RON L. DEAL is a family therapist, an international conference speaker specializing in marriage enrichment and stepfamily education, and a podcaster. His top selling books, online articles, and media appearances make him one of the most widely read and referenced authors on blended families in North America. His widely endorsed bestselling books include Building Love Together in Blended Families: The 5 Love Languages and Becoming Stepfamily Smart (coauthored with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman) and The Smart Stepfamily: 7 Steps to a Healthy Family. His latest book designed for engaged and pre-engaged couples is Preparing to Blend: The Couple's Guide to Becoming a Smart Stepfamily.

Ron is founder and president of Smart Stepfamilies™ and director of FamilyLife Blended®, a division of FamilyLife®. He is author and editor of the Smart Stepfamily Series of books including the Amazon bestselling books The Smart Stepfamily, The Smart Stepfamily Small Group Resource DVD and Participant Guide (8-session video series), The Smart Stepdad, Dating and the Single Parent, The Smart Stepmom (with Laura Petherbridge), The Smart Stepfamily Marriage (with Dr. David Olson, formerly titled The Remarriage Checkup), Daily Encouragement for The Smart Stepfamily (with Dianne Neal Matthew), The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning (with Greg S. Pettys & David O. Edwards), Preparing to Blend, and Building Love Together in Blended Families (with Dr. Gary Chapman).

He is a member of the Stepfamily Expert Council for the National Stepfamily Resource Center and is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional counselor. Ron is also a featured contributor on the video curriculum FamilyLife's Art of Parenting (2018) and Single and Parenting (2011), and his resources are widely recommended and distributed by a variety of family education initiatives. Ron's popular podcast is called FamilyLife Blended.

He has appeared on numerous national TV and radio programs and his work with stepfamilies has been published/quoted by the New York Times, Good Morning America.com, The Wall Street Journal, Vox.com, CNBC.com, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, U.S. News and World Report, Consumer Reports, Ladies Home Journal, and newspapers/blogs throughout the world. Ron's daily one-minute radio feature FamilyLife Blended can be heard on social media and on over 800 radio outlets around the world.

He and his wife, Nan, have been married since 1986 and have three boys. Find resources and conference information at RonDeal.org and FamilyLife.com/blended.

Dianne Neal Matthews is the author of five daily devotional books, including The One Year Women of the Bible and Designed for Devotion: A 365-Day Journey from Genesis to Revelation (a 2013 Selah Award winner). Dianne also writes for websites and blogs, contributes to compilation books, including Mornings with Jesus (Guideposts Books), and enjoys teaching at writers' conferences. A mother and grandmother, Dianne currently lives in southwest Louisiana. Learn more at www.DianneNealMatthews.com.

Greg Pettys is a Certified Financial Planner™ with over 34 years of experience in the financial services industry. As a CFP®, he has worked with thousands of high net worth individuals, successful business owners, and their legal and tax planning teams to implement estate planning techniques, complex wealth transfer concepts, business transition strategies, executive benefits, and creative uses of charitable trusts. He attended Georgetown College and also has the professional designations of ChFC, (Chartered Financial Consultant) and CLU, (Chartered Life Underwriter).

Through a collaborative team planning approach with attorneys and CPA's, Greg helps blended families to both reach their personal financial goals and expand their impact with multi-generational wealth transfers.

Greg is an ordained pastor with a focus on helping those less fortunate, especially those in prisons and in the nation of India. He resides in Springfield, Illinois with Johnita, his wife of 30 years, and is the proud father of six children and a grandson.

David O. Edwards is an estate planning and elder law attorney based in Springfield, Illinois. He has practiced law for more than twenty years and has extensive experience working with families who have concerns about passing their estate to their loved ones as well as providing long-term care for their parents and themselves. He also coaches blended families on legal and financial issues and is the co-author of The Smart Stepfamily Guide to Financial Planning. David speaks regularly at Ron L. Deal's Smart Stepfamily events. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children.