Unified Solutions is proud of its highly-qualified and diverse team of staff, consultants, project partners, and mentors. Providing fresh insight and relevant, skills-based practices that can be applied immediately in the workplace, these respected professionals deliver valuable information and assistance to tribal community programs. They share their own personal and professional experiences from the heart and provide a level of support that reinforces the strength and dignity of tribal cultures.

Unified Solutions Technical Assistance Staff

Aaliyah Gina Gavaris, LPC
Executive Director
gina@unified-solutions.org

Gina is a licensed professional counselor and founder and executive director of Unified Solutions Tribal Community Development Group, Inc., a 501c3 national nonprofit agency dedicated to partnering with AI/AN communities and their allies to end violent crime, heal from the effects of trauma, and celebrate resilience. Unified Solutions is the current Training and Technical Assistance Provider for Tribal Victim Assistance Programs sponsored by the Office for Victims of Crime, US Department of Justice. Formerly, Gina directed the Walking in Balance Family Violence Intervention Programs at the Pascua Yaqui (Hiaki) Tribe, where she established numerous programs, including the tribal victim compensation program, tribal batterer re-education program, and the Yoeme Traditional Arts Program. She has co-chaired the Southwest Indian Coalition Against Domestic Violence, chaired the Pascua Yaqui Collaborative Community Response Team, and served as a member of the Federal and Tribal Effective Sex Offender Management Teams and Tribal Public Safety Committee. She assisted in drafting and introducing new legislation for the Pascua Yaqui Victim Rights Ordinance, the Sex Offender Notification Law, the Collaborative Community Response Protocol, and helped broaden definitions of domestic abuse and sexual assault for the Tribal Code. Gina has current board seats as the Vice-President of Marketing and Membership at the American Society of Training and Development of Southern Arizona and as Community Liaison for the Counselors for Social Justice Division of the American Counseling Association (ACA). She is a professional member of the ACA and the American Mental Health Counselors Association, and an advisory board member for the Native American Circle Domestic Violence Fatality Review initiative, and the National Center for Victims of Crime Victim Assistance Online Training project. She sits on the curriculum development committee of the national American Indian/Alaska Native Victim Assistance Academy. She is the author of "A Cross-Cultural Introduction to Working with Native Americans who are Victims of Crime."

Natalia Calhoun Tseteesia
Training & Development Specialist
Lummi Nation
natalia@unified-solutions.org

Natalia is an enrolled member of the Lummi Nation located in northwest Washington State. As the former manager of the Lummi Victims of Crime Program, Natalia successfully lead the development of the first Native Domestic Violence Shelter in the State of Washington. She has experience and/or provided training in domestic violence, sexual abuse, stalking, teen dating violence, elder abuse, healthy relationships, managing grants, management, development and managing domestic violence shelters, victim advocacy, violence in the workplace and child abuse. Natalia has served on many boards and committees including the following: Washington State Commission Against Domestic Violence Board of Directors, Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence and served as Chairperson for the Victims and Children Committee, Audit Committee member (evaluated the response to Domestic Violence by the Whatcom County Sheriff, Bellingham Police Department, Jail and 911), Washington State Crime Victims Compensation Advisory Committee, Violence in Indian Country Working Group, TVA Advisory Committee, and the Lummi: Health and Law and Justice Commissions, Election, Certifying and Constitution Revision Committees.

Natalia’s knowledge and experience in leadership and management has developed from holding joint-ownership in four different businesses where she was responsible for management, daily operations, and bookkeeping. She has also gained experience in management, team supervision and group presentation from her employment with Morrison-Knudsen Construction Company, Inc. in the human resources and the engineering department, as a program manager for both the Work Experience Center and Job Training Partner Act at Northwest Indian College and working in Lummi Tribal Administration as a manager for the Victims of Crime Program, the Land Development, and the Council Operations Department. Natalia’s enjoyment of flying began at age 19 and lead her to successfully solo a Cessna 350. Natalia’s travel-lust has resulted in travel throughout Europe, to Africa, to Mexico and all but five of the United States. An avid runner, Natalia has completed 2 marathons and numerous half-marathons.

Dianne Barker Harrold
Attorney General for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee
Cherokee
dianne@unified-solutions.org

A member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Barker-Harrold has lived her entire life in Northeastern Oklahoma. She attended Northeastern State University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelors in Social Work and Psychology with a double minor in Criminal Justice and Humanities. She obtained her Juris Doctor at the University Of Tulsa College Of Law. Since that time she has served as a district attorney for eight years and was in private practice for 18 years. While in private practice she served as tribal court judge for thirteen Indian Tribes in Oklahoma. In 1994 she was elected District Attorney for the 27th Prosecutorial District of Oklahoma and served two, four year terms in that capacity. In February of 2003, she was appointed as Attorney General for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees in Oklahoma and currently serves in that capacity.

Dianne Barker-Harrold has taught as an adjunct professor for ten years at NSU in Tahlequah and currently teaches at Bacone College as an adjunct instructor in the area of business law. She has been a contract trainer for the Oklahoma Regional Community Policing Institute training law enforcement agencies throughout the State of Oklahoma in the areas of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking. She is co-owner and partner of Three Starr Consulting as a gaming consultant and serves as a contract trainer for USTCDGI in Tucson, Arizona. She is also a certified trainer for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. She is married to a law enforcement officer and has three daughters and six grandchildren. Her hobbies are gardening and cross stitching and crafts.

Stanley L. Pryor
TA Operations Manager

Stanley Pryor has more than 25 years experience in providing technical assistance and training to federal, state, and local governments; community-based organizations and advocacy groups in program development, needs assessment, community partnerships and planning. His faculty appointments include the Georgetown University, School of Medicine (Research Associate) and the Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Social Work (Assistant Professor). Since 1976 he has worked in the human services field with vulnerable populations including crime victims, people with disabilities, American Indian/Alaska Native groups, and young children. As a senior program manager for ICF International, he served as project director for the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) contract, managing the delivery of technical assistance and training to federal, state, local and tribal victim service providers and allied professionals across the Nation. Throughout his career Mr. Pryor has gained expertise in designing, developing and implementing adult learning training and technical assistance initiatives for the federal government (Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services), universities (e.g., Georgetown University, Virginia Commonwealth University), and state and local faith-based and community organizations. He managed the development of numerous training curricula and materials and Technical Assistance toolkits, including Strategic Planning Tool Kit for Victim Service Organizations, Victim Notification and Safety in Relation to Offender Reentry, The Essential Elements of State Child Care Administration, and Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect of Disabled Preschoolers.

As Project Director for OVC TTAC, his responsibilities included project management, coordination with OVC senior management, budget development, and coordination and delivery of training and technical assistance (TTA) to the field of victim services. He was the principle presenter for OVC at national conferences related to OVC TTAC, facilitated OVC national symposiums, the Victims of Crime Act Administrators and Tribal Victim Assistance working group, and the DOJ OVC/ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) federal working group on Anti-Trafficking task forces. He developed the training and technical assistance contractual system for OVC TTAC. This work included developing the infrastructure and written guidelines for the OVC technical assistance response to requests from both federal and non-profit agencies, the review and approval policies and procedures for the OVC scholarship, conference support and conduct guidelines for all OVC consultants. Additionally, he was a strategic OVC partner in the design and implementation the OVC training strategy; developing Technical Assistance blurbs for the OVC annual Report to Congress, and the re-design of the OVC National Victim Assistance Academy. Most recently he managed and facilitated a six month series of meetings for the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), bringing more the 16 Federal agencies together as a working group to determine the technical assistance and training needs of the 42 BJA funded Anti-Human Trafficking task forces. He managed the development of the final report to the General Accounting Office on the working group which provides the framework for future training and technical assistance to the task forces.

Melissa E. Riley
Training and Technical Assistance Specialist
Mescalero Apache Tribe
melissa@unified-solutions.org

Melissa is married with 4 children, and is a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. She is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where she received her B.A. in Human and Community Services, with a minor in Community Health and a minor in Criminal Justice. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology, and a teaching license. Melissa has worked over 11 years in Native American communities in Arizona and New Mexico, where she received case management experience in child and adult protection services and advocating for victims rights. Her work experience has enabled her to work with Native Americans in the behavioral health sector and create innovative services for small communities that respect and promote wellness.

Melissa has performed extensive research in areas such as the ‘Impact of Incarceration on the Family Structure’ and ‘Multicultural Counseling’. She has been a co-principal to a Native American environmental consulting company, an active participant in the New Mexico Native American Sub-Committee for Indian Affairs and is a member of the Work Task Force Sub-committee for NM Native Americans. She has been honored to be a guest speaker at numerous conferences in New Mexico advocating for older adults rights, as well as promoting higher education for Native Americans. Melissa has developed training/presentations revolving around the necessity of service providers to be culturally proficient when working with Native Americans, as well as the diversity of religion/spirituality in Native communities as it relates to self-efficacy.

Claudia Rivas
Project Assistant
claudia@unified-solutions.org

Claudia is a part time employee at Unified Solutions. She is pleased to be working for Unified Solutions because she believes that it is an environment where she can constantly learn new things and feel good about what she is doing. Claudia is committed to helping people and knows that Unified Solutions will provide her with the opportunity to provide support and assistance to Native American communities.

Claudia is originally from Hermosillo, Sonora, but has lived in Tucson for over 15 years. She is very blessed to have a rich culture full of traditions and beliefs and is dedicated to helping fellow minorities succeed. Claudia’s long term goals are to travel through out all of Latin America, write her own book based on her cultural experiences and cultural knowledge, help Mexican immigrants succeed in the U.S, and to enjoy every moment of life that she is blessed with.

Sereena Hogan
Desktop Publisher

Sereena Hogan has been a consultant with Unified Solutions since January 2004. She works as a desktop publisher from her home office in Tucson, Arizona, creating the layout and design as well as editing, proofing, and coordinating the printing of the bi-monthly newsletter as well as brochures, manuals, and other printed matter for the organization. She is also the official photographer for the annual Faith-Based Forum and TVA Conference, and creates video slideshows from the many photos taken at the conferences.

In addition to her work with nonprofit organizations, Sereena has an extensive background in clerical work and office management in the medical and legal fields. She also serves as National Vice President/National Legislative Representative for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Auxiliary.

Jesucita Hernandez
Program Manager

Jesucita Hernandez is a Program Manager for Unified Solutions Tribal Community Development Group, Inc. She is an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and Native Arizonan, where she grew up in the town of Guadalupe, Arizona. While pursuing her degree in Business Management and Marketing from the University of Phoenix, Jesucita worked for Tempe School District as a school liaison. There she learned more about the legal aspects of truancy and assisted the court with helping families in crisis situations. Realizing that she had a servant’s heart in working for people and wanted to give back to her community and her people, she pursued a position in victim services with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s Walking in Balance Program.

In April of 2003, Miss Hernandez was hired as a family violence intervention outreach worker. She formed a crisis response team to eliminate the gaps between other agencies and the Pascua Yaqui Tribal agencies. This team assisted in finding other resources that were available to assist victims of crime. As time moved forward, Miss Hernandez was able to bring speakers and trainers to the team, as they educated team members and elevated their own knowledge and expertise. Jesucita was selected by the team to chair and facilitate the crisis response team, now known as the Guadalupe Intervention Support Advocacy Team, which continues to thrive today. This program continues to grow and provide increased funding for the Walking in Balance Victim Services, which was an OVC and OVW funded program begun at Pascua Yaqui in 1996. First as an advocate and then as program manager for the Walking in Balance Program, Jesucita continued to educate communities and provide victim advocacy for victims of domestic violence.

Jesucita acknowledges the Walking in Balance Program for providing her the opportunity to work directly with victims of crime and provide advocacy, support, and hope. She also credits Unified Solutions Executive Director Gina Gavaris for her guidance, counsel, and encouragement, and says that surrounding oneself with people of experience and knowledge will give you the wisdom and strength to continue to fight for any cause, but most importantly for people. Today she loves working with teens and serves as a youth minister for her church. Jesucita is also thankful for the opportunities made available to her through Unified Solutions and looks forward to working together for results that matter

Linda Palmer
Business Manager

Linda Palmer has been a consultant with Unified Solutions since February 2006. After working in the administrative field for over 20 years, Linda established her own business providing bookkeeping and other confidential office services to clients from her Tucson home. Linda interacts with our accountants and auditors and handles day-to-day financial services for Unified Solutions. She also coordinates travel for our employees and consultants.

Besides working with non-profits, Linda’s clients include people in the medical field, publishers, craftsmen, retail merchants and other consultants.

Devennie Wauneka
Research & Publications Specialist
Navajo
devennie@unified-solutions.org

Devennie Wauneka

Devennie Wauneka is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, born and raised in Ft. Defiance, Arizona. Her parents are Ronni and Sam Wauneka, both dedicated to helping the Navajo community through law enforcement and elderly care. She grew up hearing stories passed down through generations from her grandmother, aunts, and parents. This empowered her to create, study, and preserve stories. Devennie left home at the age of 14 to attend Native American Preparatory School in Rowe, NM to further her studies in the written and spoken word. She joined the Poetry Slam team and was the Editor for the Yearbook, attending various writing-thinking workshops during the summers. In 2001, she was accepted to attend Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY to study English and Non-Fiction. Being one of the only Native Americans, she was able to set up her own curriculum to further analyze Native American and African American texts. Along the way, she had the pleasure of studying Italian Literature in Florence, Italy and traveled throughout Europe. Devennie graduated from Sarah Lawrence in 2006 receiving a B.A. in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Literature and a minor in Creative Non-Fiction. That summer she was an intern at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Indian in New York , where she worked in the Film and Video Center helping them set up for their Native American Film Festival. After moving from the east coast, she traveled the southwestern states reconnecting with grandparents, family members, and the surrounding homelands.

Tim Pershing
tim@unified-solutions.org

Tim Pershing

Tim comes to USTCDG with a background in communication, education, children’s issues, law and research and writing. He has been an advocate for abused and neglected children as an elementary school teacher, Court Appointed Special Advocate and YMCA director. He has also sharpened his research and writing skills as a journalist and law school graduate.

Tim was raised in Carson City, NV where he graduated high school in 1990. In 1994 he received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. He went on to pursue a teaching career and in 2000 he received a K-8 Teaching Certification from Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, NV. Tim taught elementary school from 2000-2002 and was accepted to law school at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA in 2002. He enjoys traveling, singing (poorly) in his car, sports, writing, biking, hiking, movies, history and spending time with friends and family.

He is excited to be working with a team of dedicated and passionate people and is looking forward to learning as much as possible about the grantee communities and looks forward to meeting everyone at the Post Awards in Palm Springs.

Rebecca Owl Morgan
Cherokee/Choctaw
becky@unified-solutions.org

Rebecca Owl Morgan

Becky Morgan is a Cherokee/Choctaw Indian and grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina on the Qualla Boundary. After graduation from the University of Montana with a B.A. in History she continued her studies at the University of Washington with a Masters of Library Science. She has built collections for a K-12 tribal school library and a Builders’ Resource Library. She has worked in school, academic and special libraries. She enjoys finding and making information available to all.

For ten years, Ms. Morgan served on the board of the Institute for Community Health Outreach. The nonprofit agency trained Health Outreach Workers to enter a community and provide services, referrals, healthcare, food and shelter. Ms. Morgan completed the training program and is a Certified Community Health Outreach Worker.

Ms. Morgan is married and is a proud grandmother of two fascinating grandchildren. She feels fortunate to be a part of the team working to assist in the resilience of Native peoples across the country.

USTCDG Project Partners

USCCGI Training Consultants

Gus Abeita
Director, Five Sandoval Behavioral Health Clinic
Laguna/Santa Domingo Pueblo

Gus is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna. He has more than 20 years experience working with tribal, city, state, and federal agencies providing mental health, addictions counseling, and child welfare services as well as managing and developing programs. He has been licensed by the State of New Mexico as an alcohol and drug abuse counselor.

Gus has served as Chairman of the Pueblo of Laguna Colony in Albuquerque, NM. He has also provided leadership to Native organizations such as the Albuquerque Area Intertribal Council on Substance Abuse and the NM Indian Behavioral Health Board. He has served as an advisory board member to the Young Eagle’s Wings Head Start Program in Wichita, KS, and has been the Head Coach for children’s tee-ball teams. Gus has served as a consultant and speaker for national organizations such as the National Public Child Welfare Administrators and the National Call to Action for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. He serves as an Expert Panel Member to the newly created National Resource Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare and as a member of the American Psychiatric Association/Child Welfare League of America Foster Care/Mental Health policy development board. He was also appointed to serve on the Tribal Victims Assistance National Work Group for the Office for Victims of Crime. He was awarded U.S. Children’s bureau Scholarship to complete graduate studies in Social Work at New Mexico Highlands University.

He currently works as an independent consultant to tribal, state, and federal programs serving children and their families, providing training and technical assistance with a focus on program and community development.

Detective Michael Johnson
Detective-- Plano Police Department

Detective Mike Johnson is a native of San Antonio, Texas. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

Mike Johnson joined the Plano Police Department in September 1982. Upon graduation from the Police Academy he spent four months as an undercover narcotics officer. After being assigned to the Patrol division for four years, Johnson transferred to the Criminal Investigations division in 1986 and began investigating child abuse. He is currently assigned to the Juvenile Division of the Plano Police Department.

Detective Johnson is considered a multicultural ambassador for child advocacy. He serves on the advisory board of and is a consultant to Unified Solutions Tribal Community Development Group, and is a past presenter at the Strengthening Indian Nations: Justice for Victims of Crime Conferences and the FBI’s Bureau of Indian Affairs child abuse trainings. He is a founding member of the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center, and in 1996 he was named the Center’s “Child Advocate of the Year”. Mike was appointed to the National Board of Directors for the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) in 1998, and was President of the APSAC Texas State Chapter.

In addition to serving on numerous national boards and task forces, including the National Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers, the Law Enforcement Subcommittee for several of APSAC’s National Colloquiums, and the Working Group for the establishment of the National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY), Johnson has been instrumental in helping shape Texas laws relating to child abuse. He has served on the Texas State Attorney General’s Sexual Offender Protocol Task Force and Senator Florence Shapiro’s Blue Ribbon committee to formulate the now instated “Ashley Laws.”

A well-known national speaker, he is now taking his message to the international arena, having been a featured speaker at ISPCAN’s (International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) International Congress in Durban, South Africa, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Child Protection Summit, the Norwegian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Oslo, Norway, and the Foundation for Protection and Justice in Santiago, Chile.

He frequently lectures at national and state conferences, and community programs focusing on multidisciplinary teams and their intervention in child maltreatment. He lives in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, with his wife and their three children.

Plano Police Department
P.O. Box 860358
Plano, Texas 75086-0358
(972) 941-2130 . (214) 495-3861 fax
michaelj@plano.gov
www.detectivemike.com

Barry Skye

Mr. Skye currently manages Skye Consulting Company in Superior Wisconsin. The company is Native American and a woman owned organization and serves both the Native and Non-native communities on issues ranging from domestic violence, non-profit program sustainability to database management and small office technical services. Mr. Skye schedules trainings, performs public speaking for national conferences, peer reviews grants for several federal agencies along with the duties of sales and marketing. Before this, Mr. Skye worked for Native American Circle Ltd based out of Avery Texas as their Projects director and manager for Sales and Marketing.
Barry Skye joined the staff of Native American Circle, Ltd. (NAC) in late 2003 as Project Director for NAC’s “urban initiative”, which was funded by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), with additional funding support from Indian Health Service for the work of NAC’s National Domestic Violence Urban Collaborative (NDVUC).
Before NAC he divided his time between national training, speaking engagements and working with Indian Men in the Domestic Abuse Program in Duluth Minnesota. His work as the Native Men’s Program Coordinator included monitoring offenders through the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project in Duluth. He has provided “in-services” and seminars to schools, colleges, social services providers, mental health workers, and has trained facilitators on the database system Duluth Minnesotan designed for tracking offenders in Metropolitan and rural areas. He has produced video for the Native men’s program and served on the board for two local Native women’s organizations and Indian Education for the Duluth School district. Barry has participated in numerous advanced training workshops for Native facilitators across the lower forty-eight and has trained facilitators in Duluth’s Power and Control model. He has lectured at conferences with the Domestic Abuse Program and Mending the Sacred Hoop Technical Assistance project and served as a faculty member of Mending the Sacred Hoop Technical Assistance Project. He served as an advisory board member for the Victim Advocacy Training Online Project developed by the National Center for Victims of Crime. He has also provided training on a variety of topics to tribes for the Office Victims of Crime serves as a consultant and grant peer reviewer for five federal funding agencies in Washington D.C.
He has a Bachelors of Arts degree from Park University in Kansas City Missouri. He served seven years with the United States Marine Corps ground force out of Camp Pendleton California and spent eight years as a school social worker in the St. Paul and Minneapolis School districts. Mr. Skye is an enrolled member of the LacDuFlambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin.

Michael Kaiser, SRC
Director, National Center for Victims of Crime

Michael Kaiser has worked in the area of victim assistance since 1983 and as the Director of Programs at the National Center for Victims of Crime since 2001. He oversees the Teen Victim Project, and the Stalking Resource Center, and has overseen the 1-800-FYI-CALL and the Training Institute. Mr. Kaiser also works on a variety of special initiatives at the National Center, including conducting focus groups with victims and providers, developing marketing strategies, providing technical assistance and training. Mr. Kaiser has a BA in Human Ecology from The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Throughout his career, Mr. Kaiser has developed new programs and expanded the capacities of communities to respond to victims, including developing model policies in the areas of police response to domestic violence and stalking; developing emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for battered women and intimidated victim/witnesses; creating training programs and service delivery protocols for identifying and serving domestic violence victims in the medical setting; and, implementing programs directed at addressing the issue of teen victimization. Mr. Kaiser has trained extensively training and the local and national level, including training police, doctors, youth development workers, employee assistance providers, prosecutors, and victim assistance providers. He has trained on broad range of issues, including: domestic violence, stalking, the use of technology to stalk, teen victims, community assessment, program evaluation, training and presentation skills, safety planning, crime victims and the media, fund raising, and collaboration.

Alejandro Benally
Chief of Police, San Carlos Apache Tribe
Navajo Nation

Coleen Clark
Domestic Violence Coordinator, Family Violence Resource Center,
Assiniboine

Coleen Clark is currently the domestic violence coordinator under the STOP Violence Against Indian Women for the Family Violence Resource Center. One duty coordinating fourteen volunteer advocates. She in an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in Northeast Montana and employed there for 27 years. Her work with victims of domestic violence began in 1978 when she opened her home as a safe house.

In 1993 she became the first Native American victim/witness coordinator in Indian country under OVC’s initiative Share the Vision. She holds certifications as a trainer in domestic violence, sexual assault, Expert Indian Witness in ICWA cases. She has presented on court preparation for child victims in Indian country to a five State Judges conference, developed and presented power point presentations on gangs, family violence, and cultural holistic approaches to wellness at national, state, and tribal conferences. In 1997 she received a crime victims advocacy award from the Montana United States Attorney for her work to reduce crime and violence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. She is a lifelong practitioner of her Assiniboine culture and traditions.

Terri Graham
Choctaw/Cherokee

Terri worked for the Lummi Nation Police Department (LNPD) as a police officer and detective for 11 years before becoming a consultant for USCCGI in June of 2005. As a former employee of the LNPD Terri spent 2 years on patrol. While on patrol she was involved with Highway Traffic Safety and traffic education. Terri’s third year was spent working as a state certified Juvenile Probation Officer, where she worked within the tribal and state court system. Terri was then promoted to a detective where she investigated child abuse/neglect, sex crimes and domestic violence within the tribal, state and federal system.

Terri was responsible for investigating and working with the Washington State U.S. Attorney’s office in regards to obtaining the first federal conviction throughout the United States for a domestic violence related assault which occurred in Indian country.

Terri has served on the Lummi Tribal Child Protective Team (CPT), the Whatcom County Child Death Review Board, the Lummi Domestic Violence Task Force and the Whatcom County Superior Court Prosecutors Review Board for Sex Crimes.

Terri has participated in presenting training to the Lummi Community regarding domestic violence and violence in the work place. She has also presented at local women’s shelters (domestic violence) and at the Northwest Tribal Judges Association (Full Faith and Credit-the law enforcement response).

Terri has received training and has experience involving criminal investigations, crime scene and death investigations, sex offender registration and criminal profiling. She has also received extensive training and experience in domestic violence, interviewing and interrogation, forensic interviewing of children, child abuse and neglect, rape and sexual assault and sex offender grooming of child victims and their families.

Terri is a descendant of the Choctaw and Cherokee Nations. She has been married for 25 years and has two adult sons. She is passionate in regards to wellness and justice in Indian country. Terri likes to draw, paint and sketch. She is also a budding photographer.

Tyesha Bahe
Detective

Tyesha Bahe is a Detective for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has been employed with Salt River Police Department for 8 years. Tyesha worked in Field Operations Division (patrol) for 3 years and was assigned to the Family Crimes Unit, which worked primarily with Domestic Violence cases. She has worked in the Professional Standards Bureau and Training Division and is now currently assigned to Criminal Investigations Division to investigate Sexual Assault Crimes and Crimes Against Children.
Tyesha Bahe is a Navajo, is from Window Rock, Arizona. She is from the Big Water People Clan, born for the Black Sheep Clan. Tyesha received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Political Science and American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona.

Gayle Thom
Victim Specialist- Federal Bureau of Investigation

Having been in the field of criminal justice for a number of years, Gayle Thom is currently in her eighth year as a Victim Specialist with the FBI, and is on the FBI OVA Rapid Deployment Team (RDT). For seven years, Gayle was assigned to the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, assisting victims of crime in Indian Country. She is a graduate of the Professional Certificate in Victim Assistance: Critical Analysis program, established by the Joint Center for Victim and Violence Studies. In October 2006 she was a recipient of the highest award available to FBI employees: The Director’s Award for Excellence, for her response to the tragic Red Lake School Shooting. Gayle was honored with the National Crime Victim’s Rights Week Award in 2001 and in 2004 for outstanding dedication, service and contribution on behalf of crime victims in Indian Country. She is currently assigned to the Pine Ridge Reservation and is also humbled to have received the Oglala Lakota Nation Dedicated Service Honor in May 2004 and to have been nominated for the 2005 Service to America Medal and the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Community Partnerships for Public Safety. In 2006, Gayle was one of six invited presenters at the groundbreaking Department of Defense Sexual Assault Response conference; the first ever held on a US military installation, Columbus air force Base in Mississippi.

Gayle was recently elected to help implement and to chair the nine-person, Bureau-wide FBI Victim Specialist advisory group. She introduced the Victim Witness Assistance block of training into the South Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy curriculum, serving as the adjunct instructor. On the FBI Evidence Response Team (ERT) she is also trained in Crisis Response and was assigned to New York City after Nine/Eleven, spending a month there. It was her honor to assist the victims, their families, and Ground Zero rescue/recovery workers after the World Trade Center terrorist attack. Gayle also worked in Louisiana, providing services to Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Hosted by Unified Solutions Tribal Community Development Group and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Victim Assistance (OVC), Thom was appointed in 2007 to serve on the National Tribal Victim Assistance Advisory Board. Also, at the request of DOJ OVC, Thom is one of 26 individuals nationwide selected in 2008 to participate on the Tribal Children’s’ Justice Act Advisory Committee.

Previously in the field of criminal intelligence for twelve years, Gayle has worked in Canada, at the Mexican border, and has traveled to Scotland Yard, London Metropolitan Police and England’s INTERPOL headquarters, and has worked extensively in the US. Having provided on-site assistance at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for many years, an area of Gayle’s expertise is Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. During the August 2006 Rally, Gayle worked the Hells Angels/Outlaws shooting at Legion Lake in Custer State Park.
Prior to joining the FBI; for the previous three years, Gayle helped establish and then managed the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) methamphetamine enforcement program in North and South Dakota.

Veronica Guerrero
Program Manager, Hiapsi Kuakte Violence Intervention Program
Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Veronica S. Martinez is an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui (Hiaki) Tribe. She lives on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation, located about 15 miles south of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Currently there are about 13,000 enrolled Yaqui members; nearly 4,000 reside on the reservation.

Veronica has worked in Domestic Violence Intervention/Victim Services for approximately five years. She has provided education, training, and outreach for victims, families, employees, and communities on and off of the reservation. In addition, she has served as an advocate in the courts. Veronica leads the Batterer’s Re-education Men’s & Women’s Groups. She also leads groups for victims of violence, performs crisis intervention, and is an active consultant for agencies nationwide.

As of October 1, 2004, the Walking in Balance Violence Intervention Victim Services Program was separated and reorganized. Today, it consists of two programs: the Walking in Balance Victim Services and the Hiapsi Kuakte Violence Intervention Program. Veronica is currently the supervisor of the Batterer’s Re-Education court ordered program.

Veronica is dedicated to continuing her education, and is currently enrolled in the Introduction to Administrative Criminal Justice course. Some of her previous coursework was in Domestic Violence, Crisis Intervention, and Introduction to Psychology, Sociology, and Chemical Dependency.

Pamela Moore
Christian Children's Fund

Ms. Moore has 32 years experience with program planning and proposal writing, non-profit administration, community organizing, and special events fund-raising. She served more than 10 years as the founding Executive Director of Help In Crisis, Inc. She has extensive skill and experience with volunteer recruitment and training, interpersonal and communication skills training and facilitating survivors support groups. She served at the state level with the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault during her tenure as Executive Director of Help In Crisis, Inc., a women’s shelter. She was awarded their highest honor, “The Everywoman Award” in 2002 and this year was awarded the “Bright and Shining Star” award for going above and beyond for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In 1995, Ms. Moore was selected by District Attorney Dianne Barker Harrold to create and institute the Victim Services Unit for the four county District 27of northeastern Oklahoma. Ms. Moore served 8 years in this position. She was responsible for the development of the Homicide Response Team and involved with the development of the Crime Victims Clinic concept for responding to multiple victimization incidents. During this time, Ms. Moore also consulted with the Oklahoma Regional Community Policing Institute to provide training about domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking crimes to law enforcement and advocate personnel throughout the state. She also provided consultation and training for Unified Solutions. Unified Solutions is the training and technical assistance provider for the Tribal Victim Assistance program administered through the Office for Victims of Crime at the Department of Justice. Presentations include “Skills Building for First Responders in Indian Country”, “Program Planning and Proposal Writing for Tribal Victim Assistance Providers”, “Empowering Volunteers through Effective Management ”, and “Building Coalitions in Indian Country.”

In addition to her B.A., Ms. Moore holds certification as a domestic violence professional in the state of Oklahoma and is a FLETC ( Federal Law Enforcement Training Center ) certified trainer in domestic violence and sexual assault response for law enforcement and advocates. She was recently selected by the Office for Victims of Crime to review the NVAA training pilot for accommodation to Indian Country as all of her professional experience has been in Indian Country with domestic violence and sexual assault victims. She presented on creating and implementing Homicide Response Teams in June of 2007 at the National Center for Victims of Crime national conference in Washington, D.C. She currently serves as the Director of the Institute for Native Justice for the American Indian Resource Center. The mission of the Institute for Native Justice is to develop programs and initiatives to address the inequities of justice for Native American women and children. The American Indian Resource Center is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the heart of Indian Country in Oklahoma.

Elton Naswood
Training Consultant, Tri-Ethnic Center
Navajo Nation

Elton is of the Near to the Water People Clan, born for the Edge Water People Clan, his maternal grandfather’s clan is of the Mexican People, his paternal grandfather’s clan is of the Tangle People, this is how he is Navajo, Dine.

Mr. Naswood is originally from Whitehorse Lake, NM but grew up in Window Rock, AZ on the Navajo Reservation.

Mr. Naswood is the Project Coordinator for the Red Circle Project, a Native American HIV Prevention program at AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) and served as a member of the Advisory Board for the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. He also is a consultant for the Tri-Ethnic Center for Prevention Research at Colorado State University.

He previously worked for the Tribal Law & Policy Institute as Program Manager with projects including Healing to Wellness (Drug) Court initiative and technical assistance, Hualapai Nation Child Abuse and Neglect Program Review, Tribal Legal Studies Editorial Review Board and serves on the American Indian/Alaska Native Victim Assistance Academy Development Committee.

Mr. Naswood received his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Sociology and American Indian Justice Studies from Arizona State University and is a Candidate for a Masters Degree in American Indian Studies at UCLA.

Tom Polek
Captain-- Nez Perce Tribal Police

Tom is Captain with the Nez Perce Tribal Police. He has extensive law enforcement experience and has been with the Nez Perce Tribal Police for the past nine years. During that time, Tom has helped shape the department by serving not only in patrol, but as the primary investigator for the department. He works closely with the FBI Special Agents assigned to the reservation as well as with the United States Attorney’s Office. Tom has significant experience in handling all types of crimes of violence and is known for his outstanding interview skills with both victims and suspects. In addition to his experience with working in Native communities, Tom has extensive experience working with rural law enforcement agencies. Tom has a strong understanding developed through years of experience the challenges rural and Native communities face when delivering services to victims of crime.

Frank Goes Behind
Nooksack

Frank Goes Behind, A Nooksack Tribal Member is culturally connected in both his own tribe, Nooksack, and to the Lummi Tribe through marriage. He has worked with Native youth and elders in the areas of healing and wellness from a variety of issues facing our communities today. Frank has worked with Lummi Nation’s court system as a team member in addressing cultural resolutions for youth who have committed crimes. Working with native Youth Treatment Centers, Half-way Houses and Adult Domestic Violence Homes, as well as Adult Treatment Centers he provided a cultural component to enhance the programs. Frank has contracted with several tribes in helping to provide cultural healing and wellness activities and presentations to youth and community events. He and his wife lead the “Flicker Tail” drum group and are very active in the “Pow Wow” trail in both drumming and dancing. He both advocates for and uses the cultural and traditional healing ways for healing and spiritual connectedness. Frank utilizes his cultural teachings through story telling, drumming & songs, ceremonies and traditional medicine to address issues facing each of us. He incorporates “wellness” in his teaching and practices “wellness” as an integrated and Holistic approach toward living life. It is walking in all four directions – Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual. It is more than just absence of illness. It is presence of vision and attitude, knowledge and connectedness.

Detective Rande Christiansen
Detective

Detective Rande Christiansen of the Seattle, Washington, Police Department, has 19 years of experience in law enforcement, thirteen of which have been specializing in domestic violence, stalking, and harassment investigations. He has investigated one thousand plus harassment & stalking cases with the current cases involving the misuse of computers and Internet. He has been a Hostage Negotiator since 1999 and has successfully negotiated several persons from committing suicide. Detective Christiansen is a founder and current member of the Northwest Chapter Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He is a certified Domestic Violence Trainer through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He has received numerous distinguished awards, such as the 2004 Community Ambassador Award from the Seattle Police Foundation, and the Excellence Award from the Seattle City Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Unit for year 2005 and 2006. He also received the 1998 Outstanding Public Service Award from the Seattle Police Department and the Law Enforcement Professional Award from the King County DV Advocacy Unit. Detective Christiansen has 11 years experience as a national and local presenter, trainer, and consultant in the areas of law enforcement response to the crimes of stalking and harassment.

Hollie Strand
Forensic Child Abuse Interviewer

Hollie Strand works for Forensic Science, Children’s Home Society where she conducts sensitive and thorough interviews with children who are possible victim of child abuse and/or neglect. Consults with investigative team members before, during, and after child abuse interviews to ensure the integrity of the interviews. Prepares reports based on interviews and submit it to the referral agency. Testifies in criminal and/or juvenile court when appropriate to clarify information obtained during the interview with the child. Maintains professional relationships with team members from the hospital, pediatricians, law enforcement, States Attorney, Department of Social Services, U.S. Attorney, and other referral sources. Monitors records of interviews, source of referrals, and disposition of cases. Maintains current information regarding child abuse issues both regionally and nationally, and interviewing techniques. Acts as an advocate to create and support high standards for child abuse investigations in areas receiving Child Advocacy Center’s services. Provides information to the advisor board.

Christine Herrman
Executive Director

Christine Herrman has nearly two decades of working to end violence against women. After graduating from the University of Utah in 1991, Christine returned to her hometown of Ketchikan, Alaska, where she worked as an advocate and Community Services Coordinator for a non-profit domestic violence/sexual assault program. The service area encompassed a geographically large region, with pockets of populations, including Native Alaskans living in isolated villages, and families of logging camp employees living in transient, sometimes floating, company outposts. Christine provided advocacy services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence and also coordinated the delivery of a sexual violence prevention program for students in elementary through high schools Christine left Alaska in 1996 to attend law school at Duke University. While a student at Duke, Christine founded a sexual assault legal advocacy project between the local rape crisis center and the law school. Christine served as the coordinator of the project and also provided direct advocacy services during her three years of law school. After graduating from law school in 1999, Christine returned to the Pacific Northwest to serve as a prosecutor in Seattle, Washington. There, she concentrated on prosecuting sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and child homicide. During her time as a prosecutor at the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office Christine spearheaded the coordination of a victim advocacy program for previously unserved crime victims, and was a long-term presenter at Kids' Court, a program for educating child victims and witnesses about what to expect when they come to court.

Kym Goes Behind
Lummi Nation

Yitiatelwat, Kym Goes Behind is a member of the Lummi Nation who received degrees from Northwest Indian College. She is the cultural program “Winds of Change” facilitator, for the Nooksack Tribes Chemical Dependency Program and also a counselor for the Tribes Transition house for women and Outpatient programs. She has worked in the chemical dependency field in Indian Country for 20 years as a director, consultant and counselor.

She has devoted her life to helping people heal. Kym’s a Grandmother, Traditional dancer, Drummer, Singer and Basket maker and Artisan. Her tears, hugs, hope, encouragement, and care have helped others begin their journey to wellness and balance. She has provided training and technical assistance on community building approaches to prevent substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, and other social, health, education, and political issues. Kym has worked with numerous Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals, including youth throughout the United States.

She strongly believes in the cultural strengths of our Indian people and totally supports the efforts of individuals striving for their inner Medicine that the Creator has left there.

Kym say’s that she was raised by a number of people, including her Mother, grandmothers, and aunts and uncles. Their influences were great and she remembers being told, “You better listen real well because you have two ears and one mouth.”

Dave Rogers

David Rogers (Nez Perce) is a 34-year criminal justice professional with 16 years of experience in law enforcement serving in positions that included Captain, Under-Sheriff and Chief of Police of both Tribal and Non-Tribal Police Agencies. He served as Chief of Police for the Makah Nation in northwestern Washington and as the first Chief of Enforcement for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Enforcement. Dave also served nine years as a Probation Officer and Court Commissioner for the District Courts of Clark County in Vancouver, Washington. During this time he managed the Electronic Home Monitoring program as well as providing field probation services. For four years he was the Program Manager for the Western Community Policing Center providing Community Policing Training for the CIRCLE Project and the Tribal Resource Grant Program (TRGP) to over 250 tribes in 32 states on behalf of the COPS Office initiatives for Indian Country. Dave currently serves as the Tribal Law Enforcement Programs Specialist for Fox Valley Technical College, Criminal Justice Center for Innovation in Neenah, Wisconsin. Dave is also the Director of the National Indian Youth Police Academy, which has gained international attention for its work with Indian youth and is entering its 7th year of operation. Dave's recent projects include the management of the Tribal Probation Academy as well as the newly awarded TRGP grant and the Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management (CASOM) grant.

Kelly Benjamin

Kelly Benjamin is a graduate from Drake Law School, has been a practicing attorney for over 14 years and is a former Assistant District Attorney for Portage County, Wisconsin, where she held her position for over 10 years until April 2005. She and her family then moved to Greenwood, IN, where her husband, Scott, accepted a new position for his employment. While working for Portage County, she was head attorney for domestic violence cases for 9 years, and also prosecuted sexual assault and child abuse cases among other misdemeanor’s and felony’s.

She is a certified trainer through the Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance on domestic violence and sexual assault as well as a certified trainer through the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Law Enforcement Standards Board, on investigations, sensitive crimes, interviewing, report writing, juvenile and victim issues. Kelly has provided training both statewide in Wisconsin and nationally since 1997. While at the DA’s office, she drafted protocols for the Portage County DA Office on Domestic Violence and the Portage County Child Abuse/Neglect Multi-Disciplinary Team, which she coordinated. She was a member of the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Community Response Teams and she was nominated Prosecutor of the year in 1999. Kelly was also awarded a “Community Awareness Partners Award from CAP Services in 2001, and an “Angel Award” from CAP services in 2003 for her participation in domestic violence issues.

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