Richard Blackburn is Executive Director of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, where he has served since 1984.  He is an ordained minister in the Mennonite Church, and served ten years as chairperson of the Peace and Justice Committee of the Mennonite Church. 
     Prior to his calling to the peace center ministry, Richard taught Art History at Trinity College, Goshen College, and Northern Illinois University.  More recently he has taught conflict transformation skills at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Goshen College, and Southern Methodist University-in-Legacy as a component of his work with LMPC.
     Richard has led hundreds of workshops on conflict transformation and mediation skills; he has also had broad experience as a mediator and consultant, working primarily with conflicted churches, both at the congregational and judicatory level. For several years Richard participated in Dr. Edwin Friedman's "Post Graduate Clergy Seminar in Family Emotional Process."   He also participated for four years in the "Postgraduate Program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and Its Applications" at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, D.C.
     Richard is a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution and a number of other professional organizations in the field of alternative dispute resolution.
     
     Sam Smith is Assistant for Communications for LMPC, joining the staff in 2007. Sam is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren.  He is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute (Diploma in Pastoral Studies, 1971), Wheaton College (B.A. Sociology, 1973) and Bethany Theological Seminary  (M. Div. with Peace Studies Emphasis, 1999).  Sam has traveled worldwide as a media evangelist with Heavy Light Productions, which he created and directed. In the mid-1990's, Sam was Youth Pastor at York Center Church of the Brethren and Lombard Mennonite Church, both of Lombard, IL. More recently, Sam was the Assistant Pastor, specializing in youth and evangelism, at Fourth Street United Methodist Church in Aurora, IL.  Sam is currently the Chicago Chapter Chair and is on the National Council of  the Fellowship of Reconciliation USA.  Sam is also in leadership with the West Suburban Faith-based PEACE Coalition and the Youth Pastor for the Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL.

     Sheryl Reynolds Slack is Administrative Assistant for LMPC, joining the staff in 2000. Sheryl has been a Peace-with-Justice advocate in her United Methodist Church, and participated in the Peace Conferences at College of DuPage in the 1990s.

     Mary Ellen O'Donnell is Administrative Assistant for LMPC, joining the staff in October, 2005.  Mary Ellen is a lector and a member of the social action committee at St. Eulalia Parish in Maywood, and is the site coordinator for the West Suburban PADS program based at St. Eulalia Parish.

      Bob Williamson serves as Adjunct Faculty for LMPC.  He is a graduate of Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, Indiana (B.A., 1972) and of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (M. Div., 1976). 
     Bob has also been trained in Bowen family systems theory,  having studied briefly under Dr. Edwin Friedman prior to his death. He has also participated in Dr. Peter Steinke's "Bridgebuilder" and "Healthy Congregations" training. Bob also participated in the "Special Post-Graduate Program in Bowen Family Systems Theory and It's Applications" at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family in Washington, D.C.
     Bob began his ministry as a pastor in the Lutheran Church.  Since joining the LMPC staff in 1992, he has led numerous workshops and judicatory training events.  In addition, Bob has conducted a number of congregational consultations and interventions.