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Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County

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Awards and Honors

Diana L. Martinez and Tracy McKenney Receive Eureka Award

June 7, 2017 By CDSOC

Statewide award honors Collaborative Practice professionals

Media Contact: Gayle Lynn Falkenthal, APR 619-997-2495 or gayle@falconvalleygroup.com

(Irvine, California) – Family law attorney Diana L. Martinez and financial professional Tracy McKenney were honored as recipients of the 2017 Eureka Award, bestowed annually by Collaborative Practice California. Martinez and McKenney received their awards at Conference XII held in Redondo Beach, California. McKenney’s award was bestowed posthumously; she served as CDSOC president before her death due to cancer in September 2016.

Eureka Award winners for 2017 Diana L. Martinez (left) and Scott McKenney for his late wife and former CDSOC board president Tracy McKenney at the 2017 Collaborative Practice California conference.
Eureka Award winners for 2017 Diana L. Martinez (left) and Scott McKenney for his late wife and former CDSOC board president Tracy McKenney at the 2017 Collaborative Practice California conference.

The Eureka Award recognizes and honors those who “have made significant contributions and demonstrated an abiding dedication to establishing and sustaining Collaborative Practice in California.”

Diana L. Martinez is a committed Collaborative professional who has tirelessly served the California Collaborative community for many years. Ms. Martinez has devoted 100 percent of her family law practice to out-of-court dispute resolution including Collaborative Practice since 2007. She is passionate about educating others about the benefits of Collaborative Practice through personal contact. Ms. Martinez is a noted trainer and educator for legal, financial, and mental health professionals locally and nationwide on family law topics including Collaborative Practice, confidentiality, cultural competency, and ethics and best practices. She has presented to state and local bar associations and legal organizations, law schools and practice groups.

Ms. Martinez is a frequent guest lecturer for community Divorce Options and Divorce Recovery programs and a volunteer mediator for multiple county superior courts. Ms. Martinez has served on governing boards of Collaborative Practice regional groups in three counties, multiple statewide Collaborative Practice committees, and is a past president and current board member of CDSOC. Her dedication has resulted in “Super Lawyers” recognition and a perfect 10/10 rating in peer and client online reviews.

Eureka Award winner Diana L. Martinez at the 2017 Collaborative Practice California Conference with keynote speaker Brian Miller. Martinez also served as Conference Chairperson.

Upon receiving her honor, Martinez said, “it was an incredible surprise, and humbling honor, to receive the award this year; especially to receive it at the same time as my friend and colleague, Tracy McKenney. I’m so fortunate to have connected with those whom I consider as leaders in Collaborative Practice, education, and awareness, including previous Eureka Award winner Carol Hughes, who presented me with my award. I have so much support from the Orange County practice group, and am surrounded by so many dedicated professionals, that it makes it easy to be passionate about this work.”

Tracy McKenney was a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and Certified Financial Planner with a passion for training and education in Collaborative Practice. Ms. McKenney devoted her professional efforts to helping families during the divorce process make informed decisions. Ms. McKenney helped couples determine how their decisions would affect their family’s future including sending children to college, property ownership, and retirement.

McKenney supported Collaborative Practice as treasurer and later as President of CDSOC. She was instrumental in bringing the “Divorce Options” workshop program into Orange County colleges and guiding CDSOC toward improved training and higher standards of practice. McKenney was a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Association of Divorce Financial Planners and the Financial Planning Association of Orange County.

Tracy McKenney at a CDSOC planning meeting in 2016 prior to her illness. Photo: Leslee Newman

McKenney lost her battle with cancer in September 2016 while serving as CDSOC President. Her husband, Scott McKenney, accepted the Eureka Award on her behalf from her colleague and fellow recipient Diana L. Martinez.

“My children and I want to thank CP Cal and Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County for posthumously awarding my wife, Tracy McKenney, with the Eureka Award for her efforts in Collaborative education. I was honored to accept the award on her behalf,” said Scott McKinney.

“At her core, Tracy loved helping people.  It’s what she was all about, it was her calling. Tracy was deeply passionate about the Collaborative Divorce process as a way of getting through one of life’s most difficult challenges in any couple’s life with the least amount of stress and breakage: both family and financially.

“Tracy believed so much in the power of the Collaborative Process, and that it was her mission to spread the word throughout Southern California.  She developed educational classes and led them with her professional teammates at local community colleges throughout Orange County.  Her desire was to educate and raise awareness that there are alternatives to litigation for divorce that reduces pain and suffering for all involved.

“Tracy would be deeply honored and humbled with this award, and I know she is smiling with thanks to be recognized in the field she felt so strongly about and worked so hard to nurture. On behalf of the McKenney family, thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts,” said McKenney.

In her own words, McKenney described why it was important for her to be involved in CDSOC. She said, “Collaborative Divorce represents a significant advancement in resolving divorce respectfully. Going through a divorce is in some ways harder than dealing with the death of a loved one. It worsens when the process is dragged out through contentious, time-consuming and costly litigation in court. In so many cases, couples can avoid the damage of a court battle, even when they aren’t sure they can cooperate. Our approach makes it possible.

“Collaborative Divorce keeps decision-making in the hands of the couple. It spares them and especially their children the duress from an acrimonious divorce, preventing lasting harm, and preserving the family relationships for a healthier future,” said McKenney.

The Eureka Award is not limited to those in any particular practice or career. Previous honorees include members of the core disciplines – mental health, financial, and legal – as well as those who are not licensed in these professions.

Martinez and McKenney join a distinguished list of previous recipients from Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County, including Leslee Newman (2009), Carol Hughes (2011), Bart Carey (2012), Brian Don Levy (2013), and Cathleen Collinsworth (2015), making Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County among the three most honored regional practice groups in California.

The Eureka Award was established in 2006 as part of the very first Celebration of Collaborative Practice in Sonoma, California and actually pre-dates the founding of CP Cal. In its first two years, the Eureka Award Committee chose to play “catch up” and honored several recipients each year. In 2008, the CP Cal Board chose to limit the Eureka Award to three to five Honorees.

About Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County

Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County (CDSOC) was founded in 2003 to advise couples in Orange County about out of court options to traditional divorce litigation. Our group consists of experienced family law attorneys, licensed mental health professionals, and credentialed financial professionals, all of whom are specially trained in Collaborative Practice, mediation, and conflict resolution. Working under the Collaborative Practice model, the result is a divorce guided with respect and compassion in a non-adversarial way so families can make the best possible decisions about their future.

Filed Under: Awards and Honors, Collaborative Divorce, Collaborative Practice, Events and Training Tagged With: CDSOC, Collaborative Practice California, Collaborative Practice Education, CP Cal Conference, Diana Martinez, Divorce, News Release, Practice Groups, Tracy McKenney

CDSOC Members Honor and Remember Tracy McKenney

November 22, 2016 By CDSOC

Collaborative Divorce Solutions of Orange County members share their remembrances of their colleague Tracy McKenney, former CDSOC Board President who passed away from cancer in September 2016.

“Tracy McKenney was always, smart, positive, with an uncanny ability to summarize and synthesize all thoughts on a collaborative team or in a Collaborative meeting.”

“Cannot think of Tracy without remembering her smile and her laugh. Professional and competent go without saying but her heart and the ability to reach out to touch the people she worked with. That was her gift and I will miss her.”

“Tracy was positive. She had a great laugh and was very helpful to her (and our) clients. I have come across people lately who she helped before and who she encouraged into a non-adversary process. Her children are her everlasting testament.”

“It still feels surreal. With Tracy’s sense of humor and sense of adventure. I still feel like she’s just away on one of those amazing trips. I still see and feel her in my everyday life. I still think she’s messing with me. Like the weekend after she passed, I met a couple named Scott and Tracy. That’s classic Tracy. She will always be with me.”

“Tracy always had a smile and was a happy person and a friend to her clients. She will be missed by many.”

“What Tracy imparted to me: Tremendous kindness to help professionally, generous time was spent to teach me about finances and a wonderful gift of laughter that always put a smile on my face and still does when I think of her.”

“Tracy was always happy. When she was around it was always fun! She will be missed by all of her friends rest in peace sweet Tracy.”

“Tracy was always happy and fun. The best laugh. We all loved her so much.”

“Tracy was the ultimate professional and gave her all to the collaborative team. This she did with kindness and humor. She leaves a large hole in our lives.”

“Tracy was someone so full of life and optimism, which of course makes it more of a loss. She was innovated and had a positive approach to everyone. She will be missed but her high energy will always be with us.”

“It is so hard to talk about Tracy in past tense. She was the true expression of an authentic person with the highest integrity. A great friend who I will dearly miss.”

“If compassion is the radicalism of the world today, as the Dalai Lama said, thru Tracy was the face of radicalism in our world. Her great intelligence, wit and humor were qualities we counted on, but the compassion brought peace in the midst of loss to so many of our clients. She was a rare and beautiful person who will always be a part of us.”

“Tracy embodied all that is human; compassion, professionalism, communication; dedication to leaving the world better than she found it. Tracy was extremely comfortable to be around, made you feel welcome with her infectious smile. She left an impression and her imprint on all she met. She will be remembered with a smile and love.”

“Tracy’s compassionate spirit lives on. She was a consummate peacemaker. Her infectious smile put everyone at ease. She was dedicated to ensuring that those going through divorce knew about peaceful options. She will be missed and remembered.”

“Tracy was always cheerful and very committed to helping people learn that they could settle disputes in a respectful and peaceful way. She was the most dedicated member of CDS when it came to educating the public about a better alternative to litigation. She was a wonderful colleague and a great human being.”

“For many years, I had the pleasure of working alongside of Tracy on the CDS Board, Roundtable and Divorce Options. She was a dedicated peacemaker. Her dedication has left behind some huge footprints to follow. As we were both neutral financial specialists, we never had an opportunity to work together on cases. However, we did used to meet and discuss the financials’ role and how to improve on the work we do. She will be missed. Rest in Peace and May God Keep His Arms around Tracy and her family.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Tracy on 15 different Collaborative law teams starting back in 2009. I have also had the pleasure of working with Tracy on the Board of CDSOC for many years and as a trainer with CDEI. I came to know Tracy as a devoted peacemaker who continually modeled honest and integrity. She was consistently trustworthy, dependable and a commitment driven colleague and friend. She was devoted to all of the peacemaking process and helping families resolve their conflict out of court in a way that they were thoroughly educated on the financial component of their legal dispute. Tracy’s commitment to training for herself and other Collaborative professionals is also well documents and admirable. While I am glad that she is at peace and is no longer suffering, at the same time I am sad that the peacemaking community lost a valuable warrior. Rest in peace, friend.”

“As I embarked on my journey as a Collaborative professional, Tracy was always supportive, willing to help, talked me through things and shared her enthusiasm for the process. She was fun over drinks and a symbol of strength. She is missed.”

Filed Under: Awards and Honors, Collaborative Divorce, Collaborative Practice, Divorce and Money, Divorce Options, Financial Tagged With: CDSOC, Divorce Alternatives, News Release, Tracy McKenney

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