Speakers and Presenters
Hon. Michael R. Meise, Former Juvenile Court Judge
Michael Richard Meise, the son of German immigrants, was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. In 1964, at the age of five, his family moved to Dickson, Tennessee. Meise graduated from Dickson County Senior High School in 1976. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree, Suma Cum Laude, in Music Education and a Master of Arts degree, with honors, in Language and Literature from Austin Peay State University.
Meise was a public-school teacher for 35 years before pursuing a career in law. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law, where he was a member of the NSL Legal Society and served on the Honor Council. Meise graduated in 2007 and was admitted to the Tennessee Bar the same year. He served as an Assistant Public Defender in the 23rd Judicial District and was elected to the bench of the Dickson County Juvenile and Probate Court in 2014, where he served for eight years. As judge of the juvenile court, he dedicated his time and passion to the welfare of the families that came before him. He was the recipient of the 2020 Senator Douglas Henry Outstanding Public Official Award presented by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. He is a trained presenter in the area of Adverse Childhood Experiences and is devoted to trauma-informed approaches in seeking successful dispositions.
Michael Meise is a member of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, where he served on the legislative committee. He is also a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Mid-Cumberland Council on Children and Youth, and the Drug Free Coalition of Dickson County. Meise is also on the board of the Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation and CASA of Tennessee. Meise is a member of the Dickson Good Morning Rotary Club and director of the Chancel Choir of the Dickson First Presbyterian Church. Meise has managed his own law firm since 2007. His primary areas of practice include Wills and Estate Planning, Probate, Juvenile Law, Criminal Defense, and Contracts. He has been married to Cindy Freeman for over 44 years. Ms. Freeman was the director of choral activities at Dickson County High School for 45 years.
Lauren Burge, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Lauren Burge, MD, is a Child Abuse Pediatrician and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is a member of the CARES team at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and completes medical evaluations of children with concerns of abuse or neglect. She graduated medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and completed her pediatric residency at the University of Oklahoma. She also completed a 3-year fellowship in Child Abuse Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. After residency, Dr. Burge served as Chief Resident and served 2 years as a general pediatrician working with foster children and their families before beginning her career in Child Abuse Pediatrics. She moved to Memphis, TN where she is just one of a handful of fellowship-trained child abuse pediatricians in the state. She is currently the Clerkship Director for the Pediatric Clerkship for third year medical students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Her interests in the field include community outreach with an emphasis on education and the prevention of child abuse. Dr. Burge has authored multiple publications and has participated in numerous presentations on topics such as the recognition and reporting of child maltreatment, adverse childhood experiences, and corporal punishment.
Jon S. Ebert, PsyD
Clinical Psychologist HSP
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Director, Vanderbilt Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody (COE)
Dr. Ebert is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor in Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center & Associate Professor in Vanderbilt Department of Human & Organizational Development. He has over 25 years experience and expertise in clinical, consultation and training in the assessment and delivery of services to children and families who have experienced traumatic stress and mental health challenges. Dr. Ebert is the Director of the Vanderbilt Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody (COE) which is part of a statewide network funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee to improve the public health by enhancing the quality of services provided to children in or at-risk of entering the Tennessee child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Dr. Ebert is the Director of the APA approved Internship in Professional Psychology (VUMC-IPP) and postdoctoral fellowship training program.
