Speakers

About the Speaker
Steve Pointon is a Belfast-born peacemaker, Pastor, and educator whose life and work have been shaped by the conflict and peacemaking in Northern Ireland. Raised in Belfast during the Troubles, Steve holds a degree in Law and Politics from the University of Ulster and professional qualifications in conflict management, youth leadership, and peacemaking. Through work both with the Northern Ireland Government and The European Union, Steve led peace and community relations initiatives—engaging hundreds in reconciliation projects in Northern Ireland and Serbia. Steve moved to the United States in 2007. He has lived in Nebraska since 2013, became a U.S. citizen in 2020, and currently serves at Nebraska Wesleyan University as Recruitment Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach for Men’s Soccer, as well as an adjunct instructor. He is also Pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in northeast Lincoln.

About the Talk: Bombs, Bullets & BFF’s: Northern Ireland, Conflict and Reconciliation
Drawing from lived experience and professional peacemaking work, Steve explores Northern Ireland’s decades-long conflict and the hard-won path to peace. This talk briefly examines the history of Northern Ireland and the conflict as well as the strategies used to move toward reconciliation, and how those lessons can help us understand conflict in our own communities. Through stories, history, and practical insight, Bombs, Bullets & BFF’s invites audiences to reflect on identity, division, and the possibilities for reconciliation—even in deeply divided societies.

February is Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention Month for Rotary International.

Mick Hale is a veteran educator with nearly 40 years of experience in both formal and informal classrooms. From 2015-2020, Mick was the Executive Director of Leadership Lincoln and in July of 2025, he returned to Leadership Lincoln in this role. Mick grew up in Pella, Iowa and came to Nebraska by way of Peru State College. Mick and his wife, Lisa, vice-president of Customer Service for LES, are active in the community supporting many civic causes. They have three children and two grandchildren they enjoy spending time with every chance they get.