Journey to Peace Documentary Team

A highly qualified, tightly knit production team, closely advised by specialists whose work parallels themes of Journey to Peace, is working together to bring a unique approach to the subject of peaceful resolution of conflict.

Production Team

Valerie Mrak, Director/Producer

Valerie Mrak is an award-winning filmmaker with a wide range of experience in documentary, educational and corporate films. Among her many credits is Shadow Over Tibet: Stories in Exile. Narrated by Richard Gere, the film includes a personal interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was lensed on two continents, won several festival awards and aired nationally on PBS.

Martha Howard, M.D., Producer

Martha Howard, M.D., author and editor, served as Consultant for the film Shadow Over Tibet: Stories in Exile and is a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. She is involved in research that explores how violent and non-violent states of mind affect health.

James DeVinney, Writer

Writer James DeVinney is a four-time Emmy Award winner, three for documentary writing (Eyes on the Prize) and one for children's programming (WonderWorks). He is an Academy Award nominee, and was awarded four Peabodys and numerous journalism awards.

Dyanna Taylor, Director of Photography

Dyanna Taylor, an Academy Award winner as Director of Photography for the documentary, Miles to Go, and Principal Cinematographer for the Academy Award winning HBO documentary, Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, she has lensed numerous feature documentaries and narrative films.

Greg Snider, Editor

Greg Snider’s credits include National Geographic, The New Explorers for PBS, several independent feature films and music videos. He edits for The Whitehouse post-production company, responsible for high-end award winning spots for numerous multi-national clients.

Ginny Zerang, Associate Producer and Outreach Coordinator

Ginny Zerang is a former video editor She has worked in both live television for ABC and ESPN and event production television. She also managed events at Chicago Summer Dance and the World Music Festival.

Liliana Dufour, Segment Producer

Liliana Dufour has interviewed international political and science personalities for print and video, including Costa Rican President Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez and Russian journalist Vladimir Posner.. Her work has been recognized by the International Film and TV Festival of New York and the Spanish Writers Guild of New York.

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council for Journey to Peace includes:

Joan Borysenko, nationally acclaimed author of books including Inner Peace, and founder of the Mind/Body Clinic at New England Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Jack Duvall, author and Director of the International Center for Nonviolent Conflict

Jean Bethke Elshtain, University of Chicago Divinity School Professor of Social and Political Ethics

Kennette Benedict, Executive Director of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Larry Gerstein, Professor and Director of Doctoral Program, Department of Counseling Psychology, Ball State University

Susan Singer, marketing and advertising consultant to major national corporations, founder and President of Field Trip Factory, which helps students learn valuable life skills that will help them make smart choices and live healthy lives.