Robert completed his basic 40-hour mediation training in Austin, Texas, and his family mediation training in Houston. He has advanced mediation training from the New Mexico Center for Dispute Resolution in the area of Large Group Multi-Party Mediation: A Model Successfully Used in Gang Mediation.

Robert began working in the field of conflict resolution as a secondary teacher, coach and drug/crime educator in New York, Ft. Worth and Dallas,Texas. As a Drug and Crime Specialist, Robert helped establish a Drug Education program for Dallas ISD and the Education Service Center, Region 11 in Ft. Worth during the 1970's. During the same period he was a drug counselor for the City of Ft. Worth. Robert spent 12 years in private enterprise with part of that time as the service manager for a manufactured housing company where he handled conflict between homeowners, the factory and HUD (Housing and Urban Development). He returned to conflict resolution in the educational field where he developed a special program for middle school students with emotional disturbance. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy at Texas A & M University (College Station) in educational administration with his research and dissertation focusing on Peer Mediation at the high school level. After years as a school administrator Robert retired from public education to teach at the university level and devote more time to his private mediation/training/consulting company.

Robert is currently an adjunct professor at St. Edward's University in Austin where he teaches Conflict: Families to Bureaucracies and Special Topics in Negotiation in the Master of Human Services in Conflict Resolution. He is also teaches continuing education courses in the area of conflict resolution as an adjunct professor at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. Robert also teaches graduate courses in the area of educational administration at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, and is associate professor at Concordia University in Austin, Texas

Robert's varied experience in conflict resolution includes mediation of employment, gang, students, community, church, educational and public policy disputes. He has provided training in conflict resolution, leadership, learning styles, mediation, negotiation, behavior management, group process, etc. Robert is a certified trainer of trainers in the 4-MAT Learning Styles. He is certified in COMP (Classroom Organization and Management Program) and is qualified to administer the Gallop's Teacher Perceiver and the Haberman Teacher Perceiver. Robert has earned certification through the Texas Education Agency in teaching, mid-management, special education, and superintendency. Robert was a member of the Conflict Resolution Team at the Education Service Center, Region 13.

Robert has been a professional trainer since 1970 in such areas as drug/crime prevention, instructional strategies, learning styles, classroom management, dealing with students with special needs, leadership, conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, peer mediation, and communication skills.

Robert can be contacted through Otey Associates at bobotey@austin.rr.com or 512-472-2087 and 512-481-8114.

Laura completed her basic/family mediation training in Dallas, Texas, in 1990. She has additional training in mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution from the Program on Negotiation at the Harvard Law School (Basic and Advanced Negotiation), CDR Associates (Dispute Systems Design and Public Policy Resolution), New Mexico Center for Dispute Resolution (Large Group, Multi-Party Mediation: A Model Successfully Used in Gang Mediation), Strauss Institute at the Pepperdine University Law School (Collaborative Negotiation and Conciliation Skills and Advanced Mediation Skills), Texas Leadership Center (Conflict Resolution: Strategies for Collaborative Problem Solving), and Travis County Dispute Resolution Center (School Peer Mediation and Parent/Child Pre-Release Mediation Training).

Laura began utilizing conflict resolution processes and skills as a teacher of secondary students with emotional disturbance in the Austin Independent School District. From there she moved to Special Education Counselor, Special Education Coordinator and Assistant Director of Special Education. In the latter role she worked with families and schools to resolve legal disputes over services provided to students with disabilities. In 2000 Laura became the Director of Employee Relations for Austin ISD and has worked to resolve employee disputes and concerns. She has formalized an alternative dispute resolution program that offers mediation services to employees for addressing workplace disputes.

Laura's 11 years of mediation experience includes employment, family, gangs, students, community, church and public policy disputes. She has provided mediation and conflict resolution training throughout Texas in schools, education service centers, State and local agencies, churches and businesses. Laura is an adjunct professor at St. Edward's University where she teaches the basic mediation and family mediation courses in the Master of Human Service Conflict Resolution program. Currently, Laura is a co-convenor of the Texas Mediation Trainers Round Table Council. Laura has a Masters in Education in Counseling from Southwest Texas State University. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and a Qualified Facilitator of the Strengths Deployment Inventory. In 1995 Laura was awarded the Peacemaker of the Year award in the Education category by the Travis County Dispute Resolution Center, Austin, Texas.

Laura has been a professional trainer since 1975 in areas such as communication skills, leadership, management, assertiveness, special education, conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, anger management, change/transition process, employee performance, team building, and group process.