"I am confident that the Commission will benefit from the knowledge and experience Judge Tyson brings to this undertaking, and I very much appreciate his willingness to serve on this important Commission," said Chief Justice Martin.

The 16-member Commission includes members from all three branches of government and serves in certifying and regulating private mediators, as well as recommending policy and rules relating to dispute resolution in the state's courts.

"I am honored by this appointment and hope to bring a practitioner's perspective to the Commission," said Judge Tyson.

Judge Tyson has served on the Court of Appeals since January 1, 2015, and previously from 2001 to 2009. He served as a recall judge on the court and an emergency superior court judge from 2009 to 2013 and 2014 to 2015. Judge Tyson has actively served as a certified superior court mediator since 1992, a certified appellate mediator since 2003, and a certified U.S. District Court mediator since 2009. He has served as an active civil and appellate mediator and arbitrator for over 25 years.

Judge Tyson graduated as a member of the charter class of Campbell University School of Law in 1979, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor of law. In 2004, Judge Tyson earned a Master of Laws in Judicial Process (LL.M.) from the University of Virginia School of Law. Judge Tyson also earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Duke University in 1988, and his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Throughout his career, Judge Tyson has worked in private practice, as corporate counsel, and dedicated his life to public service, including roles as a judge advocate for the N.C. State Guard, a special deputy sheriff, a state probation and parole officer, and a certified public school teacher. Judge Tyson also chaired the State Ethics Commission and served on the State Property Tax Commission. He is a member of the state bars in North Carolina and Virginia, the U.S. District Court Bar for the Western and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, and a member of the U.S. Supreme Court bar, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Virginia Supreme Court.

Judge Tyson is a native of Cumberland County, and married to his wife, Kirby, with four children and four grandchildren.

MORE INFORMATION
The North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission was established in October 1995, pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-38.2. The Commission is charged primarily with certifying and regulating private mediators who serve the courts of this State. The Commission also recommends policy, rules, and rule revisions relating to dispute resolution in North Carolina's courts; provides support to court-based mediation programs; certifies mediation training programs; serves as a clearinghouse for information about court-based mediation programs; and assists other state agencies interested in or providing dispute resolution services to their constituencies.