Michael Paymar

Background

About Michael Paymar

Michael Paymar is an author, film producer, keynote speaker, consultant and trainer. Michael is the executive director of Education for Critical Thinking. Michael with his long-time colleague the late Dr. Ellen Pence developed Creating a Process of Change for Men Who Batter the most widely used treatment program for domestic abuse offenders in the country. Michael and Ellen wrote the award-winning documentary With Impunity: Men and Gender Violence an exploration into how our culture supports men’s use of violence against women and girls through domestic violence, rape, violent pornography and trafficking. Michael is the author of the book Violent No More: Helping Men End Domestic Abuse,(3rd Edition) published by Turner Publishers. It's the #1 seller on Amazon in the intimate partner violence field in 2015. Michael served on the Duluth City Council for eight years. He was president of the Council and Finance Chair. Michael was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1996 and served 9 terms representing the City of St. Paul. He chaired the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee which has financial oversight over the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Department of Corrections, Department of Human Rights and crime victim programs. In 2014, he spoke to the International Parliamentary Union in Geneva Switzerland challenging members of parliament to do more to confront gender violence in their countries. Also, in 2014 on behalf of the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, he accepted the Gold Policy Award, in Geneva, for the Duluth Model, voted the best international policy on domestic violence. Michael was a leader in Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project and worked the Battered Women's Justice Project.