History
Guiding values
Mediators

Experienced and successful divorce mediators

EMI mediators are leaders in the field of divorce mediation and are skilled at creating a positive process that will lead to successful outcomes. All are members of the Association for Conflict Resolution and follow its standards of practice and code of ethics for mediators.

Stephen Erickson, J.D., director and co-founder
Steve is a licensed attorney who has mediated many types of disputes in private practice since 1977. He received the Bush Leadership Fellowship Award for the study of mediation and family social science in 1979 and is a founder and second president of the Academy of Family Mediators. He is nationally known as a mediation trainer and speaker, and has published articles and books on the subject. He was a past member of the Board of Directors of the international Association for Conflict Resolution and was the Co-Chair of its Certification Taskforce Committee. He and his partner Marilyn McKnight were awarded the Distinguished Mediator Award by the Academy of Family Mediators for their outstanding contributions to the field of mediation. They have co-authored five successful books on mediation: Family Mediation Casebook (1988), The Children’s Book (1992), Mediating Divorce: A Client’s Workbook (1998), Mediating Divorce: A Trainer’s Manual (1998), and The Practitioner’s Guide to Mediation (2001). Steve has been adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School and the William Mitchell College of Law.

Marilyn S. McKnight, M.A., director and co-founder
Marilyn is a mediator, trainer, parent coordinator and author who has practiced exclusively in the field of mediation since 1977 after an extensive career in public social work. In the early 1980s Marilyn began workshops on mediating divorces where there is domestic violence. She received a Bush Leadership Fellowship Award in 1987. In 1988 Marilyn was elected to the Board of the Academy of Family Mediators where she began work toward the voluntary certification of mediators and later, served as President of the Academy. In 1996 she and her partner Steve Erickson were awarded the Distinguished Mediator Award by the Academy for their outstanding contributions to the field of mediation. Marilyn has been an adjunct professor teaching divorce mediation at the University of Minnesota Graduate School of Social Work, and at the William Mitchell College of Law. In May 2006 Marilyn was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR).

Carol Stenback, M.ED., J.D., mediator
Carol Stenback strongly believes that mediating the end of a marriage is the best way she can make life better for the children of divorcing couples. Carol is a qualified neutral mediator under Rule 114, has two education degrees from the University of North Dakota, a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law, and is fluent in American Sign Language. Carol spent 25 years in the field of education of deaf and hard of hearing students and sign language interpretation.

Amber Serwat, M.A., mediator, Shakopee office of Erickson Mediation Institute
Amber's personal experience with divorce in an adversarial legal system inspired her to pursue a career as a family mediator. She is a qualified neutral mediator under Rule 114, holds a Master of Arts degree from the College of St. Catherine and a Certificate of Dispute Resolution from Hamline University's School of Law. Amber is passionate about developing and maintaining successful co-parenting relationships both during and after divorce. She believes that each family's needs are different and is deeply commited to helping her clients create agreements which satisfy their family's unique needs and circumstances.