Larry Schooler established the first public engagement and dispute resolution division for the City of Austin, Texas; he now works as a mediator, facilitator, and public engagement consultant for outside clients through Public Participation Partners and as a senior fellow for the National Civic League and the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at the University of Texas. He teaches public policy dispute resolution at Northwestern University and has taught in the dispute resolution program at Southern Methodist University. He has served as president for the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2-USA) and on the leadership council of the Association for Conflict Resolution Environment and Public Policy Section. His work has been featured by several groups, including Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the International City Managers Association, the National League of Cities, and the National Conference on State Legislatures. Larry also serves as local board chair for Generation Citizen in Central Texas. Larry has also mediated disputes between military personnel and civilian employers for the U.S. Department of Defense and hosted interfaith dialogue for Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT).
Larry holds a master's degree in conflict analysis and resolution and is pursuing a doctorate in the same field, along with a bachelor's degree in history. He is the author of a manual entitled "The 'Public' in Public Policy: Keys to a Successful Community Meeting" and a forthcoming book on the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States. In his former career, Larry was an award-winning reporter and anchor for NPR stations and a freelance reporter for National Public Radio and Voice of America.
Larry is married with two young children. In his nonexistent spare time, he plays the piano and trains for marathons.
