We are delighted to welcome Tom Dunne, former Navy SEAL and author, for a special talk for the Palisades community. Drawing on his remarkable journey—from years of military service to his work promoting peace and healing—Tom offers powerful insights into resilience, transformation, and finding purpose beyond adversity. His story is both inspiring and deeply human, and we are honored to have him share his experiences with our community.

For more than fifty years, Tom Dunne has helped individuals, organizations, and communities manage conflict and build productive relationships. He is a professional member of the Alliance for Peacebuilding and a founding member of the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, which brings diverse stakeholders together to address national issues.

Tom previously worked with Search for Common Ground, where he co-founded the U.S.–Muslim Engagement Project, and he helped establish the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County. He has provided training, facilitation, and mediation for federal agencies, international organizations, school systems, labor-management groups, and community leaders around the world.

His work has included major initiatives with the IRS, U.S. veterans in Vietnam, and U.N.-sponsored conflict resolution training programs. Tom has also served as a consultant to Congress and the White House and has taught at Georgetown University, American University, and other institutions.

He holds degrees from DePaul and Georgetown, studied at Maryknoll seminary, and served as a Navy officer—including roles with an Underwater Demolition Team and a reserve Navy SEAL platoon.