The People’s Gathering Spring 2023

Joe Bushnell is a lifelong resident of Tacoma Washington; his mother was a refugee that fled from the Cambodian genocide and father was a local environmentalist and recycling pioneer. After graduating from Stadium High School, Joe has dedicated his life to public service and spent 11 years in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The Evergreen State College with an emphasis in Political Science and Economics. Joe was elected to the Tacoma City Council in January 2022 and is proud to be the first Cambodian American ever elected in Washington State.

Suzanne Pak is the Director of Community & Behavioral Health for Korean Women’s Association (KWA). Her department provides CRISP (Culturally Responsive, Integrated & Strength-Based Parenting) education for BIPOC parents of young children (with DOH funding), Potentially Preventable Hospitalization (PPH) Learning Collaboration education for community and behavioral health professionals (with TPCHD funding), and care coordination and preventative health education services. She serves on the Pierce County Opioid Task Force, Tacoma Pierce County Health Departments’ PPH Steering Committee, City of Tacoma’s Age Friendly Tacoma Committee, Help Me Grow’s Community Advisory Board, and Fred Hutch’s Community Advisory Board. She is a certified trainer in Screening Brief Intervention Referral to Treatment, Motivational Interviewing, and Adverse Childhood Experiences.

• Dr. Traci Harrell is a Trainer, Consultant, Transformational Coach, Mindset Expert, and an
  International Best-Selling Author.
• Traci is the founder & President of It’s All Bigger Than Me Consulting LLC, a full-service boutique
  company specializing in Leadership, Inclusion, Diversity, Belonging, and Equity, with a focus on
  creating permanent Transformations through system change and impactful shifts in Mindset – for
  individuals, leaders, teams and organizations.
• Traci is a certified Success Coach® with Success Magazine, and a certified Transformational
  Facilitator & Mindset Coach who is currently leading strategic initiatives through Corporate,
  Collegiate, Civic, and Community collaborations. She is a courageous truth-teller & change agent.
  She has contributed to 3 books that became international best-sellers in over 14 counties and 18
  Amazon Book Categories including: ‘Ignite Happiness’, ‘Ignite Your Inner Spirit’, and ‘Ignite Possibilities’.
• Traci also wrote in ‘Black Writers UnMasked’, African American Writers Alliance.
• Traci designed & offers a proprietary methodology, called, Transformational Inclusive LeadershipTM.
  She shares proven strategies for achieving success in business and in life, based on > 4700 targeted
  interviews in the community.
• Dr. Traci has over 25 years of diverse Leadership experience in Corporate America with 8 years at
  IBM (both domestic and international), 14 years at The Disney Company, and 5 years at Microsoft.
  Traci trains leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs. She is a Community Leader of Honor.
  Traci has served with distinction as President of the National Black MBA Association Seattle
  Chapter. She is currently Vice President of Corporate & Community Affairs.
• She also serves as Co-Chair of The Tacoma Pierce County Black Collective, Economic Development
  Committee, focused on training and empowerment for Black entrepreneurs and small businesses.
• Dr. Traci Harrell has won several National Leadership Awards including being designated on the
  exclusive list of ‘Top 50 Leaders under 50’ for nationwide impact.

Born and raised in Chicago. Illinois, Dr. James D. Carter worked as a police officer and investigator with
the Chicago Police Department for 23 years. In addition to patrol duties, Dr. Carter worked in the Bureau
of Organized Crime – Narcotics Division as an investigative police officer with the Chicago Police
Department, was detailed to the Illinois State Police as a narcotics officer and as a case officer with the
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Dr. Carter has been credited with numerous awards for his service to
the City of Chicago.

After joining the United States Air Force, James D. Carter rose through the ranks from Airmen First Class
to Senior Master Sergeant. Along with his promotion to Master Sergeant came the promotion to First
Sergeant of the 434 th Security Forces Squadron. Due to his tireless efforts he was awarded First Sergeant
of the Year for the 434 th Air Refueling Wing. After two years Master Sergeant Carter was transferred to
the 434 th Logistics Readiness Squadron. Subsequently within one year, Master Sergeant Carter was
transferred to the 434 th Maintenance Squadron where his deployment and care of his troops was
applauded by his Commander and he was awarded his second First Sergeant of the Year Award for the
Wing and promotion to Senior Master Sergeant. Senior Master Sergeant James D. Carter was the First
Sergeant of the 434th Maintenance Squadron, 434 th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base,
Ind. He advised the Commander on matters influencing the health, morale, welfare, effective utilization,
readiness, good order and discipline, and general supervision of more than 175 personnel within the
squadron and served as the Commander’s representative to numerous committees, councils, boards, and
military and civilian functions. After Senior Master Sergeant Carter received his DBA in Business
Administration from Argosy University, Chicago, IL. he completed his career in the Air Force Reserves
as the Wing Historian for the 434 th Air Refueling Wing.

As a professional with over 20 years of experience in management and significant contributions as
Executive Director for the Breakfast Group, Education Contract and Compliance Manager with the Urban
League of Metropolitan Seattle and Director of Corporate Safety and Security with Alaska Airlines Dr.
Carter continuously works to give back to the community. As the Executive Director of Breakfast Group,
Dr. Carter overseas programs designed to mentor at risk youth in the Seattle area. These programs serve
over 1000 youth annually and its students move forward continue their educational pursuits though
college readiness and career enhancement training.

In addition to being very active in his community, Dr. Carter is the proud father of 2 young men and is an
avid golfer.

As a young child, Maria immigrated to the beautiful Skagit Valley from Mexico with her mother. A graduate of Western Washington University, Maria has expertise in management, policy development, and language access refined through her work in various non-profit and public service agencies. She was appointed by Governor Inslee as executive director for the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs in August of 2018.

Maria lives in Olympia with her partner and Stinky Dingo; is a serial-restorer of craftsman homes; and almost always falls asleep during movies.

Monica Andrade-Hupp is a Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Project Manager with a history of managing large hospital projects and events in healthcare and community settings. She is a graduate of California State University Fullerton with a Bachelor’s in Sociology. She is passionate about project management and the profound social impact projects can have on communities, policies, and systemic change. An advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, Monica hopes to inspire others to do the same, beginning within her own family and in her work as the Latino Leadership Network’s Co-Chair.

Guillermo Medrano was born in Arlington, Virginia but spent his formative years in San Miguel, El Salvador with his grandmother and extended family. These short but impactful years would have a lasting impression to this day on him, as he always strives for justice and equality for all after coming to terms with the reasons that caused his family to immigrate to the US in the 70’s and 80’s.

He currently works as a Project Manager at the National Institute of Health but spends the majority of his free time volunteering and championing impactful work done for the working class within the DC community as well as his family’s motherland of El Salvador.

Renée Roman Nose, MAIS, is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. She is an activist, artist, actor, poet, painter, photographer, and cultural anthropologist. Her book, Sweet Grass Talking (2017), was published by Uttered Chaos Press and nominated for the Oregon Book of the Year Award for 2017. Her paintings and photography have been most recently featured at the Kallet Theater in Oneida, NY, as well as having had showings in Tacoma and Everett, Washington. Her second book, Have War Paint, Will Travel, is currently with the publisher, and her third book, as yet untitled, is a collaborative book of poetry with Suzan Harjo.

R. Stan Thomas

-Enrolled member of the San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona.
-Over 20 years of community development and activism, working with Federal, State and Tribal governments.
-Direct involvement in the development of the Tohono O’odham Community College that now offers academic and cultural classes to tribal community members.
-International development activities via Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) for various communities in targeted 3rd World countries.

Roxane Maiko Byrne is the Coordinator of Equity, Diversity and Cultural Competency at Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, California. Roxane holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara and a Ph.D. in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University. Her research centers on the experiences of multiracial students in higher education with an emphasis on exploring identity and sense of belonging in racial affinity spaces. Dr. Byrne has served the SBCC community for over 16 years as an educational administrator, adjunct faculty member, classified staff member, and a personal counselor. She currently oversees multiple programs and centers within the Office of Equity, Diversity and Cultural Competency including the Center for Equity and Social Justice, the Umoja Center for Black Student Success, The Dream Center for Undocumented Student Success, and the Basic Needs Centers. Dr. Byrne also served as an adjunct professor of psychology and education at Antioch University, Santa Barbara for 4 years.

Isis Castañeda has been working with teens, young adults, and their families in the Santa Barbara area since 1997.  She established her business, Creating Connections in 2016 with a solid history of facilitating teen and parent groups, community outreach, trainings, public speaking, and organizing events.  Isis immigrated to the United States as a young child from Central America and lived in Virginia until her early teens. She returned to live in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize throughout her teen years and eventually landed in Santa Barbara. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies at Antioch University of Santa Barbara and is certified in Emotional Intelligence, Restorative Justice, Team Building Experiential Education, and as an Instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid and teen Mental Health First Aid.

Isis’ global perspective and multicultural and multiracial heritage, her background in youth development, and life-coaching practice allows her to connect easily with teens, young adults, parents, and community service providers.

This is the sixth The People’s Gathering for Ken Sauby who brings 30 years of WA Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) experience. Ken started as a Financial Service Specialist (now called Public Benefits Specialist) and worked as a Leadworker, Supervisor, Region Financial Trainer, Deputy Administrator (Yakima CSO, two years), Administrator (Sunnyside CSO, six years), Strategic Initiatives Program Manager (four years under Dr. Karen A. Johnson), and now five years as Employee Engagement Program Manager under Nichole Ossa in the Pro Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) Unit consulting primarily for the 2,300 staff of the Community Services Division and assisting the 17,000 staff of DSHS. Ken has attended many EDI training sessions over the years.

Ken is a certified trainer in Crucial Conversations and Crucial Accountability. He is also a certified trainer and Coder/Coach for Motivational Interviewing. In addition to his regular duties he started delivering Shared Strengths Workshops to staff in 2007 based upon the 34 Clifton Strengths from Gallup. With 130 workshops provided to over 2,000 staff, this one day experience is always in popular demand and now is a major part of his regular duties. He manages the Strengths Community of Practice that has over 1,500 members statewide. Strengths, Self-Care, Well-Being, and Trauma Informed are regular topics that Ken presents or facilitates activities around. In 2022 he became a Work + Love Leader and will be a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach within a few months.

Ken is married to Deb (33 years) and they have five sons and seven grandchildren. They share their Moxee home with two Siamese cats, Haven and Lexi, and one dog, Remy, who is a ShihTzu/Bichon Frise mix and provides constant companionship.

Thomas has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership focused on addressingpoverty, hunger and other forms of global injustice all over the world.  After working in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, he served as Vice President of Program Partnerships and Learning at CARE, responsible for anti-poverty programs in 95 countries. Since 2017, Thomas has been the CEO of Northwest Harvest where he is focused on advancing equity-oriented policy outcomes; developing a network of human service providers; and distributing nutritious and culturally appropriate food throughout Washington.