About me
Barry Evans considers himself a newcomer to mediation even after more than 30 years in the field. The longer he works at it, the more he realizes how much he still has to learn. If mediation is an iceberg, he has explored the tip, waved politely at everything below the surface, and accepted that the rest may require scuba gear. Its many dimensions and layers continue to fascinate and occasionally overwhelm him. His journey began by teaching elementary school students how to serve as peer mediators.
Barry was part of the team that designed Baltimore City’s coparenting class, and he served as an instructor for more than 20 years. Although he is not entirely certain, he believes Baltimore City was among the first jurisdictions in the country to offer a class specifically for coparents who were not married. This distinction may not win trivia night, but it mattered greatly to the families it served.
People who know Barry well are familiar with his self-diagnosed condition, SC2: Severe Chronic Creativity. Flare-ups are frequent, unpredictable, and so far, untreatable. The program he is presenting is the product of one such episode. SC2 also causes great consternation because Barry cannot seem to locate the box everyone keeps telling him to think outside of. He has looked for it, but apparently it was never included in the instructions. The upside is a perspective that helps him see possibilities and questions others may not have considered.
As an award-winning Toastmaster, motivational speaker, and lifetime member of the Griots’ Circle of Maryland, Barry brings the craft of African storytelling to every presentation. He has a gift for sharing information in a way that is engaging, thought-provoking, and unmistakably his own-SC2 flare-up and all.
