HNCF Faculty

Alberta Becenti, Consultant, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:55:28 -0600

Alberta Becenti (Navajo) is the IHS Health Promotion/Disease Prevention consultant in Rockville, MD. She is originally from Crownpoint, New Mexico. Her clan is Red Chin and born for the Water People. Alberta received her MPH from the University of Oklahoma and has over 15 years of experience in health promotion.

ABecenti@hqe.ihs.gov

Margaret Bluehorse-Anderson, Coach, Faculty, Logistics Coordinator

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:55:14 -0600

Hi, my name is Margaret Bluehorse-Anderson and I joined the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Team on April 2, 2007. I am a full-blooded Dine (Navajo) and reside on the Navajo Nation in a small community called Shiprock. I am of the Bitter-Water Clan (maternal) and born for the Water-Edge Plan (paternal). My maternal grandparents clan is the Spanish people and my paternal grandparents clan are the Red Running into Water Clan. I am 42 years old and have been married for 21 years to a wonderful husband. We have been blessed with two beautiful children. Our oldest son is 21 years old and our youngest son is 15 years old. My hobbies are reading, singing, watching old classic movies, and spending lots and lots of time with family.

I have worked 15 years as an alcohol/drug counselor in a residential treatment center on our reservation. I have worked 4 years in the mental health field with a day program for schizophrenia patients. I am looking forward to this new challenge with the “Healthy Native Communities Fellowship” I enjoyed meeting new relatives and very open to learning/teaching. The “creator” has blessed me with gifts of conducting sweatlodge ceremonies, talking circles, singing and many other gifts relevant to our native people.

Margaret.bluehorse-anderson@ihs.gov

Roberto Chene, Consultant, Intercultural Communication, Leadership and Conflict Resolution

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:54:58 -0600

Roberto has degrees in Philosophy, Theology and has done post-graduate work in Social Welfare Policy at Brandeis University. He has deep roots and extensive experience in social justice work within the Chicano-Latino community. He has organized and been part of various multi-cultural coalitions. Roberto’s work includes the exploration of leadership and relationship building activities that are integral to creating authentic intercultural community. Roberto is former co-chair of the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution.

rchene@comcast.net

Shelley M. Frazier, National ‘Just Move It’ Coordinator

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:54:40 -0600

Is Dziltl’ahnii, born for Kin lichíi’nii, maternal grandparents are Tsin sikaadnii, and paternal grandparents are Táchii’nii. Working as Health Promotion Specialist and National "Just Move It" Campaign Coordinator, with the Indian Health Service Shiprock Health Promotion Program and National Prevention Initiative, Shelley (Navajo) coordinates a wide variety of activities aimed at building and strengthening healthy families and communities. As the coordinator of the successful Navajo Nation "Just Move It" physical activity promotion program, Shelley has seen the program grow from 482 participants in 1993 to over 45,000 people currently. The lessons learned from this effort have been used to develop the National "Just Move It" Campaign. Shelley is a key partner in many other community health promotion efforts from the local to the national level. Shelley received her Masters in Public Health from the University of New Mexico. She lives in Beclabito, New Mexico, and is a mom of two cool boys who are high school wrestlers. She and her husband manage a youth wrestling program for Shiprock and surrounding communities.

shelley.frazier@ihs.gov

Marita Jones, Director, Healthy Native Communities Fellowship

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:54:24 -0600

Marita Jones (Navajo) is Bitterwater clan born for Manygoats clan, her maternal grandparent is Folded Arms Clan and paternal grandparent is Towering House Clan. Marita and Tom live in Cortez, Colorado with 3 playful dogs, too many cats and several horses.

Marita has been working with communities in Health Education and Health Promotion for over 15 years. Her passion for learning and connecting with people has led her to work with several communities throughout Indian country and across multiple cultures. Marita has a Master of Public Health degree in Community Health Education and Promotion from Loma Linda University, California. Currently, she is the Field Coordinator with National Health Promotion Initiative, the Director of the Healthy Native Communities Fellowship and coordinates the Community Wellness Champion Forums. Love of family, nature, photography, reading, movies, and walking keeps her moving towards her goal - to enjoy and learn from life’s experiences every day.

marita.jones@ihs.gov (505) 368-6567

Janet L. Hayes, Health Promotion Coordinator

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:54:03 -0600

Janet L. Hayes is Navajo (maternal clan: Tangle People, paternal clan: Water Flows Together, maternal grandparent clan: Salt People, and paternal grandparent clan: Bitter Water). She is a Health Promotion Specialist with the Northern Navajo Medical Center - Shiprock Health Promotion Program in Shiprock, New Mexico. Janet provides support and assistance to a team of committed colleagues who are focused on promoting health and wellness to families and communities at both the local and national level. Janet also takes part in various roles on a management team who have a reputation for making impossible things happen.

Her encouragement comes from home, and two baseball fanatic boys. Her latest and greatest achievement include: obtaining her Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of New Mexico and completing three marathons.

janet.hayes@ihs.gov

Kris Maltrud, Consultant- UNM Learning/Feedback Team

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:53:39 -0600

Kristine Maltrud works with communities and groups as an evaluator and planner. She’s most interested in participatory evaluation and research, encouraging the wisdom and expertise that resides in every community. Kristine is a native New Mexican and lives in Albuquerque right near the Rio Grande river. She currently works with American Indian/Alaska Native communities throughout the Southwest and the United States in the areas of leadership development and increasing community capacity. Kris received her Master’s in Public Health from U.C. Berkeley in 1990.

Kris is also a dancer and performer and loves to teach movement to children and people of all ages and walks of life.

kmalt@unm.edu

Orlando Pioche, Faculty and Experiential Learning Coordinator

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:53:25 -0600

Orlando (Navajo/Spanish, Clans: Salt/Spanish People) is a substance abuse program specialist, ropes course manager/instructor/trainer with the Northern Navajo Medical Center Health Promotion Unit. He is licensed with the New Mexico Therapy Practice Board as a Alchohol and Drug Counselor and has worked in the field of addictions prevention, treatment and recovery for the past 25 years. He has worked with Native and non-Native youth, adults and elders in promoting health and wellness through counseling, experiential and didactic learning activities and through traditional/cultural/spiritual education, ceremony and support.

orlandoj.pioche@ihs.gov

Chris Percy, Faculty, Co-Chair of National IHS Health Promotion Council

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:53:06 -0600

Chris is born of the Wooden Shoe people (Dutch) and the Eats lots of Potatoes people (Irish). Although he is originally from Wisconsin, he has been part of the Navajo family for over 20 years. Chris is a family practice physician with Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico. He serves multiple roles as the Director of Community Health Services and as the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Consultant for the Navajo area. Dr. Percy played a key role in creating and implementing the National Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Initiative across Indian country. Working to improve the health and wellness of Native communities, he has been a champion of communities being in the driver seat and using Navajo traditional philosophies to guide the work towards healthier Native communities.

chris.percy@ihs.gov

Becca Rae, Learning/Feedback Team

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:52:39 -0600

Becca Rae is Jicarilla Apache from Dulce, NM, but is currently residing in Albuquerque completing her Masters program at the University of New Mexico. She is working on a dual degree in Community & Regional Planning and Water Resources. She is looking forward to graduating this coming May 2008! She works on multiple community projects at UNM in the Masters of Public Health Department of Family & Community Medicine. She is part of the Evaluation Learning Team with the Healthy Native Communities Fellowship. She enjoys working with Native communities especially with Native youth. She loves the outdoors, sports, family, traveling, learning about new cultures and loves to eat! :)

rrae@salud.unm.edu

Karen Sandoval, Healthy Native Communities Fellowship and Navajo Communities in Action for Wellness

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:51:25 -0600

(Navajo – Towering House People clan, born for Zuni People clan, Maternal Grandfather is Salt clan, and Paternal Grandfather is Red Cheek clan) Karen serves as a community facilitator and trainer with Navajo Health Promotion and Navajo Communities in Action for Wellness. Karen earned her Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Colorado State University. She previously worked with the Council of Energy Resource Tribes Education Program and as a facilitator and trainer, working with multiple Native and Tribal communities across the country and Canada. Karen has 2 happy and talkative children, Marissa (13 years old) and Viano (7 years old). In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, watching movies, gardening, cooking, baking, trying out new recipes, visiting libraries and museums, and taking walks with her family.

karen.sandoval@ihs.gov (505) 368-6566

Jeffrey Stowell, Consultant – Faculty and WorkStation

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:49:09 -0600

Jeff Stowell is a consultant with Community Systems Group in Lawrence, KS. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas School of Law. For the past 8 years, Jeff has worked with communities all across the United States striving to improve health and wellness. Specifically, Jeff has worked with communities to plan, implement and evaluate efforts to reduce substance abuse, improve physical activity and nutritional habits, reduce teen pregnancy and improve literacy. He has also worked to help communities use technology as a tool in their efforts to improve health. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys playing guitar, playing basketball and spending time with his Labrador Retriever, Ellie.

jstowell@communitysystemsgroup.com

Tina Tso, Travel Coordinator and Community Facilitator

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:47:17 -0600

Tina Tso is Navajo originally from Tuba City, Arizona. She works as a Program Assistant and Community Facilitator with the Shiprock Health Promotion Program. Tina provides training and support to many community groups and enjoys helping them develop their own community wellness plans. For the Fellowship, Tina serves as the Travel Coordinator and faculty. Tina is most proud of her family, her husband Rody, and daughters Kristin and Ariana.

tina.tso@ihs.gov (505) 368-7429

Frances Varela, Consultant -Curriculum Development

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:45:24 -0600

Frances is Mexican-American (Father born in Zacatecas, Mexico and Mother Irish/German). She has three children and a very large, close knit extended family. Her two symbols are coyote, because she has spent her life crossing boundaries of culture, geography, perspectives and turtle, because it takes a long time for her to learn certain lessons, but she keeps at it. She is a nurse by training and a community activist/children and family advocate by experience. She has held many jobs at the national, regional, state and local level working mostly in public health, community development and maternal and child health. She has experience in policy development, advocacy, program planning and development, grant writing, curriculum development. She is a level II Reiki practitioner and works with other traditional Mexican healers to provide healing services through the Kalpulli Izkalli in Albuquerque’s South Valley.

frances.varela@sprynet.com

Nina Wallerstein - UNM Consultant, Learning/Feedback Team

Sat, 17 May 2008 22:37:13 -0600

Nina Wallerstein, Dr.P.H., Professor and Director of the Masters in Public Health Program, at the School of Medicine, University of New Mexico has worked in empowerment education, community listening approaches, and the popular education philosophy of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire for over 30 years. She has co-authored books for educators in adult and public health education, with her latest book, Problem-Posing at Work: A Popular Educator’s Guide, Grassroots Press, Alberta, Canada, 2004. She has worked to promote healthy communities in both Latin America and the U.S., and has specifically worked with Tribes to develop understandings and assessment tools for community capacity, for Tribal public health infrastructure development, and for alcohol prevention. She is committed to participatory research (Minkler and Wallerstein, Community-Based Research for Health) in all of her work with communities, including youth and women’s empowerment programs, healthy community evaluation, and alcohol intervention research.