Conference Speakers

Barahona Consulting & Mediation

Kimberly Barahona, a bilingual mediator who lives and works in Spring, Texas, established Barahona Consulting and Mediation in 2018 after retiring from a long career in education. In private practice, she specializes in family cases and also works with medical billing disputes for the Texas Department of Insurance. Kimberly worked for the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County from 2021-2024, focusing primarily on youth educational programming. In that role, she has helped create Peer Mediation teams at area schools, collaborated with the Juvenile Probation program to teach conflict resolution skills to youth and their parents, and initiated a Conflict Resolution Education Team comprised of volunteer mediators who assist the DRC-MC in their educational and community programming.

Conflict Rescue®, Ask a Mediator® and Forward Mediation®

Nancy is a TMCA Credentialed Distinguished Mediator best known for her ability to supportively and efficiently help parties keep their conversation moving forward towards a possible resolution. Nancy serves on the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association Board representing trainers, is an instructor for the PaCE program at UTSA, a SHRM and HRCI recertification provider and a volunteer mediator for the San Antonio Federal Executive Board, Central Texas and Bexar County DRCs.

Azure G. Brown currently serves as the Records Management Officer in higher education and as a volunteer mediator and conflict coach in Texas and Minnesota. Azure regularly presents as a keynote speaker and panelist at industry events and conferences where she talks about the transformative nature of conflict management. Azure is known for her highly engaging approach to teaching mediation tools with the power to transform lives. Though she’s been appearing as an expert since 2021, Azure most recently shared her knowledge, insight, and experiences at the 2024 ARMA Canada Conference and the 2023 e-Records Conference. Born and raised in the east side of Austin, Texas, Azure believes strongly in the value of teaching people to manage conflict—both in personal and professional settings.

Your Divorce Made Simple (YDMS)

Amy Colton is a family law mediator and Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, as well as a Wealth Advisor. She founded Your Divorce Made Simple to help couples understand the tax and financial ramifications of their decisions during divorce, and her sessions have revealed to her new ways to approach an often contentious process.

Mann Law Firm, PLLC

David Aaron DeSoto is an attorney/mediator/arbitrator at Mann Law Firm, PLLC, in Houston. He serves as a mediator and an arbitrator in an extensive array of disputes and legal issues in civil matters and has assisted hundreds of individuals and institutions in resolving their disputes. In addition to a busy litigation practice, he serves as an ADR neutral on the rosters of several organizations. David is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars and has authored dozens of legal education articles. David also assists in educating, training, and mentoring new mediators. He is a TMCA Credentialed Distinguished Mediator

ADR Notable

Gary Doernhoefer graduated from the University of Chicago School of Law and has 30 years of experience in private practice, has served as in-house counsel for major corporations, and has served as general counsel and entrepreneur in two successful technology startup companies. His legal experience convinced him of the benefits of ADR and inspired him to apply his skills to the development of technology for dispute resolution practitioners. He is the founder of ADR Notable (a case and practice management software designed specifically for ADR practitioners), Co-Chair of the Technology Committee of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section which was recently recognized for innovation by the Section, and a frequent speaker on ADR technology.

Francell Mediations

Terri Francell, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is an experienced Human Resources Director, Consultant, Leader, Instructor/Trainer, and Mediator. She earned a BBA (Cum Laude) and MBA and then obtained HR certifications. Terri also has experience in debt and hot check collection, accounting, payroll, retail sales, union negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, as well as over 30 years in all aspects of HR from recruiting, background and drug screens, benefits, compensation, workers comp, policies, systems and administration to investigations, litigation, and company closures. Terri also serves on the TAM Membership Committee and participated as a mentor in TAM’s Mentorship Pilot Program.

Francell Mediations

Clay Francell offers real world experience in credit and collections, business management, non-profit management, safety development, training, and education. Clay’s background in education and training has crossed industries from elementary and high-school classrooms to safety training for oil field, water park, and swimming pool venues. In addition to his mediation training, Clay earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in psychology from The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Clay’s mediation experience includes mediating for the Juvenile Courts in Tarrant County. Clay also serves on the TAM Membership Committee and participated as a mentor in TAM’s Mentorship Pilot Program.

Guiden Mediation Group LLC

Brenda (BJ) Guiden, a TMCA Credentialed Distinguished Mediator and HR Consultant, has vast experience in workplace, marital, and divorce mediation. She is also an empathy listening circle facilitator and emotional intelligence consultant, emphasizing the importance of understanding and connection in resolving conflicts. As a fellow of Three C's Met Mediators Institute, Brenda collaborates with cohorts across the world, including New Delhi, Abuja, Malaysia, London, South Africa, and the USA. Her education at Louisiana State and Lamar University, combined with her dedication to lifelong learning, fuels her passion for mediation. Brenda’s signature trainings focus on workplace unity, team building, and wellness/wellbeing. Here motto is “This Too Shall Pass.”

Harper Conflict Resolution LLC

Jason Harper is the founder of Harper Conflict Resolution, LLC and is a nationally recognized alternative dispute resolution (ADR) consultant, mediator, conflict management coach, and adjunct professor. Most notably, Jason is an ADR Consultant providing mediation and conflict resolution services to over 1000 school districts and charter schools in California, Ohio, Connecticut, and Colorado. He is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law teaching on Cross-Cultural Dispute Resolution. Jason has been recognized by the California State Senate and the United States Congress for his mediation training.

Point C

Joni Jones, RN, PMH-BC is the co-creator of the Point C public educational outreach project, and is a registered nurse, a certified anger management specialist, a former certified developmental disabilities nurse, and retired member of the NJ State Board of Nursing. She is also a mediator and a lecturer on dispute resolution and issues regarding cultural competency/sensitivity and children with special needs. From 2002-2009, Joni worked with major league baseball teams to create the first-ever “Autism Awareness Day” games for the New York Yankees, the Florida Marlins, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the (then) Montreal Expos. In 2002, the National Baseball Hall of Fame honored the Lakewood BlueClaws, minor league affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, for hosting pro baseball’s first-ever “Autism Awareness Day.” Joni is the co-author of the practice support essay entitled “10 Basic Principles of Cultural Competency (BPCC): A Starting Point for New Mediators.” She has recently relocated to New Mexico and is a member of U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s Mental Health Consortium.

Lawrence R. Jones NM, LLC

Lawrence R. Jones is the author of Point C and co-creator of the Point C public educational outreach project. He is a former New Jersey Superior Court judge who served as the President of the New Jersey Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) and has authored over 60 judicial opinions on novel issues of law. He is the co-author of the practice support essay entitled “10 Basic Principles of Cultural Competency (BPCC): A Starting Point for New Mediators.” He practices mediation and has recently relocated with his family to New Mexico, where he has been appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court as Vice-Chair of the New Mexico Supreme Court as Vice-Chair of the New Mexico Statewide Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution. Lawrence also teaches Constitutional Law at the University of New Mexico.

Kathleen Ruane Leedy Mediation Services

Kathleen Ruane Leedy taught high school for 22 years, has her Masters in Education, and is an international mediation trainer through Phoenix Dispute Solutions, CIArb, CMC, CMTP, as well as a mediator/trainer in twelve states. She is an International Law School Mediation Tournament judge/coach and an Advisory Board Member of MediateGuru and Accords International. Kathleen is the regional coordinator for America’s International Mediation Awareness Week (IMAW), founder of Vivad Sankalp (2019), and the 2024 President of Teen Mediation International (TMI). Her diverse mediation career has spanned 16 years of mediating over 1000 cases in court and private practice with a settlement rate above 95%. She mediates a wide range of cases, including small claims, divorce, business, workplace, and family issues, specializing in particularly high-conflict situations.

HCA, Las Palmas Medical Center

Mayela Macias is a professional with over 15 years of human resource management experience and over 20 years of executive management experience. She has notable experience in labor and employment relations, mediation, performance management, executive coaching, federal and state compliance, employee benefits, training and development, and the general management field. She has been volunteering for the El Paso Dispute Resolution Center for over four years, is a corporate mediator, and also mediates for the Texas Department of Insurance. Mayela holds a Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law from Tulane Law University. She also has an MBA from University of Phoenix and a B.A. in Accounting from University of Texas at El Paso.

Mann Law Firm, PLLC

June A. Mann is an attorney/mediator/arbitrator at Mann Law Firm, PLLC, in Houston. She serves as a mediator and an arbitrator in an extensive array of disputes and legal issues in civil matters and has assisted hundreds of individuals and institutions in resolving their disputes. In addition to a busy litigation practice, she serves as an ADR neutral on the rosters of several organizations. June is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education seminars and has authored legal education articles on a variety of topics. June also assists in educating, training, and mentoring new mediators. She is a TMCA Credentialed Distinguished Mediator.

Professor Emeritus of Conflict Studies, Creighton University

Bernie Mayer, Ph.D., has provided conflict intervention for families, communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), unions, corporations, and governmental agencies throughout North America and internationally for over 40 years. He is Professor Emeritus of Conflict Studies, Program on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Creighton University, and a founding partner of CDR Associates. Bernie’s book (with Jacqueline Font-Guzmán), The Neutrality Trap: Disrupting and Connecting for Social Change, was published in early 2022. Previous books include The Dynamics of Conflict, Beyond Neutrality, Staying with Conflict, and The Conflict Paradox.

Patricia L. Palafox is a 2025 TMCA Credentialed Mediator. She has been a full time mediator/arbitrator for twenty eight years. In addition to her mediation and arbitration practice, she is currently the hearing officer for the Civil Service Commission of El Paso, Texas. Prior to opening her mediation/arbitration practice, she practiced law for sixteen years in a variety of civil cases in state and federal courts. Her legal experience includes serving as Municipal Court Judge in El Paso, Texas, General Counsel of Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, Texas and Independent Hearing Examiner for the Texas Education Agency. She received her J. D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 1980, cum laude.

Air Force Installation & Mission Support Center

Brian Rawls, a collateral duty mediator who works for the Department of the Air Force in San Antonio, Texas. He specializes in federal workspace disputes. He served throughout the San Antonio Federal Executive Board area of responsibility and on the DOD Roster of Neutrals. He has over 19 years of experience in high-conflict situations. He is a TMCA Credentialed Advanced Mediator.

Sam Houston State University

Gene Roberts has held a number of leadership positions in the mediation/conflict-resolution field, including past president of the Texas Association of Mediators, past chair of the Dallas Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, past Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Texas, and a member and past chair of the board of directors of the Dispute Resolution Center of Montgomery County. He is the 2023 Susanne Adams Award recipient.

Austin Mediation, PLLC

Mark W. Sims is an attorney and mediator with 28 years of experience in family law and civil litigation, specializing in alternative dispute resolution since 2001. He holds a law degree from the University of Texas and a Finance and Marketing degree from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. Mr. Sims is a past president of the Texas Association of Mediators and co-chaired their 2020 Annual Conference in Austin. He is a Credentialed Distinguished Mediator, a fellow of the Texas and Austin Bar Foundations, and a CV Peer Review-Rated Attorney. Having facilitated over 5,000 mediations, Sims regularly speaks at seminars, has volunteered extensively, and has been recognized with the J. Chrys Dougherty Award for his pro bono work.

Shalom Austin - Jewish Family Service

Matt Smith is a therapist and family mediator at Shalom Austin Jewish Family Service, where he's worked with families in conflict around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. He serves as Vice President of the Austin Mediators Association and Treasurer of the Austin Gay Men’s Chorus. He’s also on the training and facilitation teams at the Dispute Resolution Center of Austin. Matt earned a B.A. in linguistics at Yale University and a Master of Science in Social Work at UT Austin. His professional history includes stints as Executive Director of Out Youth (Austin) and as adjunct faculty at UT Austin, where he taught social justice at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work.

Yes Mediate, LLC

Angela St. Julien is the CEO of Yes Mediate, a dispute resolution company that serves communities and industry leaders throughout the U.S. and abroad. She is a trauma-informed professional mediator, arbitrator, and lecturer for Manousso Mediation & Arbitration ADR and Training Services. Angela has a master's degree in Dispute Resolution from the award-winning Touro University Worldwide's School of Business. She uses her vast leadership experience and knowledge of alternative dispute resolution to lead her team of 40 dispute resolution professionals in resolving conflicts through mediation, arbitration, facilitation, and ombuds services. She leads a response team that teaches communities prevention, de-escalation, response, and aftermath techniques for the prevention of violence.

Angela is not only a practitioner, but also a leader in the ADR field. She serves as the board president of the Association for Conflict Resolution, Houston Chapter and on the boards of the Houston Gerontological Society and the Texas Association of Mediators as its newsletter editor.

TG8 Solutions Insight

Kendria Taylor is a seasoned organizational development professional, boasting over 20 years of experience across education, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She is renowned as a dynamic professional development consultant and subject matter expert, celebrated for her hands-on collaborative facilitation approach. Kendria's impact extends nationwide, offering her expertise in empathy, emotional intelligence, mental health, culture and the art of communication, collaboration, and conflict navigation. Her client list includes QuikTrip, Lockheed Martin, Tarrant County, Texas Instruments, Shiner (Beers) and many more. She is a TMCA Credentialed Mediator with mediation training from the University of North Texas in Workplace Conflict, Family Mediation, and Conflict Resolution. She also holds a Masters degree.

Audacieuse Enterprise LLC

Sonja Wood completed her mediation training in 2019 and specializes in civil and business disputes. In 2024, she assumed the role of Membership Chair on the Texas Association of Mediators Board of Directors. Additionally, she holds certification as a Conflict Influencer™ from HCI and serves as a speaker and trainer for HCI. She dedicates her time as a volunteer mediator, actively supporting Dispute Resolution Centers across Texas. Committed to upholding the standards and integrity of the mediation profession, she is a TMCA Credentialed Mediator.