Gail Nugent has been in the dispute resolution field for over thirty years beginning her career in community mediation where she managed nonprofits that provided mediation, training and meeting facilitation to the local community. In 1998, Gail was introduced to special education when she became a mediator for the hearing office for the state of California. Since that time, she has enjoyed working with families, districts and schools to build effective relationships, communicate and resolve differences. Her education includes a master's degree in social work from the University of California where she was first introduced to mediation and the value of conflict resolution. Gail has taught for several university programs and provides training on related topics. She is the author of a manual for middle school students on communication.