I am a former Catholic priest who for 25 years was a an editor and writer at the Des Moines Register and other newspapers and have been an instructor in Journalsim/Mass Communications at Iowa State University. These professions, and the training that led to them, were good preparation for  training in and the practice of mediation.

I have provided victim-offender mediations for the Polk County Attorney's Office for over five years and have done various other kinds of mediations for the county attorney's office - including juvenile mediations at area high schools. Those mediations were often held in Spanish.

I also did weekly mediation sessions, through the Polk County Attorney's Office and the Des Moines Police Department, between Hispanic parents and their teenaged children - typically dealing with the cultural and generational clashes often experienced by Hispanic immigrants to the U.S.

I have mediated between landowners and their creditors, and for several years have been a facilitator in cases involving the Iowa Department of Human Services and parents whose children have been removed from the home or are at risk of removal. This practice requires setting up and conducting meetings to help the agencies, clients and their attorneys devise a plan to return children to their homes or to keep them there.  

I have mediated between landowners and their creditors, and for several years have been a facilitator in cases involving the Iowa Department of Human Services and parents whose children have been removed from the home or are at risk of removal. This practice requires setting up and conducting meetings to help the agencies, clients and their attorneys devise a plan to return children to their homes or to keep them there. 

I have mediated between landowners and their creditors, and for several years have been a facilitator in cases involving the Iowa Department of Human Services and parents whose children have been removed from the home or are at risk of removal. This practice requires setting up and conducting meetings to help the agencies, clients and their attorneys devise a plan to return children to their homes or to keep them there. 

B.A. in philosophy, Immaculate Conception Seminary, Conception, Mo.

M.A. in religion, Immaculate Conception Seminary, Conception, Mo.

M.S. in Journalism/Mass Communication, Iowa State University, Ames, Ia.

1. Introduction to Mediation, 35 hours, September, 2005, Iowa Mediation Service.
2. Restorative Justice, Confidentiality/Ethics, Cultural Poverty, 9 hours, Fall Conference, Polk County Attorney’s Office, October, 2005.
3. TruThought Training, 4 hours, Polk County Attorney’s Office, January 5, 2006.
4. The State of Mediation in the Iowa Legislature; Mediation Trends in Iowa – What Does the Future Look Like? Equitable Distribution of Property; How to Mediate in the Midst of Disrespect; 8 hours, 2006 Spring Conference, Iowa Association of Dispute Resolution.
5. Unified Mediation: Working from a Gestalt Perspective; Do the Ends Justify the Means: Ethics in the Practice of Mediation, 6 hours, Iowa Association of Mediators Conference, 2006.
6. Real Life Ethical Questions in Mediation, 4 hours, Iowa Association of Dispute Resolution Fall Conference, 2006
7. Mediation Ethics and the Unauthorized Practice of Law, 2 hours, Iowa Association of Mediators Conference, 2007.
8. Introduction to Domestic Violence Issues; Domestic Violence and Child Abuse/Neglect: Screening for Domestic Relations Mediation, 8 hours, 2007 Fall Conference, Iowa Association of Mediators.
9.  Bullying, Ethics in Mediation, Child Welfare Mediation, 3.5 hours, Restorative Justice Training, Polk County Attorney’s Office, April 4, 2008
10.  Family Team Decision Making: Preparation, Facilitation, Planning and Follow-up; 24 hours, Iowa Department of Human Services, June 2008, Ames, Ia.
11. Mediator Know Thyself, Help Parties Help Themselves and Know the UMA (Uniform Mediation Act) in Iowa, 7 hours, Conference of Iowa Association of Mediators, 2008.
12.  Staying with Conflict: The Art of Engagement and the Challenges of Enduring Disputes, 1.5 hours, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 23.
13.  Mortgage Negotiation, 1.5 hours, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 23.
14.  Ethical Practice as Family Mediators, 1.5 hours, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 23.
15.  Pursuit of What? Lessons from the Modern Study of Happiness, 1.5 hours, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 23.
16.  How Mediators Can Help Save the Planet: Stepping Up to the Plate, 1 hour, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 24.
17.  Dialogic Practices: Skills to Help Us Cultivate Dialogue in Mediation, 1.5 hours, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 24.
18.  Connecting the Dots Between Families, Courts, and Mediators, 1.5 hours, 2009 Heartland Regional Conference of Mediators, Omaha, Ne., April 24. 
19.  Emotions in Conflict: Finding Wisdom Among Distractions, 5.5 hours, 2010 Spring Conference, Iowa Association of Mediators, April 29, 30.
20.  Advanced Family Team Meeting Facilitation Training, 12 hours, May 2010, Family Team Meeting Partnership/Iowa Department of Human Services.
21.  Addressing Cultural Issues in Mediation, 7 hours, November, 2010, IAM 2010 Fall Conference