Rebekah Jones

 

New Unified Solutions Board of Directors Member

 

Ms. Rebekah Jones – Waxranmanyi Mi “Bear Crashing through the Brush Woman” is Bear Clan of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska. She currently lives and works on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation reservation where she and her partner, Sam, are raising their three young sons – Nom Ki Wash (11), Keesis (9) and Sah Bi (7).

 

Rebekah is the Office Manager / Tribal Victim Assistance Program Manager (and informally the Master of Optimism) for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Police Department. She began her career with the Tribal Police Department in 1998 as a Dispatcher and was soon promoted to positions of greater responsibility assuming the role of Office Manager in 2001. In 2006, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation received a three-year grant to establish the Tribal Victim Assistance Program and Rebekah was approached to head up the effort in addition to her normal duties. Seeing the desperate need for services to victims of crime in the tribal community, she readily agreed and began laying the foundation for the program. Over the next few years the program has steadily grown and become established adding a full-time Victims Outreach Advocate in March of 2010. Today the program serves the four tribal communities in northeast Kansas including the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska reservation near White Cloud, the Sac & Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas reservation near Reserve and the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas reservation near Horton as well as members of federally recognized tribes living near the reservation communities. Future plans include separate weekly provider’s, survivor’s and children’s support groups utilizing art as a tool for healing trauma; an advocate located in the tribal court setting on days court is in session; and a travelling exhibit of artwork to raise awareness in the four tribal communities served by the Potawatomi Tribal Police Department’s Tribal Victim Assistance Program.

 

Rebekah attended Haskell Indian Nations University from 1992 through 1994 and was graduated with highest honors earning an Associate of Arts with an emphasis in Social Work. Fifteen years and three kids later she enrolled at Washburn University where she is now a senior Bachelors of Social Work student completing her practicum at the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Social Services – Child and Family Services Team and she was recently inducted into the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi. She expects to graduate in May of 2011 with her BSW and will immediately begin work toward her Masters of Social Work degree.

 

 

Steven R. Siegel

New Unified Solutions Board of Directors Member

 

Steve Siegel came to the Denver District Attorney’s Office in 1983, after seven and one-half years in the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Colorado. Steve serves as the Director, Special Programs Unit.  This includes administration of the Denver Victim Assistance Law and Enforcement Board.  The creation and/or supervision of cutting edge Criminal Justice Programs is an integral part of Steve’s work. Steve is the past Chair and current member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Victims of Crime.  He was recently appointed by the Governor as a founding member of the Colorado Criminal Justice Commission. Over the course of his thirty-four year career he has been a catalyst for the development of interagency protocols that have been replicated nationwide on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, and Victimization of the Elderly and Disabled.

 

Steve has been the recipient of numerous honors.  In April 2006 he was present the National Crime Victim Services Award by the Attorney General of the United States. In 2007 he was awarded the Carolyn Hamil-Henderson Award by Denver SafeHouse for career contributions to issues concerning Domestic Violence. Other awards include: 1988 Project Pave, Person of the Year; 1989 National Organization for Victim Assistance, Volunteer of the year; 1990 Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, Outstanding Contribution to Victim Assistance Movement; 1990 Denver Police Department, special Contribution to the Department; 1996 Rape Assistance and Awareness Program, Community Service Award; 1997 Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, Exemplary Leadership Award; 1997 Norman S. Early, Jr. Award, Outstanding contribution to Victim Services; 1997 Addiction Research and Treatment Services University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Special Services Award; 1997 Project Safeguard, Advocate of the Year; 1998 Special Presidential Award for Services, Oklahoma Bombing Victims, 2003 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award of Excellence, 2003 Special Achievement Award Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.

 

The foundation of Steve’s life is his family.  Steve has been married for thirty-four years to Anna G. Siegel and has a daughter Erin who completed her Masters of Education at Trinity University and a daughter Cassie, who graduated from the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. The Siegel’s are proud to welcome our newest family member, Erin’s husband Scott.  Anna and Steve are known to spoil their two “grand-dogs,” Buster and Bleu. His positive addictions include golf, cooking, music and travel. He still is not biologically attached to his Blackberry despite evidence to the contrary.

 

Stewart G. Harper

 

Unified Solutions Board of Directors Member

 

Stuart Harper is of Mohave Indian decent and a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Stuart married his high school sweetheart Alaine. They have been together going on 41 years. He served in the U.S. Army and is a Vietnam Veteran.

 

He has been coaching youth sports for the past 25 years, everything from basketball, football and many more. Stuart spends a majority of his down time fishing.

 

Stuart has worked in the field of Law Enforcement retiring in 1992 as the Chief of Police for the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Department. In 1994 Stuart went to work for the Colorado River Indian Tribes Court as the Chief Probation Supervisor, he worked for 14 years primarily focusing on youth issues and programs. Presently he is employed as the Colorado River Indian Tribes Police Captain overseeing the patrol division.

 

Stuart has been in the Criminal Justice system for the past 33 years, he has a wealth of experience in the field of law enforcement and court youth issues.

Stuart has been involved in many projects, boards and committees; he has been on the Board for Unified Solution for many years.

 

 

Marcia Zaccaria

 

Unified Solutions Board of Directors Member

 

Before relocating to Tucson, AZ, Marcia Zaccaria enjoyed a 36-year career in education.  Marcia taught English and reading, supervised teachers, wrote curricula, served as the vice principal of both a junior and senior high school, and served as a district-wide administrator and testing coordinator in several school districts serving diverse populations.  Marcia has a Master’s Degree in Education and a variety of education-related certifications.  She served as an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and established a teacher training institute in Southern New Jersey.

 

After relocating to Tucson, Marcia began applying her skills as a teacher and administrator in the community.  Marcia joined the board of Unified Solutions Tribal Community Development Group in 2004.  She is a leader in several organizations in Tucson that promote intercultural understanding and tolerance.  She teaches classes and facilitates workshops empowering people to better understand each other and bring seemingly opposed groups together.

 

Last year Marcia and her husband Michael were selected by the Foundation for Inter-Cultural Dialogue to travel to Turkey to promote understanding between Turks and Americans.  Marcia and Michael also recently traveled and volunteered in India.  To stay abreast of current issues and challenges impacting tribes as well as identifying potential solutions to current challenges, she and Michael spent the summer of 2011 visiting Indian reservations and participating in the U.S. Attorney’s Conference in Rapid City, SD.  Marcia is an award winning clay artist.  She and Michael have four children, Alyssa in Delaware, Daniel in Pennsylvania, Shari in Colorado and Marc in NJ with his sons Jake and Benjamin.