Dr. William D. Kimsey is a communication scholar, mediator, and negotiation specialist whose career spans more than four decades of teaching, research, and applied conflict resolution. Born at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, he has dedicated his professional life to the disciplined study of rhetoric, principled negotiation, and strategic communication—competencies essential to effective leadership in complex and high-stakes environments.
He earned his Ph.D. in Communication and Research Methods from Southern Illinois University (1977), following graduate study in Human Communication at Arizona State University (1975) and undergraduate work in Speech and Journalism at East Tennessee State University (1972). His academic preparation established a foundation in research design, persuasion, public discourse, and the practical application of communication theory to leadership and conflict engagement.
Dr. Kimsey is Professor Emeritus at James Madison University, where he served from 1979 to 2012 as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Communication. During his tenure, he also held administrative leadership roles including Director of Assessment and Interim Director of the School of Communication Studies. He currently serves as Adjunct Professor of Rhetoric & Public Address at Virginia Military Institute, engaging cadets in disciplined inquiry, ethical persuasion, and principled public leadership.
His international work includes directing conflict resolution study tours in Ireland examining the legacy of the “Troubles,” and teaching negotiation, mediation, and strategic communication at Vietnam National University and the Hanoi School of Business. He also served as a Communication Instructor at the Ho Chi Minh City Development Learning Center, where he provided executive-level instruction to emerging business and public-sector leaders navigating modernization and cross-cultural communication challenges. His cross-cultural scholarship has examined communication competence and conflict management styles in both American and Vietnamese contexts.
In applied settings, Dr. Kimsey served nearly two decades as a certified court-referred mediator and mediation trainer. He co-directed the Center for Mediation at James Madison University and co-owned Mediation Associates, LLC. As a Subject Matter Expert in negotiation, he provided training for U.S. Marines and uniformed personnel operating in high-conflict operational environments, integrating communication theory with mission-focused practice.
Dr. Kimsey is the author of multiple editions of Mediator Communication Competencies: Problem Solving and Transformative Practices and numerous scholarly articles in leading journals including Conflict Resolution Quarterly, Asian Profiles, and Mediation Quarterly. His Seven-Phase Model of Conflict and the development of CONFLICTALK (Conflict Talk), a conflict message-style assessment instrument used in the United States, Israel, and Mexico, continue to inform leadership development and mediation training programs.
Most recently, he has supported Virginia’s Veterans Poetry Project, facilitating workshops that assist veterans in transforming lived experience into disciplined, expressive writing—an extension of his enduring commitment to resilience, principled dialogue, and service.
A member of the Marine Corps Marathon Runners Club and resident of Calluna Farm in Raphine, Virginia, Dr. Kimsey remains active in scholarship, teaching, and community engagement. His continuing intellectual work explores what he terms the “adjacent possible” in communication studies—the expanding horizon of opportunity created when rigorous research, rhetorical clarity, and principled negotiation converge in the service of leadership.