2024 National Tribal TANF Institute Instructors

Kim Adams

Kim Adams has over 20 years of experience in human services, specializing in Eligibility and Welfare to Work programs. With a track record of over 15 years facilitating workshops and trainings for both clients and staff, Kim is adept at fostering professional growth and a culture of continuous learning with areas of expertise extending to guiding workgroups, coaching staff and clients, developing policies and leading peer coaching programs.

Glenn Basconcillo

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.

Andrea Brewer 

Andrea Brewer has been practicing yoga since her first teacher, Carrie Searles Odom, introduced her to the Ashtanga or 8-limbed path of Hatha yoga in college. Prior to this, she hadn't realized how disconnected she was from her body. For the past 3 years, Brewer has been in direct services facilitating peer support groups for survivors of sexual violence and exploitation. She also works as a garden coordinator and environmental club facilitator at a TK-12 school in the East Bay, as well as a full-spectrum birth worker and student midwife. She finds that integrating breath and movement practices to her everyday life positively impacts her overall well-being and the direct work she provides to the communities she serves.

Nic Bryant

Nic Bryant proudly serves UC Davis as a coach, facilitator, instructor and change agent. Prior to this role, he served in the public sector in various leadership positions across a wide range of differing human services agencies, gaining insight on various professional cultures and environments. Driven by his passion in leadership development, community service and human diversity, Bryant takes pride in providing transformative learning experiences. As a neurodivergent father to neurodivergent children, Bryant invites us to learn more about the neurodivergent culture to provide best possible services for the next generation and their families. 

Jackie DeLaCruz

Jackie DeLaCruz, M.Ed., is a UC Davis Instructor and Stanford Medicine Ambassador of Compassion. She was the recipient of the UC Davis Outstanding Service Award for Teaching. Through her workshops, Jackie helps individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their experiences and empowers them to make positive changes in their personal and professional lives. She uses a range of techniques and exercises, including journaling, guided reflection and group discussion, to help participants explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences in a safe and supportive environment. Jackie believes that empathy and kindness are essential qualities for creating a better world and is on a mission to teach that every person has the capacity to develop these qualities within themselves. 

Matt Franklin

Matt Franklin is the CDSS Tribal TANF and Indian Health Clinic Unit Manager. 

Michell Franklin

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 managed 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.

Alisia Gonzales

Alicia Gonzales, M.P.A., has more than 12 years of experience working in Tribal TANF as a site manager and assistant TANF director with Owens Valley Career Development Center. Gonzales has trained line staff and managers on Cash Aid policy and procedures, proposal writing, community outreach, subrecipient management, monthly reporting and client program tracking. She has also provided one-on-one coaching for site managers on personnel issues, budget management, relationship building with Tribes and employee empowerment. She creates an encouraging learning environment that is team-focused and forward-driven. 

Karalee Joseph

Karalee Joseph has over 15 years' experience working with customers in Health and Human Services in a variety of roles including Tribal TANF as an educator, facilitator, trainer, staff developer, supervisor, manager and director. Her emphasis includes classroom management, child development services, ICWA, crisis management/intervention, behavioral management and youth prevention services. 

Antonio Lopez

Antonio Lopez has over 20 years of experience as a presenter and/or trainer on a variety of topics, including employment workshops, loss and change, suicide prevention, mental health, ACEs, stress. burnout and resiliency. He also has specialized knowledge and experience in county, state and federal policies and procedures, having worked for 10 years in human services, 10 years in mental health and suicide prevention and two years in public health. Lopez has been a certified trainer for multiple evidence-based curricula ranging from parenting, skill building, mindfulness and mental health first aid. 

Anthony Pineda

Anthony Pineda, M.A., explores the intersection of education, mental health, technology and creativity for developing knowledge and growth within those he serves. He firmly believes in the power of knowledge and a growth mindset. After taking steps to ensure the formation of Creatrix Institute, Pineda spends his professional time in the fields of education, human services and mental health providing programming that celebrates the hip-hop culture and human development. His drive and passion for creating a new paradigm in education and in the way we interact with each other are unyielding. He will continue his work until we create new pathways that see the value of cultural knowledge and technology for people in education. 

Carl Rabun

Carl Rabun, Ph.D., Chumash, has over 15 years of experience training and consulting for various public and private sectors. He specializes in workforce development, customer service, employee engagement, team building, clerical and administration, time management, change management, crisis intervention, coaching and leadership development. He proudly serves as a UC Davis instructor and lead facilitator for UC Davis tribal programs.  

Tiffany Salcido

Tiffany Salcido, an instructor with UC Davis, Human Services, has earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She has also been inducted and currently serves as an active member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. She has nearly two decades of experience designing curriculum and facilitating professional development training for human service agencies across the state of California. Tiffany’s extensive background in public service makes her a subject matter expert in the areas of self-sufficiency, eligibility, employment, youth development, staff development and leadership development. She successfully delivers training topics such as communication skills; growth mindset; strength-focused engagement; accountability; emotional intelligence; change management; stress management and self-care; critical thinking and decision-making skills; professionalism and ethics in the workplace; policy, procedure and compliancy; data analysis and reporting; diversity, equity and inclusion and excellent internal and external customer service. She has a natural ability to quickly identify issues, propose great solutions and inspire positive change. With her noteworthy facilitation style and one-of-a kind sense of humor, Tiffany creates very enjoyable, high-energy and engaging training environments, ensuring that trainees receive meaningful and impactful learning experiences. 

Rubie Simonsen

Rubie Simonsen specializes in youth development, human-centered design thinking, trauma-informed care, mindfulness and curriculum development. Simonsen brings a unique perspective shaped by her lived experience – having grown up with a single mom with split personality disorder who was incarcerated – which fuels their dedication to creating supportive environments for young individuals facing similar challenges. Simonsen also actively engages in tribal work, particularly in the realms of youth development, food sovereignty, story maps, mental health and traditional ecological knowledge. Through this engagement, she enriches her practice with insights and approaches that honor indigenous wisdom and community resilience.

Michelle Villegas-Frazier 

Michelle Villegas-Frazier, who previously worked for a decade in outreach programs on campus, returned to become the first director of Strategic Native American Retention Initiative in Student Affairs. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience in Native American outreach and retention services and programs. Villegas-Frazier provides strategic leadership to identify opportunities for enhancing the persistence, achievement and graduation rates for Native American students. She leads efforts to develop partnerships across the university and implement a plan to serve students from orientation through graduation.