships, training and business development for Advoz. He began with the organization in 2014 as the Center for Community Peacemaking’s executive director before its merger with Conflict Resolution Services (formerly Lancaster Mediation Center) in 2017. Previously, he founded and led two campus-based mediation programs and has studied and worked in community-based conflict transformation efforts in the US, Northern Ireland and Croatia, earning his M.A. at the Universitat Jaume I (Castellon, Spain). More recently he nurtured interest in arts-based approaches to transforming conflict with improvisation and applied theatre. Chris shares a bustling bilingual and musical household in Marietta, PA with his wife and two children.

Krista Rittenhouse
Director of Restorative Justice
krista@advoz.org

Krista got involved with Advoz training and volunteering in Restorative Justice Conferencing in 2019. But she went beyond the call of duty by successfully reaching dozens of case participants on the phone. Now the director for restorative conferencing, she coordinates and coaches facilitators on 150+ cases of harm each year. Krista graduated from Eastern Mennonite University in 2014, studying peacebuilding, development and Spanish, with an interest in restorative justice. She comes to Advoz with a range of experience in social services, mission work and retail management. Krista is excited to help people heal relationships and invest in Lancaster city youth. She is an avid runner and loves rock climbing, board games, and sharing food with friends.

Matthew van Heesewijk
Operations Intern, Elizabethtown College

Lydia Tamrat
Restorative Practices Case Manager
lydia@advoz.org

Matthew was born in Arnhem, Netherlands, and has also lived in India, Indonesia, and Tanzania, before moving to the U.S. at the age of six. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Sociology-Anthropology with a concentration in Criminology at Elizabethtown College. He became interested in restorative justice and Advoz through a class at the college taught by Chris Fitz. He is passionate about helping others and creating positive change in the community. He loves to play soccer, spend time with friends and family, watch documentaries and do photography and drawing in his free time.

Lydia was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She recently graduated from Messiah University as a Peace and Conflict Studies major. She got involved with Advoz through a year of service program called the Shalom Project. Lydia is passionate about restorative justice, peace and creating bridges between people. Some other passions include history, interfaith dialogue, and theology. In her free time, she likes to knit, paint, upscale clothes/furniture, and watch cartoons.