Speaker Bios
Belinda Hopkins
Dr. Hopkins is Director of Transforming Conflict, the National Centre for Restorative Justice in Education, in England. She has been pioneering restorative practices in educational settings across the UK for over 12 years. In 2004 she published her first book on the topic, Just Schools: A Whole School Approach to Restorative Justice (London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers). In 2002, she developed the only restorative training course uniquely designed for educators. She and her team of 12 trainers deliver training and consultancy in restorative practices in schools and youth residential care settings all over the UK and beyond.
Belinda completed her doctoral research on the implementation of restorative practices in schools, and received her doctorate from Reading University in 2007.
Judy Mullet
Dr. Mullet is Professor of Psychology and Education at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA. Judy currently teaches
undergraduate courses in psychology and graduate courses for teachers in education, peace building and restorative discipline.
She conducts workshops on restorative practices for public and private agencies. She is the co-author, with Lorraine Amstutz, of The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools (Good Books, 2005).
Christopher Hey
Mr. Hey has been an Assistant Principel at Souderton Area High School for 6 years and was previously a high school science teacher. Since 2003, he has led the initiative to bring the Restorative Practices model to the three secondary schools in the Souderton Area School District in southeastern Pennsylvania. Mr. Hey was a plenary session speaker at the 8th International Conference on Conferencing, Circles and Other Restorative Practices in October 2006.
Bill Sower
Bill is a school transformation specialist. He is the founder of Safe Successful Schools, LLC, a consulting firm which helps schools improve their disciplinary outcomes and learning climates. Bill is a retired special education teacher who spent 20 years teaching Michigan's most violent and delinquent youth. He has been an elementary schools principle and regional coordinator for the International Institute for Restorative Practices. In his work promoting restorative justice in Michigan, he has served on the faculty of the Michigan Judicial Institute and as a police trainer for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards.
Lori Baker
Lori is a trained mediator and Executive Director of the Greater Barre Community Justice Center in Barre, VT, an organization that develops and facilitates restorative justice programs and practices in the central Vermont area. Along with conducting trainings in communication skills, conflict management and restorative justice, she has helped establish and has trained several Student Restorative Panels in Vermont high schools.
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