We are proud to announce the following speakers for the 2024 National Tribal TANF Institute.
Opening Address: Crystal Martinez-Alire
Stronger Families Through Transformative Leadership and Career Readiness for Tribal TANF Participants
Join Crystal Martinez-Alire as she kicks off the National Tribal TANF Institute with a discussion on career development and leadership strategies to consider implementing when serving TANF participants. She will share workshop topics and ideas that can be utilized to teach TANF participants and applied to the work we do when supporting them with becoming successful members of the workforce. Sharing personal success stories to inspire positive change in our respective communities, this presentation will help shine a light on how education increases employability and socio-economic status, which can lead to many other great successes.
Crystal Martinez-Alire, Ph.D., is an enrolled member of the Ione Band of Miwok. Martinez-Alire served as a former chairwoman of the tribe, a faculty/counselor at Los Rios Community College District, a trustee at the Board of Education for Elk Grove Unified School District, and director-at-large, American Indian to the California School Board Association (CSBA). Her professional experience also includes working within the Native American Studies Department at the University of California, Davis and as an education coordinator at Shingle Springs Tribal TANF. She participated on the Sacramento Native American Higher Education Collaborative committee and supported the California Community College Chancellor’s Office as a consultant through the Native American Student Support & Success Program (NASSSP).
Welcome Dinner Address by Gary S. May
Embracing Culture and Innovation for Vibrant Communities
In this keynote presentation, we will hear from UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May on the critical role that culture and diversity play in the success of innovative thinking. He will discuss how the university’s principles of community embodies our commitment to honoring and embracing every individual’s values, perspectives, and identities and how this creates inclusivity, creativity and innovation for a vibrant community. He will speak on the diverse programs, opportunities and resources offered to all our young learners, such as the Native American Studies department, the Native American Academic Student Success Center, and much more! We hope this inspires transformational change in practice that strengthens relationships between families, youth, children and communities across native lands and beyond.
Gary S. May leads the most comprehensive campus in the University of California system, with four colleges and six professional schools. UC Davis enrolls more than 40,000 students, brings in more than $1 billion annually in sponsored research and contributes more than $12.5 billion annually to California’s economy. In 2019, UC Davis reached the Top 10 in four national rankings of universities, including fifth among public universities in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings.
His vision as UC Davis’ seventh chancellor is to lead the university to new heights in academic excellence, inclusion, public service and upward mobility for students from all backgrounds.
May believes success is best judged by how we enhance the lives of others. Throughout his career, he has championed diversity and mentorship in both higher education and the workplace. He developed nationally recognized programs to attract, mentor and retain underrepresented groups in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. In 2015, President Barack Obama honored May with the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring. In 2021, he received the Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and an honorary doctorate from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 2023, he received the Lifetime Member of the Year award from the National Society of Black Engineers and the Education Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Electron Devices Society for his “dedicated leadership and mentorship that has diversified academic leaders in education.” In 2023, May also partnered with his mentor to establish the "Professor Emeritus Augustine O. Esogbue and Chancellor Gary May Endowed Award in Engineering Diversity" at UC Davis. The endowment will support graduate students who share a passion for excellence and demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of engineering and computer science.
Welcome Dinner Special Presentation by Matt Franklin
Honoring Culture and Tradition for Thriving Future Generations
Matt Franklin is of Miwok Nisnean descent and is an enrolled member of the Miwok Tribe and the Franklin and Blue families of Northern California. Franklin has more than 20 years of experience serving the California Department of Social Services Tribal TANF program and is the unit manager for the Indian Health Center. He supports both tribal governments and state government, and has presented at numerous local, state, and national Tribal TANF conferences in an effort to build and strengthen relationships with tribes and tribal governments. Franklin previously served as chairman and vice chairman of his tribe for several years and has been very involved with Indian education, Native social services, and other issues that impact and affect the growth of the native community in Northern California. He continues to support Native communities in the greater Sacramento region and beyond, focusing his efforts on strengthening tribal sovereignty and direct services to tribes and their populations. A strong advocate for Native families and promotes tribal self-sufficiency, he has been elected to serve on many boards and committees focused on supporting tribes and Native families. He was raised as a traditional Miwok dancer and continues to teach culture and songs to his children and relatives.
Closing Address: Tiffany Salcido
Building Community by Honoring the Past, Present and Future
Building community starts with individual interactions of past, present and future. Tiffany will guide us through a creative demonstration to symbolize the interconnectedness of individual relationships and the community as a whole. To honor the past, we will engage in movement that will represent traditions we have learned from our relatives and ancestors that we now proudly carry with us through life. To honor the present, we will reflect on our greatest takeaways from this 4-day learning experience and share how we plan to implement new tools and strategies. To honor the future, we will share our commitments to improving our practice for future generations.
Tiffany Salcido is an instructor with UC Davis Human Services and an active member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Salcido'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 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.
Meet the MC!
Carl Rabun, Ph.D., Chumash, has more than 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.