Dublin graduate Sylvia (Parham) Burleson is an expert in helping people communicate and work through their differences. From her career as a mediator, providing conflict resolution services outside of the courtroom, to her years-long marriage ministry, where she helps couples focus on marriage recovery and rehab, Burleson’s empathy and communication skills have helped hundreds of people in her community and beyond.
Burleson graduated from Dublin High School in 1990 where she was a part of the Dublin High School Band and Dandi-Lion Drill Team. During her time in high school, she modeled and competed in pageants on the side, winning Miss Dublin 1989.
After graduating, Sylvia went to Tarleton, majoring in criminal justice. In 1991 she married her childhood sweetheart Erik Burleson, and the next year she transferred to Howard Payne.
Erik was a firefighter, and his job took them to Brownwood. For the first few years after she graduated college, Burleson worked at the Heartland Mall in Brownwood, hosting fashion shows and working as a manager for Bealls. During this time she also directed the Heartland area pageant for the Brownwood Fire Department, helping girls go on to the Miss Teen Texas and Texas contest.
After a few years in Brownwood, the Burlesons decided to build a home in DeLeon on Erik’s family tree nursery. Once they moved, Sylvia became a stay-at-home mom, at times homeschooling her three children. She also remained active in their church, Cottonwood Baptist. There, she and her husband Erik started a marriage ministry, Cottonwood Married Life.
Later, she decided to go back to work, and earned her real estate license in the late 1990s. She worked as a real estate agent in the Stephenville area for five years. Later she earned her basic mediation certification, then earned her certification in family, senior citizen, and municipal. She has been meditating for 18 years and loves what she does.
Sylvia runs B5 Mediation and Cross Timbers DRP. She mediates for JP, county, district, municipal, family services, and federal as well as doing private mediations. Sylvia recently received Mediator of the Year from the Texas Association of Mediators in 2024. She mediates for many counties in Texas including Tarrant and Erath. “These counties have great judges, clerks, and employees that support the process of mediation,” she said.
Sylvia’s communication work doesn’t stop at mediation — she and her late husband, Erik also started a marriage ministry at Cottonwood Baptist Church. They later worked with a worldwide crisis program to help couples having trouble with their marriage. “We visited with approximately 60 people a week for five years,” she said.
Sylvia continues to work with couples, mostly through churches, but Erik passed away in 2022 from chemicalinduced esophageal cancer. His illness was a result of his long career as a firefighter. Erik’s case was not unique; several other firefighters in the area have gotten cancer after years of working with carcinogenic chemicals.
To try and help the situation, Sylvia, along with her children and friends, started a foundation in her husband’s name. “It’s called the Erik Burleson Firefighter Cancer Foundation,” she said. “We’re trying to educate fire departments and raise money to purchase better gear and secondary testing. Their gear — their uniforms, the pants, actually — have carcinogens in them.” Syliva’s daughter Emily serves as the president, and her sons Brayden and Laramie serve as co-Vice Presidents of the organization.
When Syliva has free time, she enjoys spending it with her family. She has one daughter, Emily, 30 married to Anthony, and two sons, Brayden, 27 who is married to Shannon, and Laramie, 24 who is married to Faith.
Her father Carroll Parham has a music studio in Stephenville. Sylvia loves playing the stand-up bass and enjoys sitting and playing music with her father when they can. Her mother Norma Jean Gilbert Parham is a long time resident of Dublin and is also a Dublin graduate.
Sylvia’s inspiration is her late husband and her children. “They all love well,” she said. Erik and I walked through a lot of stuff and Erik never stopped working on us and loved me well. Losing him was also my biggest obstacle as he was my best friend for 32 years. Learning to do life without him has been challenging. I am who I am because he loved me.”
To future graduates Sylvia would say to live life putting your faith first, then family, and then your career. Don’t miss a moment of opportunity with family. Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen. com.