MUKURIMA MURIUKI
Mukurima X. Muriuki was introduced to conflict resolution at a young age; he often accompanied his grandfather, Jairo Kariuki, to clan meetings where the community gathered to resolve disputes. His passion for conflict resolution grew from there. He trained as a peer counselor in high school, learning how to build consensus and facilitating communication between students and school administrators. He started writing opinion articles and “Letters to the Editor” in leading Kenyan newspapers while he was still in high school, focusing on the topics of social justice and reconciliation.
Mukurima has earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi, Kenya and a Master of Arts in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding (NCRP) for the California State University at Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California. He is a Certified Public Accountant in Kenya, having satisfied the examination requirements set by the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examination Board (KASNEB). He is also a certified Mediator, having met the requirements of the California Dispute Resolution Program Act of 1986. He is a member of the Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA) and the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR).
Email: mukurima@mbsconflictresolution.com
LEO BARRERA
Leo Barrera got his start in conflict resolution as an enlisted man in the United States Army. On leaving the army he realized that the techniques and practices he had learned there were not always successful outside the context of warfare. He began searching for a better way of resolving conflict. As a result, he spent many years independently studying leadership, strategy, and communication.
Leo has earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration with a concentration in Administrative Management and a Master of Arts in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding; both from the California State University at Dominguez Hills. His academic studies focus on structural violence, social capital, and community activism. His thesis The Effects of Leadership Development Training on Community Social Capital examines how leadership training affects community cohesion. He is a member of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) and the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM). His favorite books are Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Email: leo@mbsconflictresolution.com
LEE STOTTS
Lee Stotts has worked in the field of senior healthcare for decades. He has worked for some of the largest nursing home companies in the United States, as well as independently owned assisted-living communities. His work has taken him up and down the West coast from Southern California to Washington, and everywhere he traveled he encountered a culturally diverse workforce with high turnover rates and pervasive conflict. He realized that diversity on paper did not equate to cultural understanding. His desire to understand the barriers creating conflict led him to study conflict resolution and has helped him to create outreach programs to recruit underrepresented groups into the medical field.
Lee has earned an Associate of Arts in Business Administration from Cerritos College, a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northwood University, and a Master of Arts in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding from California State University at Dominguez Hill. He has been a volunteer mediator for the Los Angeles County Courts where he mediated small claims cases. He specializes in cultural conflict, conflict escalation, and organizational conflict. During his free time Lee enjoys spending time with his family, restoring classic cars, traveling, surfing, and exploring culinary delights from around the world.
Email: lee@mbsconflictresolution.com
Advanced Conflict Management