Kim Adams has over 20 years of experience in Human Services with specialties in Employment Services, Expanded Subsidized Employment, Family Stabilization, Linkages, and Cal-OAR. As well as leading peer-coaching programs, Kim provides coaching and training to Human Services staff and leaders on holistic and technical topics.
Glenn Basconcillo is the founder and president of GNB Consulting Inc., a human services solutions company based in California. With 40 years of public and tribal human services experience, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in human services delivery systems. Before starting GNB Consulting, Inc., he held the positions of chief operations officer, TANF director and TANF deputy director during a twelve-year career with the Owens Valley Career Development Center, a consortium based Tribal organization in California. Basconcillo also currently provides his professional support and services to the National Congress of American Indians TANF Task Force.
Jackie DeLaCruz, M.Ed., is a consultant and trainer specializing in Workforce Education and Training. Her specialty is creating training that lifts barriers between people and opens new possibilities for connection, collaboration and understanding. Her goal is to help staff and administration recognize the importance of their work and commitment to being in service to their community members. She has been training for UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Human Service Programs since 1997 and has been the recipient of the UC Davis Outstanding Service Award for Teaching.
Michell Franklin, M.A., has over 30 years of experience in the fields of higher education, mental health, providing clinical services to CalWORKs clients, nonprofit human services work, and community outreach. She last served as the Capacity-Building Program Manager for the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, a statewide nonprofit organization where she worked for the last seven years managing the department that provided training and technical assistance to nearly 150 community-based domestic violence prevention organizations across California. She currently serves as the Program Director of the Custom Training & Services unit within the Human Services Department at UC Davis where she oversees and manages a wide range of training deliverables across the spectrum of human services workforce development, including county and state contracts and tribal programs.
Ben Greer, J.D., is as a subject matter expert in the field of human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. He currently serves at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Service (Cal OES) where he specifically instructs and develops human trafficking courses for law enforcement and emergency personnel. Before joining Cal OES, he served as a Special Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. He is a federally recognized human trafficking training expert by the Office for Victims of Crime Training & Technical Assistance Center (OVC - TTAC) and Bureau of Justice Assistance Training and Technical Assistance Center (BJA - NTAC). He helped California draft and negotiate a Memorandum of Understandings with the Mexican Government; draft and lobby anti-trafficking legislation (both domestically and internationally); and plays a prominent role as Contributing/Advisory Board member on two International peer reviewed Anti-Trafficking Journals.
Laura Hernandez has served as a presenter and keynote speaker throughout San Diego County at numerous community-based organizations, colleges and statewide consortia, including the California Welfare Directors Association. She started her long career with County of San Diego as a Human Service specialist, working in the Intake section, then became a supervisor before she promoted to program specialist in Appeals. Later as the CalWORKs/Welfare to Work program manager she led the design and implementation of the WTW Quality Control element. After retiring from this post, Hernandez returned to work as a Family Resource Center operations manager and also supported the efforts against COVID-19 as a test/vaccine site operations manager for several locations. Hernandez is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and a certified life coach.
Karalee Joseph is an instructor for UC Davis, Continuing and Professional Education, Human Services Department. She teaches courses in diverse culturally based case management practices. Her research addresses equitable and inclusive teaching in leadership, management, supervision, and wellness. Karalee has over 15 years of experience working and collaborating with Tribal governments, programs, and businesses to improve programming and services within Tribal TANF.
Lisa Martin, M.S.W., is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. She has over 15 years of experience working in Tribal TANF and currently serves as a regional manager for California Tribal TANF Partnership, overseeing eight counties of service throughout Northern California. Prior to this, she was a caseworker and site manager for the same program. Her various positions have provided her with an in-depth understanding of delivering direct services, case management practices, leadership and administrative responsibilities. She currently enjoys working in the areas of data collection, inter-agency collaboration, program development and staff-training.
Anthony Pineda, M.A., explores the intersection of education, mental health, technology, and creativity for developing those he works with. Hip-hop is his passion and he firmly believes in the power of knowledge and a growth mindset. After taking steps to ensure the formation of Creatrix Institute, Anthony spends his professional time in the fields of education and mental health providing programming that celebrates the hip-hop culture. Anthony's drive and passion for creating a new paradigm in education are unyielding. Anthony will continue his work until we create new pathways that see the value of cultural knowledge and technology for people in education.
Carl Rabun, Ph.D., Chumash, has over 15 years of experience training and consulting various public and private sector employees. He specializes in workforce development, leadership skills, workshop facilitation, client and employee motivation, building life skills, clerical and office support training, customer service, time and organization management, team dynamics, strength-based coaching, developing WTW plans, and goal setting. He also served as an employment services case manager, unit supervisor, and Employment Zone workshop facilitator at the Kern County Department of Human Services. This year will be Carl's 13th year participating at the Tribal TANF Institute.
Rubie Simonsen is a Sacramento State alum, having graduated with her B.A. in Sociology. This Filipina-native, farmer, and yoga teacher is passionate about shaping the future of communities to be more resilient, and sovereign through farming, and youth development. In 2016, she graduated from the Center for Land-based Learning Beginning Farmer Training program and launched an herb farm in West Sacramento where she produced locally grown lavender and various edible specialty herbs. She is committed to providing farming and micro-business technical assistance to Native communities throughout California and continues to farm throughout California in partnership with Tribal communities. She utilizes 10-years of nonprofit and political experience coaching executives in development, leadership, and social entrepreneurship. She is the author of "Unsettled", chronologically organized poetry written while she lived in a Volkswagen Vanagon affectionately named Frida. When she is not farming, Rubie can be found practicing yoga or hiking.
Tanaya Winder, M.F.A., is an author, singer, songwriter, poet, motivational speaker and educator who comes from an intertribal lineage of Southern Ute, Pyramid Lake Paiute, Diné and Duckwater Shoshone Nations where she is an enrolled citizen. Her heritage also includes African American. Tanaya's performances and talks emphasize the importance of “heartwork”—the life path one is meant to follow by using one's gifts and passions. She blends storytelling, singing, and spoken word to teach about different expressions of love (self love, intimate love, social love, community love, and universal love). She is the director of the University of Colorado Boulder's Upward Bound program; during her 10 years there she has served hundreds of Indigenous youth. She also co-founded Sing Our Rivers Red's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) earring exhibit. Tanaya believes everyone has a gift they've been placed on this earth to share.