Wendy was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from University of Oregon with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a secondary teaching certificate. She and her husband raised their daughter in Portland, and Wendy worked part time throughout their daughter's school years in bookstores and with a book wholesaler. She later worked in the University of Portland’s library. The state of the world was very upsetting, and she wanted a way to bring peace to conversations instead of guns. She took a mediation training course at Portland State University and loved it. She took another mediation training through Portland Community College. When a new program in Clackamas County brought small claims mediation to the area, she was accepted to the program and trained in small claims mediation. She then volunteered with that program for about a year and a half. When Wendy and her husband moved to Spokane to be near their daughter and her family, she met with Leslie and Northwest Mediation Center. She has been mediating with NMC for about 7 years now. She loves NMC for its commitment to bring peaceful resolution and conversation to the community. To her, mediation is the way to finding peace in a very conflicted world.