Empowering People through Excellence in Conflict Management
Our Mission
Our Mission is to provide excellence in conflict management through skilled mediation, facilitation, and education services. Founded in 1985 as a non-profit organization, Iowa Mediation Service (IMS) remains dedicated to providing solution-oriented processes for farmers, families, organizations, and any group or individual who needs a conflict management expert. IMS is ready to offer services across Iowa, with offices located in West Des Moines and Mason City. At the heart of IMS lies the vision of empowering people.
We offer comprehensive strategies to improve conflict management and communication skills through our core pillars of mediation, facilitation, and education.
The professionals at IMS facilitate the creation of cooperative interactions using customized and interactive tactics suited to the unique circumstances of each case.
Mediation
Facilitation
Education
Our Team
Kiley Fleming
Ed. D., PHR, SHRM-CP
In 2014, Iowa Mediation Service hired Kiley in a consulting capacity where she was then hired in 2015 to serve as the Executive Director. With a Doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University, a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Development, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Kiley has the expertise to design impactful conflict management and communication training. She is also well-equipped to conduct conflict resolution and mediation sessions, as she has done for most of her Human Resources and consulting career. Drawing from various Human Resources experiences in finance, academia, medicine, and manufacturing, Kiley has vast competencies in dealing with dispute management and negotiations. She is also a Certified Life Coach, Leadership Academy graduate, and PHR/SHRM-PC professional and focuses on business dynamics and transition planning. As the author of two books, Conflict Imagery: Developing a reflective practice and Discovering Self-Imagery: Weekly reflections to develop a purposeful identity, Kiley can assist organizations and individuals with strategic planning, mission and values implementation, and goals tied to achieving human potential.
Fun Fact: Despite growing up with a severe loathing of exercise and running (ask her school classmates), Kiley embarked on a running journey a handful of years ago and now is a Boston Marathon Qualifier.
Kiley is located at:
1441 29th Street, Suite 120, West Des Moines, IA 50266
kiley@iowamediationservice.com
515-331-8081
Justin Fields
As the Development Manager at Iowa Mediation Service (IMS) Justin will enhance the organization's capabilities with the skills learned through his Master's in Communication and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University and a Bachelors in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from Boise State University. Justin's experience teaching various collegiate level communication courses equips him with skills crucial for developing and training new and exciting curriculum. His experience as a mediator in small claims and eviction help with the diverse mediation cases that we get here at IMS. His background in public speaking, education, and conflict management, directly supports IMS's core services. Justin's leadership skills, honed through the Marine Corps, higher education and professional life can be applied to mentoring mediators and representing IMS at the highest levels.
Fun fact: Justin gained a love for soccer in his adult life and is now a grassroots certified soccer coach through USA Soccer. Justin also proudly claims the title of Soccer dad.
Justin is located at:
1441 29th Street, Suite 120, West Des Moines, IA 50266
justin@iowamediationservice.com
515-331-8081
Matt Deardeuff
As the Agricultural Specialist, Matt plays a pivotal role overseeing agricultural mediation and facilitation case management across Iowa’s 99 counties. Previously, he invested six years as an IMS foreclosure prevention counselor during the housing crisis, a role in which he developed a wealth of hands-on experience. Moreover, Matt's extensive agricultural background, combined with his prowess in financial planning, has seen him successfully mediate numerous agricultural cases and guide families through the complex task of farm succession planning.
In 2023, Matt transitioned to a full-time role with IMS, lending his substantial knowledge and experience to help parties through the intricate processes tied to agricultural mediation and facilitation efforts across the state of Iowa.
Fun Fact: Matt is an avid outdoorsman, who loves to hunt, fish and forage for mushrooms. Matt is also an assistant trap shooting coach for Charles City, Nashua Plainfield, Rudd Rockford Marble Rock.
Matt is located at:
1415 S. Monroe, Mason City, Iowa 50401
matt@iowamediationservice.com
641-423-4322
Emily Vondrak
As the Program Coordinator for Iowa Mediation Service, Emily helps support the team to ensure the office runs smoothly and efficiently. Having grown up moving all around the United States, Emily is adept at adapting to any changes and new environments, a skill that proves invaluable in her role. She receives and processes all incoming mandatory case requests, following established protocols. With a background in management and scheduling, she manages filing systems, creates essential documents, and efficiently schedules and tracks appointments. Emily organized the company library and catalogs all book reports and training materials. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for organization, Emily ensures that Iowa Mediation Service operates seamlessly by supporting both the team and our clients with professionalism and dedication.
Fun Fact: Emily loves food! She has tried very different cuisines from every state she’s lived in and she’s always on the lookout for new and exciting dishes to try!
Emily is located at:
1441 29th Street, Suite 120, West Des Moines, IA 50266
emily@iowamediationservice.com
515-401-1457
Kathy Hall-eckert
As a Consultant, Kathy utilizes her 35 years of experience with Iowa Mediation Service (IMS) to support the mission of the organization in a variety of ways. She works with individuals, families, and groups to design and implement strategies to minimize conflict by providing opportunities for growth and development through mediation, facilitation, and training. She supports staff in key areas such as program expansion, curriculum development, skill development, training, and mediation. Kathy’s extensive background in handling complex scenarios and her long history with IMS bridges the organization’s past success to present activities and services.
Fun Fact: Kathy truly enjoys spending time with children and seeks opportunities to interact with youth! Her time presenting the “Young Peacemakers Club” program to elementary students rises to the top of her list of the most memorable work she did during her 35 years with IMS.
Our Story
In early 1985, at the height of the farm crisis, Founder Mike Thompson began talks with the Attorney General's Office and various political connections within Iowa agriculture about instituting a farm mediation program to assist with the enormous number of foreclosures on Iowa farms. During this time of exploration, on December 9th, 1985, a catastrophic farm-business event springboarded Iowa’s legislature to mandate an agricultural mediation program applicable when specific criteria were met. The events shook Iowa and the nation, so Iowa Mediation Service (IMS) was provided a unique opportunity to support individuals and businesses during this highly stressful time.
As a result, Iowa became the first state in the nation to institute a statewide agricultural mediation program. IMS, known at the time as Iowa Farmer/Creditor Mediation Service, has been the only mediation service in the state to facilitate the mandatory farm mediation program ever since. At that time, there were seven regional offices around the state, with headquarters in Des Moines, blocks from the state capital building.
When this legislation passed on May 6th, 1986, many leaders opposed it because they did not understand mediation as a viable option. In fact, one lender submitted over 1600 mediation requests in a single week to derail the process. However, once Iowans saw the effectiveness of mediation in resolving these disputes, one of our biggest opponents became one of our largest supporters. Although the farm crisis would persist well into 1989, the positive impact on the agricultural industry in Iowa was evident.
Committed to Iowa Communities
Since the 1990s, IMS has been crucial in addressing various issues affecting Iowans. The organization's involvement in resolving Hedge-to-Arrive (HTA) contract disputes showcased its ability to mediate complex agricultural conflicts across state lines and helped over 150 farms and co-ops.
Building on this success, IMS expanded its reach to child welfare services. The organization brought together diverse stakeholders through facilitated group meetings to create unified plans for children's safety and well-being. In the mid-1990s, IMS shifted its focus to tackle bullying in schools and communities. Programs like Students Turning on Positive Power (STOPP), Gateway Resolution Opportunities (GRO), and Young Peacemakers Club were instrumental in developing curricula to reduce bullying behaviors and strengthen family ties.
Throughout its history, IMS has demonstrated excellence in managing community and business disputes. The organization's neutral interventions were particularly valuable during school district consolidations, helping communities navigate emotional changes. Additionally, IMS's expertise extended to educational institutions, where it provided mediation services for various conflicts, including truancy issues and student disputes.
In 2008, during the height of the housing crisis across the nation, IMS partnered with a coalition consisting of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Iowa Finance Authority, and housing counselors across the state to form the Iowa Mortgage Help Hotline. For more than six years, thousands of Iowa families were assisted in keeping their homes through loan modifications of their subprime mortgages. The organization's impact continued in the mental health sector, facilitating collaboration among various stakeholders to implement legislative changes and improve crisis services.
In 2015, IMS expanded its services to include human resources, business, and academic fields. Through these efforts, IMS created and maintained lasting relationships with the USDA and the Coalition of Agricultural Mediation Program. Mechanisms were developed for IMS to broaden beyond Iowa agriculture, which opened doors and allowed IMS to help people in other fields, such as organizational development, higher education, and succession planning. IMS is uniquely qualified to help individuals and groups work through contemporary issues encountered during challenging situations. While serving as the Executive Director, Kiley authored two books, Conflict Imagery: Developing a reflective framework and Discovering Self-Imagery: Weekly reflections to develop a purposeful identity. These books are used in conjunction with the various public speaking events to which Kiley is invited to help demonstrate the multiple ways IMS can help empower individuals and groups.