Bios
CHESTER ANTONE
Councilman, Tohono O'odham Nation
Councilman Antone of the Tohono O'odham Nation serves as a Council Member of the Pisinemo District. He also is active on a national level serving as the Tucson Area representative to the HHS AI/AN Health Research Advisory Council, the HHS Secretary's Tribal Advisory Council, and Chair of the CDC Tribal Advisory Council.
STEPHANIE AUTUMN
Project Director, Education Development Center’s OJJDP Tribal Youth and Tribal Juvenile Detention Reentry Training and Technical Assistance Centers
Ms. Autumn has 28 years’ experience in grant administration for urban and reservation American Indian communities and has extensive experience in working with school administrators, social workers, and teachers to implement prevention programs that target truancy and educational neglect, violence prevention, substance abuse, and culturally based services for American Indian students. Ms. Autumn currently serves as the Project Director for Education Development Center’s OJJDP Tribal Youth and Tribal Juvenile Detention Reentry Training and Technical Assistance Centers.
FAITH BAKER
Associate Director, SMART Office, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Ms. Baker is the Associate Director of the SMART Office for the U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Baker's responsibilities include providing management and oversight of SMART Office grant programs, including the Adam Walsh Act Implementation Grant Program, the Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management (CASOM) Grant Program, and the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website. Prior to joining the SMART Office, Ms. Baker has coordinated national and local partnerships with police departments, community groups and service providers under the Weed and Seed Initiative for the past 14 years.
SKYE BASS
Public Health Advisor, Division of Behavioral Health, Indian Health Service, HHS
Ms. Bass is a Public Health Advisor in the IHS Division of Behavioral Health and is a member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Peshawbestown, MI. Ms. Bass holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master of social work degree from the University of Michigan. Ms. Bass has gained experience in direct clinical practice through her work with the University of Michigan Health System. Ms. Bass is trained in several evidence-based practices (DBT, CBT, IPT, and Motivational Interviewing) and has provided group and individual treatment to patients diagnosed with a variety of mental health disorders. Through her experience working with suicidal and self-harming patients, Ms. Bass developed a strong passion for suicide prevention and treatment in Indian County.
ERIC BOTHWELL
Public Health Consultant, Gana-A’Yoo Services Corporation
Mr. Eric “Ric” Bothwell served in the IHS for over 37 years in multiple roles, from provider to leader and mentor. He joined the Gana-A’Yoo team in 2010 to support the AI/AN component of the NPA and to promote attention for AI/AN male health disparities. He was recognized for achievement with various USPHS Commissioned Corps awards and the HHS Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, and he won the USPHS J. D. Lane Research competition three times for community-based public health projects.
DONALEE BREAZZANO
Administrator, National Reentry Affairs Branch, Bureau of Prisons, DOJ
Ms. Breazzano has served as the first administrator of the Inmate Skills Development Branch of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, since June 2003. She coordinates efforts to implement inmate skills development initiatives across the Bureau of Prisons and provides a centralized point of liaison with external agencies to improve efforts for successful reentry. She has over 20 years’ experience with the Bureau of Prisons working in several divisions within the central office, as well as federal correctional institutions at various locations. Prior to joining the Bureau, she worked with high-risk, abused and neglected youth in a variety of settings. Additionally, she developed alternatives to incarceration for several national non-profit organizations. Ms. Breazzano received a bachelor of science in criminal justice from SUNY Brockport, NY, and has completed course work towards a master of public administration from University of Maryland. In 2005, Ms. Breazzano received certification as a Global Career Developer.
PATRICIA BROKEN LEG-BRILL
Acting Associate Deputy Director for Corrections, Office of Justice Services, BIA
Ms. Broken Leg-Brill is the Acting Deputy Associate Director for Corrections, Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services, Division of Corrections, at Central Office Headquarters, Washington, DC. Presently, she has oversight of 91 tribal and BIA detention programs throughout Indian Country. She joined BIA Corrections in 2007. Ms. Broken Leg-Brill’s career in corrections began in 1999 when she served for 8 years as a tribal Project Manager/Planner and the Correctional Facility Administrator for the newly constructed Rosebud Sioux Tribe Juvenile Detention Center. She has worked with various facets of juvenile justice and incarceration issues within tribal jurisdictions, as well as construction, planning, and management of new adult and juvenile jails throughout Indian Country. Her background in Indian country adult/juvenile jails has brought great insight to the BIA Detention Program. Patricia became a certified correctional officer in 2004, with the Indian Police Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, NM. Patricia holds a bachelor of science degree in public administration from Wayne State College in Wayne, NE. Ms. Broken Leg-Brill is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.
ANITA L. CHÁVEZ
Chief U. S. Probation Officer, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services - District of New Mexico, Administrative Office of U.S. Courts
Ms. Chávez is the Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the District of New Mexico and has been employed with the probation office for over 25 years. A native of Santa Fe, NM, Ms. Chávez received her bachelor of arts in sociology from New Mexico State University and her master of arts degree in public administration from the University of New Mexico. In her position as Chief Probation Officer, she manages 196 employees in six offices; currently, the District of New Mexico is the third largest combined district in the country. The U. S. Probation Office is responsible for probation and pretrial services for the entire District and handles a substantial number of cases on 23 Indian reservations throughout the state. In addition, it is a Southwest Border District that borders on the violent state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Under Ms. Chávez’s direction, the U.S. Probation Office has developed numerous innovative and progressive programs to ensure community safety and to deal with the defendants’ and offenders’ reintegration into the community. Some of these programs include an Indian Country Initiative, a Sex Offender Initiative, a Juvenile Initiative, and the Offender Employment Program. She has dedicated numerous resources to achieve the success of these programs throughout the District.
BONNIE CLAIRMONT
Victim Advocacy Program Specialist, Tribal Law and Policy Institute
Ms. Clairmont, citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin resides in St. Paul, MN, where she is employed with the Tribal Law and Policy Institute (TLPI) as the Victim Advocacy Program Specialist. Prior to her employment with the TLPI, Ms. Clairmont worked for more than 20 years advocating for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, providing multidisciplinary training/collaboration on the needs of women and children who are raped and battered. She coordinated the first conference ever held to focus on sexual assault and exploitation perpetrated by American Indian “spiritual leaders/medicine men.” Ms. Clairmont co-edited a recently published book, Sharing Our Stories of Survival, an anthology by Native women who have experienced violence.
KIMBERLY A. COBB
Research Associate, American Probation and Parole Association
Ms. Cobb has been a Research Associate with the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) in Lexington, KY, since 2006. During this time, she has been responsible for developing resources designed to enhance the community supervision practices of tribal probation personnel. These resources have focused on strategies for supervising substance abusing tribal offenders; utilization of screening and assessment tools and related probation practices for tribal probation officers; and the exploration, development, and enhancement of correctional options in tribal communities. Ms. Cobb was also invited to serve as a focus group participant to provide input into the development of the Department of Justice’s Long-Term Detention Plan, required under the Tribal Law and Order Act. Additionally, she was involved in the revision of curriculum for the Tribal Probation Academy and provides 3 full days of training at the Academy during each session and works closely with partners to provide resources and assistance to tribes funded under the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP). In her position at APPA, Ms. Cobb has also developed resources for probation and parole officers on the supervision of methamphetamine-addicted offenders, sex offenders, underage drinking offenders, and hardcore drunk driving offenders. Prior to working at APPA, Ms. Cobb’s previous research-based work includes coordinating the drug court implementation and outcome evaluations (including adult, juvenile, and family drug courts) for the Commonwealth of Kentucky; conducting juvenile delinquency prevention program evaluations for the Commonwealth of Kentucky; conducting teen court evaluations for the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice; and conducting a curriculum validation study for the Department of Criminal Justice Training for the Kentucky State Policy Academy. Kimberly has a bachelor’s degree in corrections and juvenile justice and a master’s degree in criminal justice.
SHEILA K. COOPER
Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs, SAMHSA, HHS
Ms. Cooper (Seneca) is the Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Senior Advisor position provides the coordination for communication and policy development to meet the mental health and substance use disorder needs of American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in accordance with SAMHSA’s strategic initiatives and mission. Prior to joining SAMHSA, Ms. Cooper served as the Director of Program Operations in the Administration for Native Americans at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). During her 11 years of service at ACF, Ms. Cooper served as the Chair of the ACF American Indian Children and Youth Task Force (the Task Force served as the point of contact between tribes, tribal organizations, and the agency on issues surrounding children, youth, and families in Native communities); as the Chair for the ACF Tribal Affairs Work Group; and as the ACF liaison to the HHS Intra-departmental Council on Native American Affairs. Also while at ACF, she worked in the HHS Head Start Program’s AI/AN Branch. Other federal experience includes working at the Department of Education in the Office of Indian Education. In addition to her federal work experience in programs serving tribal communities, Ms. Cooper has professional experience working with her own tribe and has taught pre-school and elementary grades in private and public settings.
BEVERLY COTTON
National SANE/SART Coordinator, Division of Behavioral Health, Indian Health Service, HHS
Ms. Cotton, SANE/SART Coordinator with IHS, is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and graduate degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has worked with adults, adolescents, and pediatric sexual assault/abuse victims in a tribal healthcare facility and in the public sector. Ms. Cotton comes to the Indian Health Service from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where she was employed as a pediatric nurse practitioner in a medical-forensic clinic called the Our Kids Center, serving sexually abused children. Ms. Cotton will serve as coordinator for the IHS Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Response Team Initiative.
VIRGINIA DAVIS
Deputy Director for Policy Development, Office on Violence Against Women, DOJ
Ms. Davis is the Deputy Director for Policy at the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice. Prior to joining the DOJ, she served as Counselor in the Office of the General Counsel at the Department of Homeland Security where she advised on immigration and national security matters. Previously, Ms. Davis was Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), where she was responsible for a wide range of issues impacting tribal governments including tribal justice, Native women’s issues, and economic development. At NCAI, she managed the NCAI Task Force on Violence Against Native Women and established the NCAI Project on the Judiciary. She also represented tribal governments at the United Nations and other international forums and served on the DOJ Task Force on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women. Before joining NCAI, Ms. Davis was a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow at Georgetown University and worked at the National Women’s Law Center, where she focused on employment discrimination and the role of the federal courts in women’s lives. Ms. Davis has written and spoken widely on criminal justice issues, civil and women’s rights, federal Indian law and policy, and international human rights. She is a graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.
PATRICK DUNCKHORST
Juvenile Justice Specialist, Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Mr. Dunckhorst serves as a Juvenile Justice Specialist in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which is part of the Office of Justice Programs within the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. Mr. Dunckhorst is currently working with discretionary grants supporting communities in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, Oregon, and Minnesota with a strong focus on serving Native American tribes & Alaska Native villages under OJJDP’s umbrella of Programs for Tribal Youth. He is responsible for programs impacting juvenile risk and protective factors, truancy, substance abuse and prevention, mental health, and reentry. More specifically, some of the programs and scope within his assigned states are the Tribal Youth Program, Tribal Juvenile Green Reentry Initiative, Tribal Youth Courts, Tribal Field Initiated Research, Substance Abuse Prevention/Intervention, and congressional earmarks that include working closely with the Education Development Center, Inc., OJJDP’s current tribal training and technical assistance provider serving all tribes throughout Alaska and the contiguous 48 states. Prior to joining OJJDP, Mr. Dunckhorst served as a program manager in the Drug-Free Communities Support Program under the Office of National Drug Control Policy and as a Federal Project Officer on the joint federal agency staff of the Safe-Schools/Healthy Students Initiative addressing issues such as school safety, alcohol and substance abuse, truancy, youth violence, coalition building, and developing community-based solutions to leverage resources in support of youth.
ELAINE DE MELLO
Director of Training Services, Connect Suicide Prevention Program, NAMI - NH
Ms. de Mello is the supervisor of Training and Prevention Services, National Alliance on Mental Illness – New Hampshire (NAMI - NH). She has been instrumental in the development of Connect Suicide Prevention and Postvention and has been offering suicide prevention and postvention training for many years, as well as support to survivors. Ms. de Mello has extensive clinical and management experience in both inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. With over 30 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker, school guidance counselor, and adjunct college faculty, she has a great deal of expertise in early intervention for high-risk individuals, particularly in rural settings. As an emergency services clinician, she actively intervenes with attempt survivors and their families. At the New Hampshire Police Academy, she teaches officers to respond effectively and sensitively to mental health crisis or suicide incidents. She is certified as an Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) trainer for general and campus settings and serves as a member of the New Hampshire Disaster Behavioral Health Response Team. Ms. de Mello has provided consultation and training in mental health and suicide prevention to communities and audiences throughout the United States.
JULIUS DUPREE
Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Julius Dupree is currently a Policy Advisor with the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). He is responsible for overseeing and managing projects that provide financial and technical assistance resources to the criminal justice field. Areas of focus include the Correctional Systems and Correctional Alternatives on Tribal Lands Program; the Racial Justice Task Force Initiative; the Smarter Sentencing to Reduce Recidivism Initiative; and other efforts that focus on implementing strategies to enhance state, local, and tribal justice systems. Prior to working for BJA, Mr. Dupree was a Program Manager with the Office of Justice Programs, Drug Courts Program Office where he managed projects that focus on rehabilitating non-violent substance abusing offenders. In 1996, he began working for the DOJ as an employee with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services where he assisted states and local jurisdictions with the implementation of community policing strategies. Mr. Dupree received a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland at College Park.
LORRAINE EDMO
Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs, Office on Violence Against Women, DOJ
Ms. Edmo (Shoshone-Bannock) is the Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs, Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice.
TROY EID
Commission Chair, Indian Law and Order Commission
Mr. Eid is a shareholder in the Denver office of the international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, where he founded and co-chairs the American Indian Law Practice Group. Appointed by President George W. Bush, he served as the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado from 2006 to 2009. Troy’s father, the late Edward Eid, immigrated to the United States from Egypt with just $100 in 1957, and Troy became the first Arab-American ever to serve as a U.S. Attorney. Mr. Eid currently chairs the Indian Law and Order Commission, a 9-member panel charged by the President and Congress to recommend improvements in Indian Country criminal justice. Besides teaching at the University of Denver College of Law, he is also an adjunct professor in the American Indian Law Program at the University of Colorado School of Law. His most recent article is “Separate But Unequal: The Federal Criminal Justice System in Indian Country,” published with Carrie Covington Doyle in the University of Colorado Law Review (Fall 2010). Mr. Eid is active in several professional associations, including the Federal Bar Association and the American Law Institute, and chairs the Training Committee of the Navajo Nation Bar Association, overseeing the legal testing process for attorneys seeking to practice before the Navajo Supreme Court and trial courts. Mr. Eid has been honored by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the National Congress of American Indians, and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Active in his community, he serves on the Board of Visitors of the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work. He grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Chicago Law School and was a law clerk to Chief Judge Edith H. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is married to Justice Allison Hartwell Eid of the Colorado Supreme Court. They live in Morrison, CO, and have two children.
GAIL ELIAS
Principal, EKM&P
As a Principal with EKM&P and Voorhis Associates, Inc. (VAI), Ms. Elias provides justice planning services in the areas of needs assessment, master planning, pre-architectural programming, and staffing analysis. She has been the primary planner for nearly 30,000 corrections beds; to date, 17,000 have been built at a construction value of $1.9 billion. Prior to joining VAI, Ms. Elias served as the director of administrative services for the Boulder County Sheriff's Department, where she had previously worked for the Jail Division as director of research and evaluation and as a case manager at the Monroe County Children's Center, a regional detention facility in Rochester, NY. Since 1979, Ms. Elias has provided training and technical assistance to the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) through the Planning of New Institutions program. Ms. Elias has authored a number of NIC publications: How to Collect and Analyze Data, Transition Resource Manual (with John Milosovich), Facility Planning to Meet the Needs of Female Inmates, and Building Community Support for New Jail Construction.
JILL ERIKSON SHEPHERD
Executive Director, First Nations Behavioral Health, Former SAMHSA Circles of Care Program Director
Ms. Erikson Shepherd has been with the Indian Health Service in both direct service and in the Headquarters Program office for 15 years and spent 8 years as a Project Officer for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Circles of Care grant program for American Indian/Alaska Native communities to improve their systems of care for children. At SAMHSA, she was involved in efforts to reduce disparities among communities of color, leading to the formation of the National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Associations and the First Nations Behavioral Health Association. Her area of expertise has been in children’s mental health systems of care in tribal and urban Indian communities. She received the final year of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grants for American Indian/Alaska Native MSW studies in 1980, at Portland State University, Portland, OR.
JENNIFER A. FAHEY
Former Deputy Director, Criminal Justice Institute
Ms. Fahey has been working in the law and policy arena for the past 20 years, primarily in government and non-profit agencies. She is currently a practicing attorney and criminal justice consultant, providing training and technical assistance to local, state, and tribal jurisdictions nationwide. Ms. Fahey holds a law degree from Hamline University School of Law and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government. Her legal areas of expertise include Indian law and criminal law, having worked as both an assistant and elected county attorney in Minnesota. She helped develop an innovative, alternative sentencing program in coordination with the judiciary, the Minnesota Department of Corrections, the Mille Lacs Band of Indians, and the community, successfully working to prevent recidivism and keep individuals from entering the criminal justice system. Ms. Fahey is the former Deputy Director of the Crime and Justice Institute, where she worked to create and implement responsible criminal justice and social policy grounded in evidence-based principles. Some of her projects included working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance in determining how minority culture may play a role in effective assessment of offender risk and need; serving on the National Working Group on Using Risk and Needs Assessment Information at Sentencing, led by the National Center for State Courts; working with the State of Alabama in implementing a continuum of community alternatives to incarceration; and authoring the white paper “Using Research to Promote Public Safety: A Prosecutor’s Primer on Evidence-Based Practice.” Prior to joining CJI, Ms. Fahey served as the first Director of Policy and Planning of the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships, for the Department of Human Services in New Jersey. This position involved creating a new vision and direction for the prevention of child abuse and neglect throughout the state, in partnership with local communities, using evidence-based principles and data-driven decision making.
MELANIE P. FRITZSCHE
Staff Attorney, American Indian Law Center, Inc.
Ms. Fritzsche (Laguna Pueblo) is a staff attorney with the American Indian Law Center, Inc. She has assisted tribes with the development and implementation of their court systems and code development. Ms. Fritzsche also has practiced in water law and family law. She is an appellate judge for the Southwest Intertribal Court of Appeals. Ms. Fritzsche’s community service includes serving on the board of the American Indian Graduate Center, the New Mexico Women’s Bar Association, and the New Mexico Women’s Foundation. She graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law with a J.D. and a Certificate in Indian Law and a Certificate in Natural Resources. She was a member of the Natural Resources Journal. Ms. Fritzsche received her B.A. from Adams State College. She is a member of the New Mexico State Bar.
EILEEN M. GARRY
Deputy Executive Director, Indian Law and Order Commission
Ms. Garry is the Deputy Director at the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. In this role, Ms. Garry oversees the agency budget formulation and execution, legislative affairs, performance measurement and evaluation, planning, print and electronic communications, peer review, administrative issues, and compliance with Freedom of Information Act, National Environmental Protection Act, and Paperwork Reduction Act. Previously, Ms. Garry coordinated and administered all state and local grant programs and served as BJA’s direct line of communication to states, territories, and tribal governments by providing assistance and coordinating resources. Ms. Garry joined BJA in September 2001 and assumed leadership for processing death benefits for public safety officers killed at the World Trade Center on September 11. She served as Director of the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program and oversaw BJA’s 2002 reorganization. She was also responsible for coordinating counter terrorism training efforts as well as the Counter Terrorism Training Working Group. In 2005, at the request of the Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Garry served as the leader of the “Most Efficient Organization” Team competing for a 5-year, multi-million dollar contract under the President’s Competitive Sourcing Initiative. She served as Acting Deputy Administrator for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for State, Local, and Tribal Programs. She was responsible for the Child Protection Division and served as OJJDP’s Director for the Information Dissemination and Planning Division. Ms. Garry is a member of the Senior Executive Service, the highest appointment for career civil servants. She is the author of more than 20 publications on criminal and juvenile justice issues. She holds a master's degree in the administration of justice and a bachelor's degree in political science, with honors, both from the American University in Washington, DC.
JULI ANA GRANT
Program Specialist, SMART Office, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Ms. Grant is a Program Specialist in the SMART Office at the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to working for DOJ, Ms. Grant was the Manager of Sex Offense Management and Domestic Violence Programs and the Tribal Justice Exchange Project at the Center for Court Innovation and the director of victim services in Brooklyn Criminal Courts.
LESLIE HAGEN
National Indian Country Training Coordinator, Executive Office for United States Attorneys, DOJ
Ms. Hagen serves as the Native American Issues Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. In that capacity, she serves as a liaison and technical assistance provider to the DOJ components and the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on Native American Issues. Ms. Hagen also serves as Senior Counsel in the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART), where she works with 197 federally recognized tribes implementing the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Recently she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in the Western District of Michigan. As an AUSA, she was assigned to Violent Crime in Indian Country handling federal prosecutions and training on issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse affecting the 11 federally recognized tribes in the Western District of Michigan. Ms. Hagen has worked on criminal justice issues related to child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault for more than 19 years, earning a national reputation as a legal expert and trainer. Prior to joining the DOJ, she served as the staff attorney with the Civil Legal Justice Project for the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and as a specialist in Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice. From 1997 to 2001, Ms. Hagen served as the Violence Against Women Training Attorney for the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan. During her 4 ½ years in that position, Ms. Hagen developed a program that was recognized as “one of the best state-level training programs on violence against women in the country” by the Institute for Law and Justice in Washington, DC, through an evaluation conducted for the DOJ. Ms. Hagen was the elected Prosecuting Attorney for Huron County, MI, for two terms, an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Midland County, MI, and a Prehearing Division Attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals. Ms. Hagen is a graduate of Alma College and Valparaiso School of Law.
JOHN HART
Partner, Mapetsi Policy Group
John Harte is a member of the San Felipe Pueblo and partner in the Mapetsi Policy Group. Prior to joining Mapetsi, John served as Policy Director for Senator Dorgan on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs where he spearheaded the staff effort toward passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. John has served as General Counsel and Legislative Director to the National Indian Gaming Association, and was the Deputy Director of the Office of Tribal Justice at the U.S. Department of Justice. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law and his Master of Laws degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.
FRANCINE M. HATCH
Senior Policy Analyst, American Indian Law Center, Inc.
Ms. Hatch (Isleta Pueblo) is the Senior Policy Analyst for the American Indian Law Center, Inc. She also serves as an associate justice for the Pueblo of Isleta Appellate Court. Ms. Hatch was appointed by Governor Bill Richardson as the Senior Policy Analyst for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department and was instrumental in the passage of several key pieces of legislation benefitting tribes, including the New Mexico State-Tribal Collaboration Act (2009) and permanent funding for the New Mexico Tribal Infrastructure Fund (2010). Hatch received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Washington, and a juris doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law. She is a member of the State Bar of New Mexico.
NORENA HENRY
Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Norena Henry (Navajo) serves as the Senior Policy Advisor for tribal affairs in the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and has served over 15 years in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), DOJ. Prior to joining BJA, Ms. Henry was assigned to the OJP Community Capacity Development Office working with Weed and Seed Communities (WSC) on community policing and youth leadership and tribal WSC on economic development focused on strengthening legal infrastructure. Ms. Henry conceived the idea and developed the Tribal Justice and Safety website (http://www.justice.gov/tribal/), which has been adopted by the DOJ leadership. During Attorney General Janet Reno’s Administration, Ms. Henry served in the OJP Office of the Assistant Attorney General (OAAG), coordinating policy implementation and tribal consultation. She helped implement the White House Indian Country Law Enforcement Initiative (ICLEI) and DOJ CIRCLE Project. She retained oversight of over $100 million in tribal grant awards. She partnered with the DOJ Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ) to gain program authorization of the ICLEI tribal resources. Together with OTJ, Ms. Henry assisted Attorney General Reno on Indian Country Alcohol/Substance Abuse and Crime Reduction Initiative resulting in a $5 million annual appropriation. Through OAAG, Ms. Henry co-lead with the National Institute of Justice the initial Indian Country crime and violence research and evaluation agenda resulting in a working baseline of research and evaluation and with the Bureau of Justice Statistics the Indian Country crime data initiatives resulting in $2 million appropriations. Ms. Henry also worked closely with BJA on the development and implementation of its tribal justice information sharing activities. Through OAAG, Ms. Henry partnered with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to tackle lack of tribal representation on the Policy Advisory Board (Board) of the FBI Criminal Justice Information Sharing Division which manages national law enforcement data systems, such as the National Crime Information Center. Today, IACP’s tribal law enforcement representative is a member of the Board. She continues to educate federal, state, and tribal representatives on gaps in justice information sharing through several avenues such as the Tribal Crime Data Trainings. Prior to working at DOJ, Ms. Henry served the Navajo Nation advocating on legislative affairs and appropriations related to tribal justice; Navajo women’s issues; health and social services, including health facility construction; and helped with community organizing. Ms. Henry also worked at the U.S. Senate and DNA People’s Legal Services. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in history. She is a member of the Navajo Nation. Her family resides in Shiprock, NM, and Oak Spring, AZ. She is of the AWater Edge People@ (maternal clan) and born for the AMany Hogans People@ (paternal clan).
MOSE HERNE
Acting Deputy Director, Division of Behavioral Health, Indian Health Service, HHS
Mr. Herne, a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (Turtle Clan), currently serves as the Acting Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health, Office of Clinical and Preventive Services, Indian Health Service. Mr. Herne has a wide range of experience including provision of intensive mental health treatment for the Veterans Health Administration, multidisciplinary and community-based approaches to care, incorporation of traditional medicine with behavioral health care, and American Indian and Alaska Native veteran health. Mr. Herne is a Gulf War and U.S. Navy submarine veteran. He completed his undergraduate work at Clarkson University, holds a master of science degree in neuroscience from Brandeis University, and has a master of public health degree from the Boston University School of Public Health, where he is also a doctoral candidate in environmental health sciences, behavioral toxicology. Mr. Herne previously held academic positions for nearly 10 years at the Boston University Metropolitan College and Fitchburg State College.
MICAELEE HORN
Drug Court Coordinator, Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
Ms. Horn (Bear Clan) is a member of the Saint Regis Mohawk Indian Reserve. She holds a B.A. in psychology from the State University of New York at Potsdam and has a background in social work. Ms. Horn was hired by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe Court to coordinate the Healing to Wellness Drug Court in 2010.
ELIZABETH HORSMAN
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of New York
Ms. Horsman is an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York (NDNY). Prior to work with the United States Department of Justice after September 11th, she was a state prosecutor in the Montana State Attorney General’s Office’s Prosecution Services Bureau. In October 2010, U.S. Attorney Hartunian appointed Ms. Horsman to the NDNY’s newly created Indian Country liaison and prosecution position. She is currently working in Indian Country and the international (and intra-national) zone between the United States and Canada on the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory.
TYLER LASTIYANO
Administrator, Zuni Department of Corrections; Tribal Coordinator, Zuni CIRCLE Project
Mr. Lastiyano is currently the Pueblo of Zuni Corrections Administrator. Prior to this position, he oversaw implementation of the DOJ-funded CIRCLE (Comprehensive Indian Resources for Community and Law Enforcement) Project and was the Youth Center Director, Construction Manager, and Planning Specialist for tribal programs. He has extensive knowledge of and service in the U.S. Army, including the 1/75 RANGER Battalion in Georgia, as Combat Arms Specialist/Light Weapons, 2nd Infantry Battalion in Korea as Infantry Sergeant DMZ, and 2/3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment as Staff Sergeant for Demolition/Ordinance, and service in Desert Storm. After eight years of service, Mr. Lastiyano was honorably discharged. He has been a Student/Veterans Financial Aid Advisor for the UNM Gallup Branch. He has worked as the Bilingual Education Specialist and head coach for junior high football and basketball teams, while also serving as a mentor for high-risk and at-risk youth at the Pueblo of Zuni Middle School.
MARY LOU LEARY
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Ms. Leary joined the Office of the Assistant Attorney General at the Office of Justice Programs in May 2009 when she was appointed Deputy Assistant Attorney General. She was named Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in September 2009. Prior to that, she served for 4 years as executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, a private nonprofit in Washington, D.C. From 1999 to 2001, Ms. Leary’s service at the U.S. Department of Justice included acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, Deputy Associate Attorney General for the Office of the Associate Attorney General, and acting Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Ms. Leary has also served as U.S. Attorney, Principal Assistant, and then Senior Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Chief of the Superior Court Division. Her career includes extensive trial and grand jury experience as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia and Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, MA.
RON LESSARD
Strategic Advisor for Native American Affairs, Corporation for National and Community Service
Mr. Lessard serves as the new Strategic Advisor for Native American Affairs for the Corporation for National and Community Service. In this senior-level position, he functions as the agency’s primary liaison to Native communities and the organizations and federal agencies that serve them. He advocates for Native American communities at the Corporation, working across all program and support units to increase Native American participation in national service, develop and enhance programming to address the unique needs of Native American communities, promote coordination among the agency’s programs and partners, and collect information on challenges facing Native Americans.
CRAIG LOVE
Chief Epidemiologist, Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies (CAPT), SAMHSA, HHS
Dr. Craig Love has conducted research and studies on Native American populations, AIDS prevention and treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol abuse among prisoners. He has been the senior evaluator with seven Native American groups in a cross-site evaluation, and he consults with various tribal organizations. He has served as principal evaluator on a local Native American high-risk youth project. In addition to his position as Research Associate at the Center for Alcohol and Addictions Studies, he teaches courses in Native American studies at Brown University and is Lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard University. Dr. Love has served as project manager and consultant for two substance abuse treatment centers. In that capacity, he participated in writing grants, managing projects and conducting data analyses in a variety of projects including NIDA-funded AIDS outreach project for needle-using drug abusers, substance abuse treatment for incarcerated offenders and a follow-up study of treatment recipients. Dr. Love has been a consultant with the United Nations Development Program, the Washington, D.C. Police Foundation and the North Carolina Department of Corrections, among many other agencies. He just completed a project as principal investigator on a 3-year Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project testing the cost-effectiveness of drug abuse treatment in prisons. He was also principal investigator on two NIJ-funded prison treatment program evaluations and principal evaluator of a model drug court project in Massachusetts. He is also a co-principal investigator for a Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) needs assessment of criminal justice populations.
JUANA MAJEL-DIXON
Councilwoman, Pauma Band of Mission Indians; SAMHSA Tribal Technical Advisory Committee; Tribal Nations Leadership Council - Pacific Region Representative, DOJ; National Congress of American Indians, First Vice-President
Ms. Majel-Dixon has been a member of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) for 35 years, serving in various NCAI leadership capacities including NCAI Secretary for 9 years. In June 2003, she spearheaded the formation of the NCAI Task Force on Violence Against Women. She is the Chair of the Task Force and has dedicated endless hours to the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act 2005. She is also a working member of the core teams for Senate Bill 3320: Tribal Law and Order Act and Adam Walsh Act and serves as a member of the Tribal Law Justice Advisory Group, SAMHSA’s Tribal Advisory Group, and the DOJ Office of Justice Programs’ Tribal Justice Advisory Group. Ms. Majel-Dixon has traveled around the world representing the unique perspective of indigenous peoples and indigenous women, raising cultural awareness about such issues as Native sovereignty, tribal justice systems, racism, violence against indigenous women, spirituality, healing, and education. Ms. Majel-Dixon achieved her joint doctorate (ABD) in education and U.S. policy from San Diego State/Claremont Graduate University. She has a master’s degree in behavioral science and a master of science in psychology. She has taught federal Indian law and U.S. policy for 23 years at Palomar College and is a visiting professor at San Diego State University/Claremont Graduate University. She was also a faculty member of Clan Star, Inc., from April 2006 to December 2007. Ms. Majel-Dixon is a member of the Pauma-Yuima Band of Luiseno Indians and has served as a traditional appointment to the tribal legislative council for 28 years.
REBECCA MURDOCK
Assistant Director, Fox Valley Technical College’s Criminal Justice Center for Innovation
Ms. Murdock is Assistant Director for Fox Valley Technical College’s Criminal Justice Center for Innovation, where she provides operational management for staff and programs. Ms. Murdock develops multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary crime prevention and community leadership training courses and conferences throughout the United States. Programs relate to leadership, community planning, grant writing, software applications, and curriculum/faculty development. She has been the program manager for BJA’s Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program since the program began in 2001.
DENISE O'DONNELL
Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Denise O’Donnell was sworn in as the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance on June 6, 2011, after being nominated for the post by President Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate. In 1985, Ms. O’Donnell joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York as a criminal prosecutor. She was appointed U.S. Attorney by President Clinton in 1997 and became the first woman ever to hold the position of top federal prosecutor in upstate New York. Director O’Donnell served as Vice Chair of the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee in Washington, DC, where she was a member of the Investigations & Intelligence, Northern Border and Civil Rights subcommittees. Ms. O’Donnell entered private practice in 2001, becoming a litigation partner at Hodgson Russ LLP. In recent years, Ms. O’Donnell has served as the New York State Deputy Secretary for Public Safety, overseeing 11 homeland security and criminal justice agencies, and as Commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, the state administrative agency for BJA funds. A native of Buffalo, NY, O’Donnell was the first person in her family to graduate from college. She obtained a master’s degree in social work from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and she graduated summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo Law School.
JACUELINE O’REILLY
Program Specialist, SMART Office, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Ms. O’Reilly is a Program Specialist with the SMART Office and has experience in managing grants in the areas of sex offender management and child abuse and exploitation. Ms. O’Reilly is a clinical social worker who has worked in the child abuse and victim services field for 17 years. Her prior direct service work has included victim assistance with terrorism victims; forensic interviews of child sexual abuse victims; and clinical case management of child abuse and domestic violence cases.
STEVEN W. PERRY
Statistician, Bureau of Justice Statistics, DOJ
Mr. Perry is a statistician for the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the U.S. Department of Justice. He serves as the program manager for the State Court Prosecutors Statistics and the Indian Country Justice Statistics Program liaison. Mr. Perry has authored several BJS publications, including Tribal Crime Data Collection Activities (2010); State Prosecutors Offices with Jurisdiction in Indian Country, 2007 (2010); Improving Criminal History Records in Indian Country, 2004-2006; Prosecutors in State Courts, 2005; Census of Tribal Justice Agencies, 2002; American Indians and Crime, 1992-2001. He has served as the program manager for the Recovery Act: Tribal Crime Data Estimation Project; the Tribal Criminal History Record Improvement Program (T-CHRIP); and the Tribal Crime Data and Information Sharing Conferences, from 2004-2008. Prior to joining BJS in 2003, Mr. Perry served as a survey statistician for the Census Bureau. Mr. Perry received his bachelor of arts degree in sociology with a minor in criminal justice from Norfolk State University and holds an master’s degree in sociology with a minor in survey methodology from the Ohio State University. Mr. Perry has served in the U.S. Army working in communication security and was honorably discharged in 1992.
MICHELLE RIVARD PARKS
Associate Director, Tribal Judicial Institute, University of North Dakota School of Law
Ms. Parks is a licensed attorney in Illinois, North Dakota, and for Spirit Lake Tribal Court. She served as the Chief Prosecutor and currently serves as General Counsel for the Spirit Lake Nation. In 2003, she joined the University of North Dakota School of Law and is the Associate Director of the Tribal Judicial Institute. She was appointed by the U.S. Attorney General to the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Indian Country Task Force.
DENNIS O. ROMERO
Acting Director of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse, SAMHSA, HHS
Mr. Romero formerly served as the Director (Acting) for the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse (OIASA). In this capacity, he was responsible for establishing a new office, where he served as the SAMHSA primary representative in collaborative efforts with AI/AN communities and other national AI/AN advocacy and public health groups. Mr. Romero provided executive leadership in establishing the framework necessary to ensure a coordinated approach involving all major federal efforts assist tribal governments through trainings and technical assistance to enhance their alcohol and substance abuse prevention programs. Mr. Romero also served as the Deputy Executive Officer and Deputy Director for the Office of Program Services at SAMHSA, which oversees the conduct of management and administrative operations throughout the agency. Prior to that, he served in senior leadership capacities in SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention where he provided national leadership and direction in substance abuse prevention, goals and objectives of the Center, and the formulation of strategies and guidelines needed to plan, implement, and manage national programs and projects. In that position, he also directed new initiatives on meeting the needs of traditionally underserved populations.
CANDACE SHELTON
Senior Native American Specialist, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Center for Excellence, SAMHSA, HHS
Ms. Shelton (Osage) is the Senior Native American Specialist for SAMHSA’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence. She provides training and technical assistance to support tribes and tribal organizations in addressing FASD. Ms. Shelton has been a clinical supervisor and a behavioral health director for American Indian organizations specializing in substance abuse treatment. She has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and is a Licensed Independent Substance Abuse Counselor.
TRISH THACKSTON
Policy Advisor, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Ms. Patricia (Trish) Thackston is a policy advisor at the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Ms. Thackston spent the first 12 years of her career working with abused and neglected children in foster care and residential treatment settings in New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia. In 1996, she joined the Bureau of Justice Assistance and began working in the areas of crime prevention and tribal justice. Currently she works on a range of projects focused on tribal justice including the Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP), Tribal Court Assistance Program (TCAP), and a number of tribal justice training and technical assistance projects. Ms. Thackston is also a member of many tribal justice committees and working groups both inside the Department of Justice and with outside agencies and organizations.
EUGENIA TYNER-DAWSON
Executive Director, Justice Programs Council on Native American Affairs, Senior Advisor to the AAG for Tribal Affairs, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ
Ms. Tyner-Dawson is with the Department of Justice and serves as the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Attorney General for Tribal Affairs, and the Executive Director of the Justice Programs Council on Native American Affairs, in the Office of Justice Programs. She is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation and is a descendent of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Ms. Tyner-Dawson has worked in law enforcement and has an extensive background in serving tribal governments and tribal organizations. For 11 years, she worked with her own tribe, directing numerous tribal programs. In 1996, Ms. Tyner-Dawson worked as a tribal lobbyist for SENSE, Inc., in Washington, DC, and in 1998, she began work with the Department of Health and Human Services, at the Indian Health Service, in the Office of Tribal Self-Governance (OTSG). In 2000, she transferred to the HHS Secretary's immediate office where she served as the Intergovernmental Affairs Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs, and the acting Executive Director of the HHS Intradepartmental Council on Native American Affairs through June 2006. She also served as the Acting Deputy Director of the IHS, supporting the management of the $3.7 billion national health care delivery program for approximately 1.6 million of the nation's 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. Ms. Tyner-Dawson completed her HHS tour as the Associate Director for Planning and Policy Coordination for the Office of Minority Health. She has an associate of arts degree in Business Administration.
MAUREEN WHITE EAGLE
Victim Advocacy Legal Specialist, Attorney, Consultant
Ms. White Eagle (Turtle Mountain) has practiced law in North Dakota, Minnesota, and several tribal jurisdictions since 1981. She developed and managed the civil legal services program for Native survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center from 2002 to 2005. She worked for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute for 2 years as a Victim Advocacy Legal Specialist and continues to work with Tribal Law and Policy Institute on a consultant basis on publications, as well as consulting with other tribal organizations. She wrote and edited resource guides to aid tribes in the development of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking codes; Adam Walsh–compliant registration systems; tribal law enforcement sexual-assault protocols; and tribal prosecutor sexual-assault protocols. She has also written a tribal court judges’ sexual assault benchbook.
SHENA WILLIAMS
Administration for Children and Families, HHS
Ms. Williams is a Program Specialist for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Program in the Family Youth and Services Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The program provides grants to state agencies, tribes and Alaskan Native corporations, state coalitions, and nonprofit organizations in support of shelter services and related assistance to victims of family violence and their dependents. As a Program Specialist, Ms. Williams manages and provides technical assistance support to FVPSA tribal grants and the National Tribal Resource Center. She also coordinates with federal agencies to improve services to tribes. Ms. Williams has been with the FVPSA Program for 10 years.
WILBUR WOODIS
Special Assistant on Native American Affairs, Office of Minority Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, HHS
Mr. Woodis assists the Office of Minority Health with the coordination and management of AI/AN-focused health disparity initiatives. He has been a project officer or consultant on many national initiatives covering such topics as domestic violence, suicide, wellness, Head Start, men, Gathering of Native Americans, post-colonial psychology, fetal alcohol syndrome, treatment drug courts, community health, and AI/AN health disparities. He has an extensive background in providing direct clinical services among AI/AN people.
