Lauren Reitsema serves on the executive leadership team at CRE (Center for Relationship Education). The author of In Their Shoes, she regularly speaks to youths, adults, and corporate teams. Joneen Mackenzie, an RN and former 1st Lt. in the USAF Nurse Corps, founded CRE, which has certified more than 15,000 educators in its REAL Essentials relationship skills curricula. She participates in national public health standards policy through numerous board memberships. The authors live in Colorado.