Meet Our Board

Jesse E. De Graftenreed III

Board Chair

Jesse (he/him) is a proud, retired United States Army veteran who served in various leadership positions during combat and humanitarian operations worldwide. He joined the CRC team in 2018 as a volunteer mediator. He has been negotiating and mediating for over a decade, receiving his formal training in mediation from Missouri State University in Civil & Family mediation.

Jesse also has extensive knowledge and training in business, community, police, and neighborhood mediation. He is a private consultant in human-resource-related issues ranging from workplace investigation, Equal Employment Opportunity issues, and State and Federal workplace compliance.

In 2019, Jesse graduated from Washington University School of Law, earning a Master’s in Legal Studies and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution. He attended his undergraduate studies at Drury University, graduating with honors receiving a Bachelor in Organizational Leadership Studies and a Bachelor of Business Administration.

Jesse is a strong advocate for youth in leadership and community volunteerism. He understands we all deal with conflicts and miscommunications in our everyday lives, personally and professionally. He passionately believes mediation can resolve all disputes by being mindful, compassionate, and respectful towards each other during the process. Jesse is married, whose wife is a United States Army veteran as well. Together they are raising a large, blended family.

Don Morgan

Vice-Chair & Secretary

Dr. Donald Morgan (he/him) came to St. Louis in 2014 after twenty years of teaching and as the director of the Clinic at Rutgers University Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.

In addition to his work as a faculty member at Rutgers, he maintained a private practice in clinical psychology for 35 years, specializing in working with couples and with people dealing with medical illnesses.  He is very happy to be able to contribute to the training of volunteer mediators and to the organization and administration of the Conflict Resolution Center. 

Don is also Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Benton Park Neighborhood Association Saint Louis city, where he and his wife make their home.

Mary Wheeler

Interim Treasurer

Founding Board Member

Mary Wheeler (she/her) is the Vice-Chair of CRCSTL and a trained mediator. She has been a lifelong resident of North St. Louis City and a longstanding leader and advocate for equitable change in her 21st ward neighborhood and throughout the region. She recalls that as she was growing up, the homes were beautifully maintained and there was a sense of neighborhood pride. As a result, Mary’s focus has always been on neighborhood revitalization and sustainability.

In addition to the CRC Board, Mary serves as a board member of both the Wesley House Association–a nonprofit over 100-years old–and the O’Fallon YMCA Recreation Center Complex in the 21st ward. Mary worked for the City of St. Louis for 25 years and retired in early 2018. From 2005 to 2018 she served as the Democratic Director of the Board of Election Commissioners and developed community outreach programs to help St. Louis City residents increase their familiarity with voting procedures. Through these efforts, Mary emerged as a national leader in the Board of Elections community.

Tia Davis

Board Member

Tia (she/her) joined the CRC team anticipating a future career in mediation. She completed Civil and Family Mediation Training in March 2019 and wants to focus on civil disputes. She recently completed an MLS with a Regulatory Compliance focus at Washington University Law school in May 2019.

Originally from Chicago, Tia has lived in St. Louis since 2007. She was an R&D Analytical Scientist in the pharmaceutical industry for over twenty years. “I was experiencing burnout as a scientist and wanting a different career direction,” she explains. In 2012 she earned an M.S. in Clinical Research Management from Washington University. “I was still not feeling fulfilled so I turned to legal studies. Initially, I wanted to pursue a law degree to coincide with my chemistry background ...one of my classmates mentioned that I might want to consider the world of mediation. Having used my analytical skills, reasoning, and logic to help the development of chemotherapeutic drugs has had a significant effect on many lives. Pursuing a career in mediation will allow me to continue utilizing those same skills and make a direct impact in the lives of people.”

Tia currently works for Millipore Sigma, a Life Sciences company here in St. Louis. She enjoys spending time with friends, learning to knit, cooking, and going to the gym.

Bill Duffe

Board Member

After serving for four years as an officer in the US Navy, Bill (he/him) worked for the federal government and then the city of Saint Louis.  Between 1978 and 2004 he served as the Director of Personnel for the city of Saint Louis, and since 2005 he has been a human resource consultant to various public jurisdictions around the country.  Bill brings his many years of experience dealing with employer/employee issues, labor relations and diversity to CRC’s efforts to mediate conflicts.

Patti Fox

Board Member

Patti (she/her) is a trained mediator and completed the CRCSTL’s MAP program. She is currently serving as chair of the National High School Mediation Tournament Committee. She is past Co-Chair of the International Academy of Dispute Resolution (INADR) Pilot High School Mediation Tournament Committee; Associate member of Association of Conflict Resolution; has traveled nationally and internationally as the National Field Recruiter for Principia School, and also served as Lead Resident Counselor at Principia.

Patti has worked extensively with youth in various positions such as Resident Counselor, varsity tennis and mediation coach, and advisory leader. She is especially passionate about empowering youth by helping them gain practical skills in learning how to work together, collaborate and be peacemakers. Patti was recently chosen to be a co- leader for the upcoming class in the National Leadership Council  program, a four year servant leadership program  for high school students designed to foster spiritual growth and develop servant leadership skills. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Science in Recreation Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 In her free time, Patti enjoys pickleball, walking her dogs with her husband, Larry  or being on the water.  Patti and Larry have two children, a daughter in law school and a son who recently graduated from TCU in Texas.

Dr. Joseph King, Jr.

Board Member

Dr. Joseph King, Jr. is an Executive Human Capital Officer and the Principal and Director of The King Group Consulting. His current work includes Field Instructor with Washington University/Brown School and the St. Louis Field Education Collaborative. He has also filled the role of Adjunct Professor and Professional Development Consultant with Webster University Management and Human Resource Departments for graduate students and executive development of corporate and governmental leaders. Before this, Dr. King worked with the U.S. Army CCDC Armaments Center, (formerly ARDEC)which is the government's #1 Research, Development, and Engineering Center with 3,000 employees, a $1Billion budget, and bragging rights as a winner of the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award making it the first and only government agency to win. As a human capital officer, Joe established the first Human Capital Management Office for the U.S. Army CCD Armament Center, developed and executed policies and programs, and selected the Chief Learning Officer. He has instituted talent management and acquisition programs and audits, Pay for Performance, tuition reimbursement, and hiring bonus policies. 

Dr. King received his Ph.D. in Applied Behavioral Science and Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati, his master’s degree in National Securities Studies from the U.S. Army War College, and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Xavier University. He completed the Senior Executive Fellowship Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Additionally, he has multiple certifications in addition to the Six Sigma Black Belt, such as Human Capital Executive Certification, Malcolm Baldrige Examiner Certification, Human Capital Strategist Certification, Acquisition Technical Evaluation Certification, and Shingo Prize Certification.  Dr King has served as a mediator for over 35 years; his initial training was conducted by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Grace Lee

Board Member

Dr. Grace Lee (she/her) is the Dean of Faculty at Mary Institute St. Louis Country Day School (MICDS), an independent school in St. Louis, Missouri.  Previously, she served as a school social worker, ELA teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Jennings, Parkway, Webster Groves and University City School Districts.  In every aspect of school leadership, Dr. Lee brings her social work lens to her role as an educator.  She works to create systems to ensure equity and access. She recognizes that change only comes when systems are examined, dismantled and reimagined. She relentlessly confronts white supremacy when analyzing and reimagining systems and challenges not only her team but herself to continually confront the biases that influence decisions made, especially those impacting children. The core of her beliefs centers around elevating student and teacher voices to leverage leadership to shift the educational landscape for change.  Her work focuses on moving away from incentive based and punitive consequences that only perpetuate the school to prison pipeline but truly engage children as active, equal partners in upholding a school community that fosters a sense of belonging, purpose and recognition of self-worth.

Dr. Lee has presented across the region and country at various conferences around character education, restorative practices and racial equity. She has shared the outcome of her work and what a school looks like when students and teachers feel seen, heard and loved. She continues to reimagine school for children in her current educational home, empowering and supporting students and teachers. She hopes that everyone understands they are worthy and encourages people to walk unapologetically in their purpose.

Jamala Rogers

Board Member

Jamala (she/her) is a long-time community organizer and human rights activist. She has focused much of her work on addressing structural racism and economic disparities. She has held and currently holds, leadership positions in several organizations that share her vision for a more just and peaceful world. 

Jamala is a featured columnist for the award-winning St. Louis American newspaper and is the author of two books, The Best of “The Way I See It” and Other Political Writings and Ferguson is America: Roots of Rebellion. Jamala has received numerous awards for her years of community service.