IHS National Clinical and Community Workforce Summit

Taylor Thomas earned her bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Amherst College in 2022—she then entered the world of Tribal Affairs. Born and raised in Rockville, MD, Ms. Thomas has always been interested in government work as she has had continuous exposure to socio-political environments, ideas, and practices. As a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, her motivation to help Indian Country into a better future perfectly aligned with her professional goals as a program assistant with the DCCS. Having worked in both Tribal Law and energy spheres, and now in the tribal healthcare field, she aims to broaden her understanding of the complex and unique needs of tribal industry, communities, and people to serve her community best and advance the welfare of Indian Country. When she is not busy with work, you can find her walking with my dog, Buddy, and going to the movies with friends. 

Ms. Valerie Jones serves as the Elder Health Care Data Coordinator for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. She brings over twenty years of public service experience in the health and human services industries. Her background and interests center on improving health outcomes in Native American communities.

Prior to joining IHS, Ms. Jones served as the Health Administrator of the Navajo Nation Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support Program overseeing aging services in 110 communities on the Navajo Nation. She also served as the Tribal Arizona Long-Term Care Administrator with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, overseeing intergovernmental agreements with various Tribes in Arizona. Additionally, she worked with the Department of Commerce on the Decennial Census, providing technical assistance and administrative guidance to the Dallas Regional Census Center. Ms. Jones earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling degree from the University of Arizona.

Jamie Olsen is a Management Analyst for the DCCS at the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to DCCS, Mrs. Olsen served 22 years at the Red Lake IHS Service Unit. From 2000 to 2011, she was a Staff Radiologic Technologist who focused on installing the Hospital’s first in-house mammography unit. Mrs. Olsen was the first mammographer on staff and was responsible for the mammography compliance and regulation program. In 2011, she was promoted to Radiology Supervisor at Red Lake IHS. During this time, she managed IHS Staff and Radiology Contracting Staff. Her primary duty consisted of managing significant contracts at the COR II level. She was responsible for the Radiology budget and was involved in the revenue enhancement committee. Mrs. Olsen also served as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for many Area Wide Radiology projects. She has earned her Diagnostic Radiologic Technology degree through the St. Cloud Hospital School of X-Ray.

Dr. Jolie Crowder serves as the National Elder Care Consultant for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. In this role, she serves as the principal representative responsible for planning, formulating, and implementing national elder care policies and programming focused on early recognition, diagnosis, and management of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additional responsibilities include representing the DCCS in the elder program forward-facing outreach activities and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the elder care program. Before joining the IHS, she worked for more than a decade with the International Association for Indigenous Aging as a Senior Director and Director of Research and Evaluation and briefly with the National Council for Urban Indian Health. She served as Principal Investigator for a National Healthy Brain Initiative award and lead evaluator for four tribal Administration for Community Living Alzheimer’s grants. In addition, Dr. Crowder has hands-on experience developing plain language, and culturally relevant resources for use by and for Indian Country. She has published peer-reviewed publications on elder abuse, dementia, and, most recently, social determinants of cancer in American Indian and Alaska Native populations working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Crowder graduated with a master’s in health systems management and a doctorate in nursing science from the University of Virginia, where her doctoral dissertation focused on elder mistreatment in Native populations.

Alberta Becenti is an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe and currently serves as the Public Health Advisor for the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Program and Acting Consultant for the Health Education Program with the IHS DCCS. Ms. Becenti has over twenty-five years of experience working in Native American communities to promote health and wellness. She is responsible for working with IHS Area HP/DP Coordinators and Health Educators to provide leadership and direction to plan, implement, and monitor prevention activities to support wellness. She earned her Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Utah.

Lucinda Charleston is Dine’ (Clans are Red Running into Water, born to Bitter water, Grandparents are Red house and Water Edge) from New Mexico and is serving as the Health Promotion Disease Prevention Consultant with Bemidji Area Office. Lucinda has a Master’s of Public Health with a Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Certificate.

Lucinda has a decade of successful experience in public health, program management and team building. Lucinda specializes in program planning and community building by her involvement with projects relating to health, safety and wellness for Indigenous people.

She is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking and cultural knowledge. Lucinda continues to learn of the importance of communicating health messages, a leader of change, and promoting the importance of wellness. Lucinda enjoys learning new skills such as beadwork but she can be found spending quality time with her precious grandchildren.

Janna Vallo is from the Pueblo of Acoma. She is the Commercial Tobacco Control & Prevention Coordinator under the CDC Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country Program at the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC). Janna is a Certified Prevention Specialist and a trainer of the Basic Tobacco Intervention Skills for Native Americans. Janna is an active member of the Local Collaborative 16 and the Reclaim Sacred Tobacco Coalition. She currently chairs the New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco and the Southwest Tribal Tobacco Coalition. Janna provides interactive facilitation, both in-person and online, networking, technical support, strategic planning, teambuilding, and training opportunities. Janna works in partnership with Tribal communities seeking to build their knowledge around commercial tobacco prevention and cessation, while respecting traditional and sacred uses of tobacco.

Capt. Cynthia Gunderson, PharmD, is the Chair of the IHS National Committee on Heroin, Opioids, and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee. The HOPE Committee works with tribal stakeholders to promote appropriate and effective pain management, reduce overdose deaths from heroin and prescription opioid misuse, and improve access to culturally appropriate treatment.

CDR Kristin Allmaras was born and raised in rural North Dakota, where her 2 brothers and parents run their family farm. She started her pharmacy career in 2009 as a technician with Costco in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2015, She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from North Dakota State University and completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency with Southcentral Foundation / Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage which is when she was commissioned as an officer in the United States Public Health Service. After residency, she stayed with Southcentral Foundation as a staff pharmacist, spending the majority of her time as the decentralized pediatric pharmacist. CDR Allmaras transitioned to primary care in early 2018 as an integrated, clinical pharmacist supporting 6 primary care provider teams, 3 team coverage teams, co-located psychiatrists and pediatrician, certified nurse midwife team and multiple other ancillary clinicians. She moved to Northern Minnesota and was employed with Red Lake IHS as a clinical pharmacist and is currently the Director of Pharmacy at Cass Lake IHS. CDR Allmaras is a Board-Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist and holds her National Clinical Pharmacy Specialist certification. In December 2023, Kristin earned her Masters in Health Services Administration with a select specialty track of Health Institution Leadership. 

Kristin spends her free time with her growing family. Her husband, Josh, stays home with their 3 kiddos, Landon (5), Madison (3), and Tanner (1) and their 1 dog, Harper, an 8 year old Irish Setter. She enjoys scrapbooking, but has most recently found herself racing hot wheels and playing princess. 

LCDR Fiona Chao is completing her Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) residency program at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Prior to going back into residency training, she worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center as the Pharmacy Informaticist. LCDR Chao is committed to the mission of the Indian Health Service since starting in 2014. 

CDR Samantha Gustafson received her Pharmacy Degree from North Dakota State University in 2008.  She began a career in retail pharmacy, and transitioned to a clinical position in 2014 with the Indian Health Service on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, MN.  She is currently a credentialed and privileged clinical pharmacist and provides comprehensive care with a special focus on behavioral health and substance use disorders.  She is responsible for the naloxone co-prescribing initiative, and has coordinated the deployment of naloxone for the first responders and community members of the Red Lake Nation in collaboration with Red Lake Comprehensive Health.  She also serves as the Harm Reduction Lead for the IHS Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee, and is passionate about providing education on harm reduction strategies and available treatment resources.  

Myra Parker, JD, MPH, PhD, is an enrolled member of the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes and serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is currently the Director of Seven Directions which is housed in the Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors within the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Alan B. Stevens, PhD, FGSA, FAPA, holds the endowed Holleman-Rampy Centennial Chair in Gerontology at Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH) and serves as the Director of the Center for Applied Health Research (CAHR) within the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute. He is also a Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Stevens is nationally recognized for his contributions to dementia care and family caregiving. His research engages healthcare systems and community organizations to develop and implement meaningful health programs for older adults and their family caregivers. He recently completed an appointment as a Co-Chair of the RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council. The Council provided Congress with the first National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. He currently leads the BSWH All of Us Research Program site, NIH’s premier precision medicine research initiative. 

Dr. Stevens is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Gerontological Society of America. He completed his graduate training at the University of New Orleans, earning a Master’s degree and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Developmental Psychology. 

Jordan P. Lewis is Aleut and Sugpiaq and his family is from the Naknek Native Village in Southwest AK and Cannon Beach, OR. He is the Director of Research for the Center for One Health Research and a Research Professor with the College of Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from UAF, an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis, and a BSW from UAF, and is a certified professional gerontologist. Trained as a cross-cultural community psychologist and gerontologist, Jordan has worked with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to identify characteristics that enable Alaska Native Elders to age successfully, or age in a good way, and become role models for their families and communities. Using the lessons and experiences of AIAN Elders, Jordan’s research develops generative-based approaches to improve the health of all generations.

Jordan’s research agenda has made significant contributions to the field with discussions on culture-specific approaches to successful aging, including the development of a model of Alaska Native successful aging, a theory of AN healthy aging, and the concept of Indigenous cultural generativity. His research has identified indigenous cultural generativity as a critical ingredient to successful aging, which has important implications for the wellbeing of AI/AN people, including those with ADRD, their caregivers, and family and community members.

Dr. Jolie Crowder serves as the National Elder Care Consultant for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. In this role, she serves as the principal representative responsible for planning, formulating, and implementing national elder care policies and programming focused on early recognition, diagnosis, and management of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additional responsibilities include representing the DCCS in the elder program forward-facing outreach activities and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the elder care program. Before joining the IHS, she worked for more than a decade with the International Association for Indigenous Aging as a Senior Director and Director of Research and Evaluation and briefly with the National Council for Urban Indian Health. She served as Principal Investigator for a National Healthy Brain Initiative award and lead evaluator for four tribal Administration for Community Living Alzheimer’s grants. In addition, Dr. Crowder has hands-on experience developing plain language, and culturally relevant resources for use by and for Indian Country. She has published peer-reviewed publications on elder abuse, dementia, and, most recently, social determinants of cancer in American Indian and Alaska Native populations working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Crowder graduated with a master’s in health systems management and a doctorate in nursing science from the University of Virginia, where her doctoral dissertation focused on elder mistreatment in Native populations.

Jamie Olsen is a Management Analyst for the DCCS at the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to DCCS, Mrs. Olsen served 22 years at the Red Lake IHS Service Unit. From 2000 to 2011, she was a Staff Radiologic Technologist who focused on installing the Hospital’s first in-house mammography unit. Mrs. Olsen was the first mammographer on staff and was responsible for the mammography compliance and regulation program. In 2011, she was promoted to Radiology Supervisor at Red Lake IHS. During this time, she managed IHS Staff and Radiology Contracting Staff. Her primary duty consisted of managing significant contracts at the COR II level. She was responsible for the Radiology budget and was involved in the revenue enhancement committee. Mrs. Olsen also served as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for many Area Wide Radiology projects. She has earned her Diagnostic Radiologic Technology degree through the St. Cloud Hospital School of X-Ray.

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Taylor Thomas earned her bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Amherst College in 2022—she then entered the world of Tribal Affairs. Born and raised in Rockville, MD, Ms. Thomas has always been interested in government work as she has had continuous exposure to socio-political environments, ideas, and practices. As a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, her motivation to help Indian Country into a better future perfectly aligned with her professional goals as a program assistant with the DCCS. Having worked in both Tribal Law and energy spheres, and now in the tribal healthcare field, she aims to broaden her understanding of the complex and unique needs of tribal industry, communities, and people to serve her community best and advance the welfare of Indian Country. When she is not busy with work, you can find her walking with my dog, Buddy, and going to the movies with friends. 

Hello, my name is Amber Hoon, and I have joined GLITEC as a Senior Public Health Specialist. In a previous role within GLITC, I helped create GLITC’s Tribal Dementia Program. My greatest joy is the honor of working with Elders, and my specialty is working with interested Tribal communities in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This work includes offering culturally relevant trainings such as Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country and Dementia Friends for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, as well as facilitating the Second Wind Dream® Virtual Dementia Tour® experience. I have also had the pleasure of presenting different topics about dementia and discussing GLITC’s Tribal Dementia Program at various conferences and gatherings. 

Before working at GLITC, I dedicated 14 years to working as a charge nurse and, at times, interim nurse manager in long-term care at the Special Care Alzheimer’s and Dementia Unit in Milwaukee. It was an amazing journey where I learned so many valuable lessons from those I cared for. 

Outside of my work with GLITEC, I have three adult sons and recently had the honor of becoming a grandmother to my first grandchild. I enjoy visiting with Elders and sharing a good cup of tea or coffee or spending my free time fishing, or in the woods with my two dogs and partner. I have a deep passion for learning about plant medicines and traditional food gathering and cooking.

Christina Alaniz, MPH, is a public health specialist for the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) in the Ann Arbor satellite office. In this role, she supports Bemidji Area Tribal communities’ efforts to improve health through technical assistance and collaboration on public health matters. She is especially passionate about working to better maternal health and dementia care. Prior to this job, Christina served as the program coordinator for the Center for Participatory Research at the University of New Mexico College of Population Health. While working there, she partnered with various communities and Tribes within the area and cultivated a love for community-based research. She also earned her Master's in Public Health, with a focus on community health. Christina plans to continue in the public health field, working to improve health equity by connecting with communities and increasing access to resources.

Leopoldo O. (Eljay) Panganiban (he/him/his) is a Public Health Specialist and Project Coordinator at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) from their satellite office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eljay works with Bemidji Area Tribes and Tribal programs on various public health data and program evaluation needs. Most of his projects focus on community health assessments, substance use, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance and prevention. Notably, he coordinates a subaward program that awarded five Tribes and Tribal programs $100,000 in funding to enhance HIV, HCV, and STI prevention efforts in their communities. Eljay received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Wayne State University in 2023 and will be pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health starting in Fall 2025. 

Rick Haverkate is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Michigan) and grew up in the land of his ancestors along Lake Superior's shores. In 1993 he earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Hawai'i. His public health work has been focused almost entirely on American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. Mr. Haverkate has assumed various roles, including Community Health Educator, Public Information Officer, Public Health Advisor, Principal Investigator, Project Officer, Director of Public Health, Senior Program Analyst, and Deputy Director at the local, state, tribal, and national levels. He has specialized in operational management in the fields of HIV/AIDS, Maternal and Child Health, Commercial Tobacco Use Prevention, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, and Community Capacity Building. He currently works for the IHS as the Branch Chief of the National HIV/HCV/STI Branch.

Mr. Andrew Yu is joining the IHS and the DCCS at Headquarters, as a public health advisor and National HIV/HCV/STI Clinical Coordinator. His responsibilities include planning and coordinating HIV/HCV/STI programs and community-related projects, as well as providing technical guidance, developing reports on program trends, and assisting in the development of spending plans. Mr. Yu has 12 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse working with people living with HIV/AIDS, previously working as a nurse clinician and supervisor at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s infectious disease clinic in New York City. His clinical experience also includes working with people receiving HIV pre and post-exposure prophylaxis, STI testing and treatment, as well as creating enterprise-wide nursing policies and overseeing quality initiatives to improve patient access to care. Mr. Yu obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University and his Master of Science in Community and Public Health Nursing from Hunter College - CUNY. He is also certified as an AIDS Care Registered Nurse and an active member of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care’s rural nursing committee.

Mr. William Czajkowski is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna. William began working at IHS as a Pathways Student in 2016 in the Division of Behavioral Health (DBH), under the Office of Clinical and Preventive Services. He graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 2018. After graduating college, Mr. Czajkowski worked as a Staff Analyst in the DCCS. He recently began his new position as the Management Analyst for the HIV/HCV/STI Program within DCCS.

Michelle Archuleta, (Paiute-Shoshone, San Juan Pueblo/Tewa) is the National Community Health Representative Lead for the Division of Clinical and Community Services. Ms. Archuleta brings to the Indian Health Service a diversity of experience with athletics, sport, recreation, and community health directing outreach and education programs in supporting healthy lifestyles, prevention and wellness. She joins us from the Bemidji Area Office where she served in dual capacities as the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention and Community Health Representative Consultants. Ms. Archuleta’s work passion includes health coaching, narrative processes and holistic models connecting first person lived experiences with health. She is a contributing chapter author in Living Indigenous Leadership: Native Narratives on Building Strong Communities. She has had many mentors who have guided her along the way, and in taking this position she sees it as both an honor, and a way of giving back to Native communities.

Capt. Cynthia Gunderson, PharmD, is the Chair of the IHS National Committee on Heroin, Opioids, and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee. The HOPE Committee works with tribal stakeholders to promote appropriate and effective pain management, reduce overdose deaths from heroin and prescription opioid misuse, and improve access to culturally appropriate treatment.

CDR Samantha Gustafson received her Pharmacy Degree from North Dakota State University in 2008.  She began a career in retail pharmacy, and transitioned to a clinical position in 2014 with the Indian Health Service on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, MN.  She is currently a credentialed and privileged clinical pharmacist and provides comprehensive care with a special focus on behavioral health and substance use disorders.  She is responsible for the naloxone co-prescribing initiative, and has coordinated the deployment of naloxone for the first responders and community members of the Red Lake Nation in collaboration with Red Lake Comprehensive Health.  She also serves as the Harm Reduction Lead for the IHS Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee, and is passionate about providing education on harm reduction strategies and available treatment resources.  

CDR Kristin Allmaras was born and raised in rural North Dakota, where her 2 brothers and parents run their family farm. She started her pharmacy career in 2009 as a technician with Costco in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2015, She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from North Dakota State University and completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency with Southcentral Foundation / Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage which is when she was commissioned as an officer in the United States Public Health Service. After residency, she stayed with Southcentral Foundation as a staff pharmacist, spending the majority of her time as the decentralized pediatric pharmacist. CDR Allmaras transitioned to primary care in early 2018 as an integrated, clinical pharmacist supporting 6 primary care provider teams, 3 team coverage teams, co-located psychiatrists and pediatrician, certified nurse midwife team and multiple other ancillary clinicians. She moved to Northern Minnesota and was employed with Red Lake IHS as a clinical pharmacist and is currently the Director of Pharmacy at Cass Lake IHS. CDR Allmaras is a Board-Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist and holds her National Clinical Pharmacy Specialist certification. In December 2023, Kristin earned her Masters in Health Services Administration with a select specialty track of Health Institution Leadership. 

Kristin spends her free time with her growing family. Her husband, Josh, stays home with their 3 kiddos, Landon (5), Madison (3), and Tanner (1) and their 1 dog, Harper, an 8 year old Irish Setter. She enjoys scrapbooking, but has most recently found herself racing hot wheels and playing princess. 

LCDR Fiona Chao is completing her Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) residency program at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Prior to going back into residency training, she worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center as the Pharmacy Informaticist. LCDR Chao is committed to the mission of the Indian Health Service since starting in 2014. 

Anna Knight is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation and descendant of the Sixkiller and Ross families from Locust Grove, Cherokee Nation. In 1997 she graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. She received the Indian Health Professions Scholarship in 2011 and graduated from Georgetown University with her Masters of Science in 2013. Anna’s work experience includes: tribal health programs, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, Accountable Care Organizations, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Special Needs Plans and now Indian Health Service, where she has gained clinical experience in: family practice, internal medicine, nephrology/transplant medicine, urgent care and transitional care management. Anna describes herself as a fierce patient advocate who enjoys the challenge of working with clinically complex patients. She has interest in clinical innovations in the context of value based care which also drive efficiency and cost containment, and how these innovations might be applied in Indian Health Services I/T/U programs.

Anna is also trained as a pediatric and adult forensics examiner. In April 2015, with the support of the Tuolumne Me-Wuk tribal social services department, collaboration with the Tuolumne County District Attorney’s office and Sherriff’s department, she was instrumental in the launch of the very first tribal Sexual Assault Response Team in California.

Jamie Olsen is a Management Analyst for the DCCS at the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to DCCS, Mrs. Olsen served 22 years at the Red Lake IHS Service Unit. From 2000 to 2011, she was a Staff Radiologic Technologist who focused on installing the Hospital’s first in-house mammography unit. Mrs. Olsen was the first mammographer on staff and was responsible for the mammography compliance and regulation program. In 2011, she was promoted to Radiology Supervisor at Red Lake IHS. During this time, she managed IHS Staff and Radiology Contracting Staff. Her primary duty consisted of managing significant contracts at the COR II level. She was responsible for the Radiology budget and was involved in the revenue enhancement committee. Mrs. Olsen also served as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for many Area Wide Radiology projects. She has earned her Diagnostic Radiologic Technology degree through the St. Cloud Hospital School of X-Ray.

Dr. Jolie Crowder serves as the National Elder Care Consultant for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. In this role, she serves as the principal representative responsible for planning, formulating, and implementing national elder care policies and programming focused on early recognition, diagnosis, and management of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additional responsibilities include representing the DCCS in the elder program forward-facing outreach activities and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the elder care program. Before joining the IHS, she worked for more than a decade with the International Association for Indigenous Aging as a Senior Director and Director of Research and Evaluation and briefly with the National Council for Urban Indian Health. She served as Principal Investigator for a National Healthy Brain Initiative award and lead evaluator for four tribal Administration for Community Living Alzheimer’s grants. In addition, Dr. Crowder has hands-on experience developing plain language, and culturally relevant resources for use by and for Indian Country. She has published peer-reviewed publications on elder abuse, dementia, and, most recently, social determinants of cancer in American Indian and Alaska Native populations working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Crowder graduated with a master’s in health systems management and a doctorate in nursing science from the University of Virginia, where her doctoral dissertation focused on elder mistreatment in Native populations.

Ms. Valerie Jones serves as the Elder Health Care Data Coordinator for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. She brings over twenty years of public service experience in the health and human services industries. Her background and interests center on improving health outcomes in Native American communities.

Prior to joining IHS, Ms. Jones served as the Health Administrator of the Navajo Nation Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support Program overseeing aging services in 110 communities on the Navajo Nation. She also served as the Tribal Arizona Long-Term Care Administrator with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, overseeing intergovernmental agreements with various Tribes in Arizona. Additionally, she worked with the Department of Commerce on the Decennial Census, providing technical assistance and administrative guidance to the Dallas Regional Census Center. Ms. Jones earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling degree from the University of Arizona.

LCDR Maria Bellantoni, MD, is an internist and geriatrician in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated geriatrics practice in primary care, dementia care models, and substance use disorders in older adults. She currently serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and provides clinical consultation as a member of the IHS National Elder Health team.

Bobbi Jo Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian, is the National Behavioral Health Aide Specialist for the National Community Health Aide Program at the Indian Health Service. 

As the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Specialist for CHAP, Ms. Peltier serves as the principal liaison between the Division of Behavioral Health and the Office of Clinical and Preventative Services (OCPS) regarding the coordination of the BHA Program. She directs and advises on the development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the system of mid-level behavioral professionals working alongside licensed providers to offer patients increased access to quality care within the BHA Program.  

Ms. Peltier joined the OCPS DBH team in January 2023 and has been working with the Indian Health Service for 25 years, 20 of those years working in some capacity for Behavioral health. Prior to her current position, she served as the Great Plains Area Deputy Director for Behavioral Health for 7 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Services and Gerontology from Northern State University and completed her master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of South Dakota. Her specialization is Healthcare Management. 

Dr. Cheryl Sixkiller, DDS, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee and the Seneca-Cayuga Nations of Oklahoma. As the National DHA Specialist, Dr. Sixkiller is part of a multidisciplinary team tasked to establish a national Community Health Aide Program as authorized in the 2010 amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). 

She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before earning her doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Oklahoma, College of Dentistry as an IHS Scholar.    

Dr. Sixkiller served as the Area Dental and Privacy Officer from 2015-2020 to promote moderately invasive dentistry, trauma informed care, expansion of dental work force models, and privacy compliance. Dr. Sixkiller joined the Division of Oral Health headquarters staff in January 2020 where she successfully led efforts to revise the Indian Health Manual and the National Oral Health Council Charter. She is currently the program officer for the Dental Support Centers and Chair of the IHS National Oral Health Council.   Since joining the CHAP team in 2022, Dr. Sixkiller has ushered the CHAP System of Record Notice to the Federal Register and most recently graduated from the first cohort of the IHS Executive Leadership Development Program. 

Dr. Wyatt Whitegoat is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. As a Program Coordinator for the National Community Health Aide Program, Dr. Whitegoat assists the program with administrative, analytical, and evaluative work. This includes, but is not limited to, support with policy, grant technical assistance, budget operation, and engagement with stakeholders to develop, manage, and review programmatic program procedures and processes.

Dr. Marcy Ronyak is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Washington. Dr. Ronyak, is the Director for the Division of Clinical & Community Services, Indian Health Service (IHS), Headquarters. She is responsible for providing leadership and direction to programs and activities designed to improve the health services to approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) through a system of IHS, Tribal, and Urban (I/T/U) operated facilities and programs. Previously, she served at IHS as the Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health. Prior to re-joining IHS, she was the Director of the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and served as the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Lead. Preceding her federal career, she worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation as the Tribal Psychologist and an independent contractor providing clinical services to children and families within the community. She is currently working on her second doctoral degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Liberty University.

Dion Reid, is the Community Health Aide (CHA) Specialist for the DCCS at IHS. Mr. Reid serves as the technical expert over the CHA Workforce and provides advisement and technical assistance on matters relating to the improvement of community health services. He graduated with a degree in Healthcare Administration/Population Health from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Preceding his federal career, Mr. Reid served ten years on Active Duty in the United States Air Force, where he began his career as an EMT and evolved into roles as an Operations Manager and Program Analyst throughout the Colorado Military Health Market. He brings to IHS broad experience regarding the application of public health strategies that align towards improved access, quality, and patient-centered care. Mr. Reid is a passionate advocate for health equity, disease prevention, and policy research.

Kristin Helvey, MBA, APR, is principal of Helvey Communications, a full-service public relations firm in Anchorage, Alaska. Kristin has worked for over a decade helping leaders and staff at all levels drive communication improvement.

Kristin has built extensive and unique experience in such areas as multicultural communications and community partnership development and is published nationally for her client's work in engaging underserved populations. Her teams have earned numerous awards for special events, communication materials and campaign design, including a 2017 Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil and the 2016 PRSA Alaska Grand Award for the development and implementation of a recent crisis communication plan.

Dr. Jolie Crowder serves as the National Elder Care Consultant for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. In this role, she serves as the principal representative responsible for planning, formulating, and implementing national elder care policies and programming focused on early recognition, diagnosis, and management of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additional responsibilities include representing the DCCS in the elder program forward-facing outreach activities and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the elder care program. Before joining the IHS, she worked for more than a decade with the International Association for Indigenous Aging as a Senior Director and Director of Research and Evaluation and briefly with the National Council for Urban Indian Health. She served as Principal Investigator for a National Healthy Brain Initiative award and lead evaluator for four tribal Administration for Community Living Alzheimer’s grants. In addition, Dr. Crowder has hands-on experience developing plain language, and culturally relevant resources for use by and for Indian Country. She has published peer-reviewed publications on elder abuse, dementia, and, most recently, social determinants of cancer in American Indian and Alaska Native populations working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Crowder graduated with a master’s in health systems management and a doctorate in nursing science from the University of Virginia, where her doctoral dissertation focused on elder mistreatment in Native populations.

Jamie Olsen is a Management Analyst for the DCCS at the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to DCCS, Mrs. Olsen served 22 years at the Red Lake IHS Service Unit. From 2000 to 2011, she was a Staff Radiologic Technologist who focused on installing the Hospital’s first in-house mammography unit. Mrs. Olsen was the first mammographer on staff and was responsible for the mammography compliance and regulation program. In 2011, she was promoted to Radiology Supervisor at Red Lake IHS. During this time, she managed IHS Staff and Radiology Contracting Staff. Her primary duty consisted of managing significant contracts at the COR II level. She was responsible for the Radiology budget and was involved in the revenue enhancement committee. Mrs. Olsen also served as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for many Area Wide Radiology projects. She has earned her Diagnostic Radiologic Technology degree through the St. Cloud Hospital School of X-Ray.

Ms. Valerie Jones serves as the Elder Health Care Data Coordinator for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. She brings over twenty years of public service experience in the health and human services industries. Her background and interests center on improving health outcomes in Native American communities.

Prior to joining IHS, Ms. Jones served as the Health Administrator of the Navajo Nation Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support Program overseeing aging services in 110 communities on the Navajo Nation. She also served as the Tribal Arizona Long-Term Care Administrator with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, overseeing intergovernmental agreements with various Tribes in Arizona. Additionally, she worked with the Department of Commerce on the Decennial Census, providing technical assistance and administrative guidance to the Dallas Regional Census Center. Ms. Jones earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling degree from the University of Arizona.

LCDR Maria Bellantoni, MD, is an internist and geriatrician in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated geriatrics practice in primary care, dementia care models, and substance use disorders in older adults. She currently serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and provides clinical consultation as a member of the IHS National Elder Health team.

My Name is Bill Hall, I am a full-blooded Tlinget of the Raven Clanfrom a small fishing village in Alaska called Hoonah, population 750. I am the Community Advocate for the Native American Community here in Seattle, I am also the Elder for the Urban Indian Health Board, and the Seattle Indian Health Board. I tested positive for HIV in June, 1986, so I have been living with HIV/AIDS going on 40 years. I began my journey on my road to Advocacy by volunteering for many AIDS organizations, including the Seattle AIDS Support Group counseling newly diagnosed individuals. This led to my joining various CABs (Community Advisory Boards) such as defeatHIV through Fred Hutch Cancer Search for a cure for HIV, the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, I spent six years on the Seattle Planning Council, serving as co-Chair my final year. I am also on the Equity in Research CAB associated with Seattle Children's Hospital and have served on this CAB for 9 years now, and I am seeking to become their next Chair. I am also involved with two Social Determinants of Health Studies on Natives and HIV through the University of Washington. I speak at conferences, workshops, and seminars, all to assure that Native Americans have a voice where treatments, protocols, and funding are being decided. 

“Never Stop Searching”

Rick Haverkate is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (Michigan) and grew up in the land of his ancestors along Lake Superior's shores. In 1993 he earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Hawai'i. His public health work has been focused almost entirely on American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. Mr. Haverkate has assumed various roles, including Community Health Educator, Public Information Officer, Public Health Advisor, Principal Investigator, Project Officer, Director of Public Health, Senior Program Analyst, and Deputy Director at the local, state, tribal, and national levels. He has specialized in operational management in the fields of HIV/AIDS, Maternal and Child Health, Commercial Tobacco Use Prevention, Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, and Community Capacity Building. He currently works for the IHS as the Branch Chief of the National HIV/HCV/STI Branch.

Ranked 2024's #1 yoga studio in Seattle and #1 in the Greater Seattle Metro, Pranify Yoga is a large 55 student heated yoga studio in Greenlake Village with daily yoga classes, workshops, events, trainings, and community get-togethers. Whether you're brand new to yoga or life-long student, seeking the calming and balancing effects of yoga or a strong and dynamic challenge, Pranify is an inclusive home to cultivate power and grace. 

Taylor Thomas earned her bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Amherst College in 2022—she then entered the world of Tribal Affairs. Born and raised in Rockville, MD, Ms. Thomas has always been interested in government work as she has had continuous exposure to socio-political environments, ideas, and practices. As a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, her motivation to help Indian Country into a better future perfectly aligned with her professional goals as a program assistant with the DCCS. Having worked in both Tribal Law and energy spheres, and now in the tribal healthcare field, she aims to broaden her understanding of the complex and unique needs of tribal industry, communities, and people to serve her community best and advance the welfare of Indian Country. When she is not busy with work, you can find her walking with my dog, Buddy, and going to the movies with friends. 

Nichole Cottier, Oglala Lakota, joined the Indian Health Service (IHS) in November 2023 as the Community Health Branch Chief for the Division of Clinical and Community Services (DCCS) and has served as the Acting Director of DCCS since April 2024. She began her career in Tribal public health with the University of Colorado’s National Center for American Indian and Alaskan Native Mental Health Research and then moved on to serve in various roles with the Pine Ridge Indian Health Service and the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board. Nichole has a bachelor's degree in Business Management and over 20 years of experience working with tribal communities to restore traditional health practices, build public health infrastructure, and implement programs to improve health outcomes. Nichole is a certified American Council on Exercise (ACE) Youth Fitness Specialist, a certified Health Coach, a Physical Activity Kit (PAK) Trainer, and a Cooper Trained Fitness Specialist.

Luci (Lucianna) Kanson is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe from Kyle, SD. Mrs. Kanson graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business Communication from Stevenson University. She is currently working on her Master's degree in Healthcare Management at UMGC. Mrs. Kanson joined IHS in February 2018 as a Staff Analyst with the Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention at Headquarters. In August 2020, she joined the DCCS Team as a Management Analyst.

Hello, my name is Amber Hoon, and I have joined GLITEC as a Senior Public Health Specialist. In a previous role within GLITC, I helped create GLITC’s Tribal Dementia Program. My greatest joy is the honor of working with Elders, and my specialty is working with interested Tribal communities in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This work includes offering culturally relevant trainings such as Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country and Dementia Friends for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, as well as facilitating the Second Wind Dream® Virtual Dementia Tour® experience. I have also had the pleasure of presenting different topics about dementia and discussing GLITC’s Tribal Dementia Program at various conferences and gatherings. 

Before working at GLITC, I dedicated 14 years to working as a charge nurse and, at times, interim nurse manager in long-term care at the Special Care Alzheimer’s and Dementia Unit in Milwaukee. It was an amazing journey where I learned so many valuable lessons from those I cared for. 

Outside of my work with GLITEC, I have three adult sons and recently had the honor of becoming a grandmother to my first grandchild. I enjoy visiting with Elders and sharing a good cup of tea or coffee or spending my free time fishing, or in the woods with my two dogs and partner. I have a deep passion for learning about plant medicines and traditional food gathering and cooking.

Christina Alaniz, MPH, is a public health specialist for the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) in the Ann Arbor satellite office. In this role, she supports Bemidji Area Tribal communities’ efforts to improve health through technical assistance and collaboration on public health matters. She is especially passionate about working to better maternal health and dementia care. Prior to this job, Christina served as the program coordinator for the Center for Participatory Research at the University of New Mexico College of Population Health. While working there, she partnered with various communities and Tribes within the area and cultivated a love for community-based research. She also earned her Master's in Public Health, with a focus on community health. Christina plans to continue in the public health field, working to improve health equity by connecting with communities and increasing access to resources.

Leopoldo O. (Eljay) Panganiban (he/him/his) is a Public Health Specialist and Project Coordinator at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) from their satellite office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eljay works with Bemidji Area Tribes and Tribal programs on various public health data and program evaluation needs. Most of his projects focus on community health assessments, substance use, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance and prevention. Notably, he coordinates a subaward program that awarded five Tribes and Tribal programs $100,000 in funding to enhance HIV, HCV, and STI prevention efforts in their communities. Eljay received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Wayne State University in 2023 and will be pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health starting in Fall 2025. 

Dr. Loretta Christensen, MBA, MSJ, FACS, an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe, serves as the chief medical officer of the Indian Health Service. The IHS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives. As the chief medical officer, Dr. Christensen is IHS’ lead expert on medical and public health topics, giving technical consultation and guidance to the IHS Office of the Director and IHS staff throughout the country on American Indian and Alaska Native health care policies and issues. She provides national leadership for clinical and community-based health programs of the agency, and serves as the primary liaison and advocate for IHS health professionals.

RDML Marcus Martinez, P.E., a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, is the Director of the Portland Area Indian Health Service. The IHS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care advocate and provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives. RDML Martinez has more than 30 years of experience working with federal agencies, tribes, and local governments. As Portland Area IHS Director, he oversees a health care delivery system for more than 100,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and part of Utah, which includes 43 federally recognized tribes. 

This position includes administrative responsibility for clinical, dental, preventive health, nutrition, behavioral health, environmental health, public health, and facility construction services. RDML Martinez consults with tribal leaders at local, state, and national levels and keeps the tribes informed of new legislation, policy changes, management actions, and available resources. In addition, RDML Martinez provides oversight of five federally-operated service units in the Portland Area and maintains a close working relationship with the local tribal health boards. 

Abigail Echo-Hawk is an enrolled citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. She is currently the Executive Vice President at Seattle Indian Health Board and the Director of Urban Indian Health Institute.

Currently, Abigail is part of multiple committees, Boards, and workgroups including the Best Starts for Kids Board, the March of Dimes Health Equity Workgroup, the Tribal Collaboration Working Group with the NIH All of Us Research Program, the Advisory Committee for Health Equity Research at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the NIDA American Indian and Alaska Native Collaborative Research Engagement Workgroup, and the Board of Data for Indigenous Justice.

In the past, Abigail spent eight years as the Tribal Liaison with Partnerships for Native Health at the School of Public Health at The University of Washington. In 2016, she became the Co-director of Partnerships of Native Health at the Washington State University Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health. Abigail was also the Tribal Relationship Facilitator at the Institute of Translational Health Sciences at the University of Washington from 2010 to 2015. In 2015, she became a Board Member for the Center for Indigenous Law and Justice.

Abigail has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Arts degree in Policy Studies, both from the University of Washington. She is an expert in American Indian and Alaska Native health, including strengths and resiliencies as well as deficits and disparities.

Casey Marlin is a lieutenant commander in the US Public Health Service and a 2009 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy. She is a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist and has worked for the Indian Health Service for 15 years, 10 of which were in Pawhuska, OK before transferring to the Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in Crow Agency, MT where she has worked for the last 5 years. She primarily works as a clinical pharmacist managing chronic disease states in a Patient Centered Medical Home model but also serves as the PGY1 pharmacy residency preceptor for the Community Health learning rotation where she instructs pharmacy residents on the pharmacist’s role in treatment and management of Hepatitis C and treatment of sexually transmitted infections as well as increasing the pharmacist’s outreach in the community.

Dr. Jennifer Reagan is a seasoned clinical pharmacist with a degree from Samford University. She has over 13 years of experience with the Indian Health Service and currently works at the Cherokee Indian Hospital in Cherokee, North Carolina. Dr. Reagan has obtained a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner license and specializes in anticoagulation therapy. She is an integral member of the geriatrics team within her patient-centered medical home, where she collaborates to deliver comprehensive, high-quality care to elderly patients. Her passion for improving patient outcomes through medication management and her deep commitment to community health have defined her professional journey.

Outside of her work, Dr. Reagan is an active sports mom, often cheering on her two sons as they play a variety of sports. Her dedication to family and her love for making a difference in the lives of others shine both in her professional and personal life.

LCDR Maria Bellantoni, MD, is an internist and geriatrician in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated geriatrics practice in primary care, dementia care models, and substance use disorders in older adults. She currently serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and provides clinical consultation as a member of the IHS National Elder Health team.

Lori Nisson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Family & Community Services Director at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and Banner Sun Health Research Institute.  She has spent more than twenty-five years specializing in leadership and clinical positions, serving the needs of patients and families coping with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Ms. Nisson holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Master of Clinical Social Work and was awarded a Practice Change Leader in Aging & Health Fellowship. Ms. Nisson is a distinguished speaker who provides training and education to professionals, community members, patients and family caregivers on topics relating to memory changes, movement disorders and behavioral health issues. Ms. Nisson serves as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She has served on the Desert Southwest Chapter Alzheimer’s Association Leadership Council, the Area Agency on Aging’s Advisory Council, the Governor’s Office on Aging: Arizona Alzheimer’s Task Force, Arizona Dementia Caregiver Alliance, Arizona End-of-Life Care Partnership, and the Milken Institute Alliance to Improve Dementia Care. 

Emily Nakamura, M.Div. 

Emily Nakamura (she/her) is a Program Director at Cardea and supports the organization's mission to address complex program, policy, and systems issues by co-creating solutions that center community strengths and wisdom. Emily leads projects focused on sexual and reproductive health, trauma-informed practices, and community-driven health equity. She was honored to convene a Dementia Caregiving Workgroup in 2024, in partnership with Cardea, IHS and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. 

Jordan P. Lewis is Aleut and Sugpiaq and his family is from the Naknek Native Village in Southwest AK and Cannon Beach, OR. He is the Director of Research for the Center for One Health Research and a Research Professor with the College of Indigenous Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from UAF, an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis, and a BSW from UAF, and is a certified professional gerontologist. Trained as a cross-cultural community psychologist and gerontologist, Jordan has worked with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to identify characteristics that enable Alaska Native Elders to age successfully, or age in a good way, and become role models for their families and communities. Using the lessons and experiences of AIAN Elders, Jordan’s research develops generative-based approaches to improve the health of all generations.

Jordan’s research agenda has made significant contributions to the field with discussions on culture-specific approaches to successful aging, including the development of a model of Alaska Native successful aging, a theory of AN healthy aging, and the concept of Indigenous cultural generativity. His research has identified indigenous cultural generativity as a critical ingredient to successful aging, which has important implications for the wellbeing of AI/AN people, including those with ADRD, their caregivers, and family and community members.

Lucinda Charleston is Dine’ (Clans are Red Running into Water, born to Bitter water, Grandparents are Red house and Water Edge) from New Mexico and is serving as the Health Promotion Disease Prevention Consultant with Bemidji Area Office. Lucinda has a Master’s of Public Health with a Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Certificate.

Lucinda has a decade of successful experience in public health, program management and team building. Lucinda specializes in program planning and community building by her involvement with projects relating to health, safety and wellness for Indigenous people.

She is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking and cultural knowledge. Lucinda continues to learn of the importance of communicating health messages, a leader of change, and promoting the importance of wellness. Lucinda enjoys learning new skills such as beadwork but she can be found spending quality time with her precious grandchildren.

Theresa Clay received her Master of Science degree from the University of New Mexico in Community Health Education and Promotion. Ms. Clay is a Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Specialist and Public Affairs Liaison with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service providing culturally appropriate trainings, seeking best practices and resources, and building networks. Prior to joining the Indian Health Service twenty years ago, Theresa worked as a Health Education Manager with the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center working on several research studies.

Theresa is an enrolled member of the Diné (Navajo Nation). She loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, running and has completed 24 marathons. Most recently on May 4th in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Emery Tahy is an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe.  Emery is of the Bitter Water clan, born for the Mexican Navajo People clan.  His maternal grandfather’s clan is Edge Water and his paternal grandfather’s clan is Red Streaking clan. Emery is originally from the community of West Water, Utah which is located in the northern agency of the Navajo Nation.  Emery currently works as an Evaluator with the Native American Health Center in the Bay Area. 

Emery has over 20 years of professional experience working with the American Indian and Alaska Native population in the field of Public Health specifically related to qualitative research methodologies and evaluation.  Emery’s professional skills set range from program evaluation, grant writing and reporting.  This consists of surveillance and research of health-related data.  Emery currently serves as a Board Member with the American Indian Culture District (AICD) in San Francisco and is a longtime community member of the Urban Indian community. 

Emery is passionate about reconnecting to indigenous culture, language and traditions.  Emery is an advocate for Culture is Cure initiative, health and wellness, environmental justice and equity.  

Dr. Wyatt Whitegoat is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. As a Program Coordinator for the National Community Health Aide Program, Dr. Whitegoat assists the program with administrative, analytical, and evaluative work. This includes, but is not limited to, support with policy, grant technical assistance, budget operation, and engagement with stakeholders to develop, manage, and review programmatic program procedures and processes.

Dr. Marcy Ronyak is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Washington. Dr. Ronyak, is the Director for the Division of Clinical & Community Services, Indian Health Service (IHS), Headquarters. She is responsible for providing leadership and direction to programs and activities designed to improve the health services to approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) through a system of IHS, Tribal, and Urban (I/T/U) operated facilities and programs. Previously, she served at IHS as the Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health. Prior to re-joining IHS, she was the Director of the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and served as the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Lead. Preceding her federal career, she worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation as the Tribal Psychologist and an independent contractor providing clinical services to children and families within the community. She is currently working on her second doctoral degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Liberty University.

Dion Reid, is the Community Health Aide (CHA) Specialist for the DCCS at IHS. Mr. Reid serves as the technical expert over the CHA Workforce and provides advisement and technical assistance on matters relating to the improvement of community health services. He graduated with a degree in Healthcare Administration/Population Health from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Preceding his federal career, Mr. Reid served ten years on Active Duty in the United States Air Force, where he began his career as an EMT and evolved into roles as an Operations Manager and Program Analyst throughout the Colorado Military Health Market. He brings to IHS broad experience regarding the application of public health strategies that align towards improved access, quality, and patient-centered care. Mr. Reid is a passionate advocate for health equity, disease prevention, and policy research.

Bobbi Jo Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian, is the National Behavioral Health Aide Specialist for the National Community Health Aide Program at the Indian Health Service. 

As the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Specialist for CHAP, Ms. Peltier serves as the principal liaison between the Division of Behavioral Health and the Office of Clinical and Preventative Services (OCPS) regarding the coordination of the BHA Program. She directs and advises on the development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the system of mid-level behavioral professionals working alongside licensed providers to offer patients increased access to quality care within the BHA Program.  

Ms. Peltier joined the OCPS DBH team in January 2023 and has been working with the Indian Health Service for 25 years, 20 of those years working in some capacity for Behavioral health. Prior to her current position, she served as the Great Plains Area Deputy Director for Behavioral Health for 7 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Services and Gerontology from Northern State University and completed her master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of South Dakota. Her specialization is Healthcare Management. 

Dr. Cheryl Sixkiller, DDS, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee and the Seneca-Cayuga Nations of Oklahoma. As the National DHA Specialist, Dr. Sixkiller is part of a multidisciplinary team tasked to establish a national Community Health Aide Program as authorized in the 2010 amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). 

She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before earning her doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Oklahoma, College of Dentistry as an IHS Scholar.    

Dr. Sixkiller served as the Area Dental and Privacy Officer from 2015-2020 to promote moderately invasive dentistry, trauma informed care, expansion of dental work force models, and privacy compliance. Dr. Sixkiller joined the Division of Oral Health headquarters staff in January 2020 where she successfully led efforts to revise the Indian Health Manual and the National Oral Health Council Charter. She is currently the program officer for the Dental Support Centers and Chair of the IHS National Oral Health Council.   Since joining the CHAP team in 2022, Dr. Sixkiller has ushered the CHAP System of Record Notice to the Federal Register and most recently graduated from the first cohort of the IHS Executive Leadership Development Program. 

LCDR Fiona Chao is completing her Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) residency program at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Prior to going back into residency training, she worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center as the Pharmacy Informaticist. LCDR Chao is committed to the mission of the Indian Health Service since starting in 2014. 

CDR Samantha Gustafson received her Pharmacy Degree from North Dakota State University in 2008.  She began a career in retail pharmacy, and transitioned to a clinical position in 2014 with the Indian Health Service on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, MN.  She is currently a credentialed and privileged clinical pharmacist and provides comprehensive care with a special focus on behavioral health and substance use disorders.  She is responsible for the naloxone co-prescribing initiative, and has coordinated the deployment of naloxone for the first responders and community members of the Red Lake Nation in collaboration with Red Lake Comprehensive Health.  She also serves as the Harm Reduction Lead for the IHS Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee, and is passionate about providing education on harm reduction strategies and available treatment resources.  

Dr. Bethany Johnson is a member of the Cherokee Nation and currently resides in Yukon, Oklahoma. She recently joined the National HIV/HCV/STI Program at IHS Headquarters as the Program’s Pharmacy Consultant. Dr. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell and Molecular Biology from Oklahoma State University and her Doctor of Pharmacy from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. From there, she worked as a staff pharmacist at the El Reno Indian Health Center in Oklahoma, growing the clinical pharmacy program by providing diabetes care, tobacco cessation assistance, anticoagulation monitoring, and leading antimicrobial stewardship efforts. Most recently, her role transitioned to initiating and conducting a program focused on HIV, Hepatitis C, and STI treatment and prevention. This new role is where she found her passion, leading her to pursue joining the IHS National HIV/HCV/STI team. In her IHS Headquarters position, Dr. Johnson provides pharmacy technical expertise to assist with case management, prevention, and treatment of Native people. Collaboration with many IHS, tribal, and urban Indian organizations is paramount to her, and she’s available to assist with screening events, educating healthcare workers and patients alike, and helping link patients to care.

LCDR Maria Bellantoni, MD, is an internist and geriatrician in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated geriatrics practice in primary care, dementia care models, and substance use disorders in older adults. She currently serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and provides clinical consultation as a member of the IHS National Elder Health team.

Mr. Andrew Yu is joining the IHS and the DCCS at Headquarters, as a public health advisor and National HIV/HCV/STI Clinical Coordinator. His responsibilities include planning and coordinating HIV/HCV/STI programs and community-related projects, as well as providing technical guidance, developing reports on program trends, and assisting in the development of spending plans. Mr. Yu has 12 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse working with people living with HIV/AIDS, previously working as a nurse clinician and supervisor at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s infectious disease clinic in New York City. His clinical experience also includes working with people receiving HIV pre and post-exposure prophylaxis, STI testing and treatment, as well as creating enterprise-wide nursing policies and overseeing quality initiatives to improve patient access to care. Mr. Yu obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University and his Master of Science in Community and Public Health Nursing from Hunter College - CUNY. He is also certified as an AIDS Care Registered Nurse and an active member of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care’s rural nursing committee.

Michelle Archuleta, (Paiute-Shoshone, San Juan Pueblo/Tewa) is the National Community Health Representative Lead for the Division of Clinical and Community Services. Ms. Archuleta brings to the Indian Health Service a diversity of experience with athletics, sport, recreation, and community health directing outreach and education programs in supporting healthy lifestyles, prevention and wellness. She joins us from the Bemidji Area Office where she served in dual capacities as the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention and Community Health Representative Consultants. Ms. Archuleta’s work passion includes health coaching, narrative processes and holistic models connecting first person lived experiences with health. She is a contributing chapter author in Living Indigenous Leadership: Native Narratives on Building Strong Communities. She has had many mentors who have guided her along the way, and in taking this position she sees it as both an honor, and a way of giving back to Native communities.

Hello everyone, my name is Jessica Ford. I am enrolled Spokane and I grew up in Wellpinit, WA but moved to Lapwai in November of 2016. Since moving to Lapwai, I have worked in the substance abuse prevention field. I have also worked with the Lapwai MS/HS as an Academic Advisor. And then I worked for the Nez Perce Tribe as the Elder Advocate. I now currently work at Nimiipuu Health as a Community Health Representative (CHR). A little bit of my educational background: I have a Bachelor’s in Social Work. I also have obtained my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Certification. I also have a variety of training which includes: domestic violence prevention, sexual assault prevention, suicide prevention, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Mental Health First Aid, etc.

LCDR Maria Bellantoni, MD, is an internist and geriatrician in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated geriatrics practice in primary care, dementia care models, and substance use disorders in older adults. She currently serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and provides clinical consultation as a member of the IHS National Elder Health team.

Alberta Becenti is an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe and currently serves as the Public Health Advisor for the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Program and Acting Consultant for the Health Education Program with the IHS DCCS. Ms. Becenti has over twenty-five years of experience working in Native American communities to promote health and wellness. She is responsible for working with IHS Area HP/DP Coordinators and Health Educators to provide leadership and direction to plan, implement, and monitor prevention activities to support wellness. She earned her Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Utah.

Lucinda Charleston is Dine’ (Clans are Red Running into Water, born to Bitter water, Grandparents are Red house and Water Edge) from New Mexico and is serving as the Health Promotion Disease Prevention Consultant with Bemidji Area Office. Lucinda has a Master’s of Public Health with a Health Care Quality & Patient Safety Certificate.

Lucinda has a decade of successful experience in public health, program management and team building. Lucinda specializes in program planning and community building by her involvement with projects relating to health, safety and wellness for Indigenous people.

She is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking and cultural knowledge. Lucinda continues to learn of the importance of communicating health messages, a leader of change, and promoting the importance of wellness. Lucinda enjoys learning new skills such as beadwork but she can be found spending quality time with her precious grandchildren.

Janna Vallo is from the Pueblo of Acoma. She is the Commercial Tobacco Control & Prevention Coordinator under the CDC Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country Program at the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC). Janna is a Certified Prevention Specialist and a trainer of the Basic Tobacco Intervention Skills for Native Americans. Janna is an active member of the Local Collaborative 16 and the Reclaim Sacred Tobacco Coalition. She currently chairs the New Mexico Allied Council on Tobacco and the Southwest Tribal Tobacco Coalition. Janna provides interactive facilitation, both in-person and online, networking, technical support, strategic planning, teambuilding, and training opportunities. Janna works in partnership with Tribal communities seeking to build their knowledge around commercial tobacco prevention and cessation, while respecting traditional and sacred uses of tobacco.

LCDR Fiona Chao is completing her Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) residency program at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Prior to going back into residency training, she worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center as the Pharmacy Informaticist. LCDR Chao is committed to the mission of the Indian Health Service since starting in 2014. 

CDR Samantha Gustafson received her Pharmacy Degree from North Dakota State University in 2008.  She began a career in retail pharmacy, and transitioned to a clinical position in 2014 with the Indian Health Service on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, MN.  She is currently a credentialed and privileged clinical pharmacist and provides comprehensive care with a special focus on behavioral health and substance use disorders.  She is responsible for the naloxone co-prescribing initiative, and has coordinated the deployment of naloxone for the first responders and community members of the Red Lake Nation in collaboration with Red Lake Comprehensive Health.  She also serves as the Harm Reduction Lead for the IHS Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee, and is passionate about providing education on harm reduction strategies and available treatment resources.  

Gary V. Leslie, citizen of the Hopi Tribe and Public Health Educator at the Hopi Health Care Center, adept in developing and implementing culturally tailored health education programs that significantly enhance community health outcomes. Skilled in fostering multidisciplinary collaborations and using community engagement strategies to elevate public health awareness. Mr. Leslie is committed to continuous improvement and team mentoring, aiming to innovate health education strategies for broader impact. He holds a Bachelors of Health Science from the University of Arizona, serves on various committees to advance Indigenous health initiatives. His hobbies include expanding cultural knowledge through Hopi ceremonial practices, environmental stewardship, dry farming, livestock and physical fitness. 

Dr. Cheryl Sixkiller, DDS, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee and the Seneca-Cayuga Nations of Oklahoma. As the National DHA Specialist, Dr. Sixkiller is part of a multidisciplinary team tasked to establish a national Community Health Aide Program as authorized in the 2010 amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). 

She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before earning her doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Oklahoma, College of Dentistry as an IHS Scholar.    

Dr. Sixkiller served as the Area Dental and Privacy Officer from 2015-2020 to promote moderately invasive dentistry, trauma informed care, expansion of dental work force models, and privacy compliance. Dr. Sixkiller joined the Division of Oral Health headquarters staff in January 2020 where she successfully led efforts to revise the Indian Health Manual and the National Oral Health Council Charter. She is currently the program officer for the Dental Support Centers and Chair of the IHS National Oral Health Council.   Since joining the CHAP team in 2022, Dr. Sixkiller has ushered the CHAP System of Record Notice to the Federal Register and most recently graduated from the first cohort of the IHS Executive Leadership Development Program. 

Dr. Wyatt Whitegoat is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. As a Program Coordinator for the National Community Health Aide Program, Dr. Whitegoat assists the program with administrative, analytical, and evaluative work. This includes, but is not limited to, support with policy, grant technical assistance, budget operation, and engagement with stakeholders to develop, manage, and review programmatic program procedures and processes.

Bobbi Jo Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian, is the National Behavioral Health Aide Specialist for the National Community Health Aide Program at the Indian Health Service. 

As the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Specialist for CHAP, Ms. Peltier serves as the principal liaison between the Division of Behavioral Health and the Office of Clinical and Preventative Services (OCPS) regarding the coordination of the BHA Program. She directs and advises on the development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the system of mid-level behavioral professionals working alongside licensed providers to offer patients increased access to quality care within the BHA Program.  

Ms. Peltier joined the OCPS DBH team in January 2023 and has been working with the Indian Health Service for 25 years, 20 of those years working in some capacity for Behavioral health. Prior to her current position, she served as the Great Plains Area Deputy Director for Behavioral Health for 7 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Services and Gerontology from Northern State University and completed her master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of South Dakota. Her specialization is Healthcare Management. 

Dr. Marcy Ronyak is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Washington. Dr. Ronyak, is the Director for the Division of Clinical & Community Services, Indian Health Service (IHS), Headquarters. She is responsible for providing leadership and direction to programs and activities designed to improve the health services to approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) through a system of IHS, Tribal, and Urban (I/T/U) operated facilities and programs. Previously, she served at IHS as the Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health. Prior to re-joining IHS, she was the Director of the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and served as the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Lead. Preceding her federal career, she worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation as the Tribal Psychologist and an independent contractor providing clinical services to children and families within the community. She is currently working on her second doctoral degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Liberty University.

Dion Reid, is the Community Health Aide (CHA) Specialist for the DCCS at IHS. Mr. Reid serves as the technical expert over the CHA Workforce and provides advisement and technical assistance on matters relating to the improvement of community health services. He graduated with a degree in Healthcare Administration/Population Health from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Preceding his federal career, Mr. Reid served ten years on Active Duty in the United States Air Force, where he began his career as an EMT and evolved into roles as an Operations Manager and Program Analyst throughout the Colorado Military Health Market. He brings to IHS broad experience regarding the application of public health strategies that align towards improved access, quality, and patient-centered care. Mr. Reid is a passionate advocate for health equity, disease prevention, and policy research.

Jill Cigliana, a leader and catalyst for positive change in the field of dementia care, serves as Executive Director of Memory Care Home Solutions (MCHS), a non-profit organization based in St. Louis, Missouri. MCHS exists to improve dignity and quality of life for people living with dementia and their families by transforming evidence-based interventions into accessible healthcare solutions. With over 25 years of experience in acute and post-acute healthcare settings, Jill leads a dynamic team of professionals who push the boundaries of conventional approaches to pave the way for a more compassionate and effective future in the landscape of home and community-based dementia care. She holds a M.S. degree in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and has authored peer-reviewed journal articles, textbook chapters, and national presentations on dementia best practices. Jill currently facilitates the Dementia Community of Practice for the American Occupational Therapy Association and has led multiple federally funded projects to improve the experience of family caregivers.

Dr. Jolie Crowder serves as the National Elder Care Consultant for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. In this role, she serves as the principal representative responsible for planning, formulating, and implementing national elder care policies and programming focused on early recognition, diagnosis, and management of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Additional responsibilities include representing the DCCS in the elder program forward-facing outreach activities and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the elder care program. Before joining the IHS, she worked for more than a decade with the International Association for Indigenous Aging as a Senior Director and Director of Research and Evaluation and briefly with the National Council for Urban Indian Health. She served as Principal Investigator for a National Healthy Brain Initiative award and lead evaluator for four tribal Administration for Community Living Alzheimer’s grants. In addition, Dr. Crowder has hands-on experience developing plain language, and culturally relevant resources for use by and for Indian Country. She has published peer-reviewed publications on elder abuse, dementia, and, most recently, social determinants of cancer in American Indian and Alaska Native populations working in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Crowder graduated with a master’s in health systems management and a doctorate in nursing science from the University of Virginia, where her doctoral dissertation focused on elder mistreatment in Native populations.

Alyssa is Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux, and she grew up on the Yakama Nation, where her great grandparents relocated from Popular, MT in the 1970s. She is a Public Health Program Manager at the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) where she’s been providing technical assistance and working on various initiatives for over 3 years, including overdose prevention, HIV/AIDS and STI programs, and overseeing a large project providing infection prevention and control education and training to frontline UIO staff. She recently co-conducted a CBPR project (PhotoVoice) exploring the experiences of frontline UIO staff around IPC. She has also been a Registered Nurse for nearly 8 years, working in various clinical and research settings, most recently working with medically fragile children. She is certified as a Certified Pediatric Nurse and recently published work investigating the educational environment among children born very pre-term. Alyssa earned her Master of Public Health, concentrating in epidemiology, from the French School of Public Health (EHESP) in Paris, France, in 2022, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Washington State University in 2018.

Stephanie Funk is a board certified clinical pharmacist with the Indian Health Service, and an officer of the United States Public Health Service. She began her practice as a pharmacy resident at the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center in 2021, after graduating with her doctorate of pharmacy from the University of Washington. Her current clinical practice includes providing comprehensive direct patient care for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, substance use disorders, and contraceptive care. She is also the pharmacy residency coordinator, a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents, and an active voting member of the local antimicrobial stewardship and pharmacy and therapeutics committees. Professionally, Stephanie is passionate about empowering patients through community outreach, and has lead local efforts to increase awareness about access to contraceptive care, naloxone, and medication-assisted treatment. Outside of work, she enjoys anything outdoors - hiking, camping, snowboarding – and is working toward obtaining her private pilot’s license.

Megan Russell is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Megan graduated with an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science from Northern Arizona University. She will be pursuing a Master of Public Health with concentration in Health Promotion at Northern Arizona University starting in Fall 2025. Megan joined IHS in 2020 as a Health Technician and Health Technician Supervisor and now serves as a Public Health Advisor under the Office of Director with the Indian Health Service.

Emily Tahy-Ceballos, EdD, MPH, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe and serves as a Public Health Advisor with the Indian Health Service. She is dedicated to integrating public health initiatives and health literacy into her work. Emily focuses on promoting health, education, and awareness while advocating for American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

Mr. Andrew Yu is joining the IHS and the DCCS at Headquarters, as a public health advisor and National HIV/HCV/STI Clinical Coordinator. His responsibilities include planning and coordinating HIV/HCV/STI programs and community-related projects, as well as providing technical guidance, developing reports on program trends, and assisting in the development of spending plans. Mr. Yu has 12 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse working with people living with HIV/AIDS, previously working as a nurse clinician and supervisor at New York Presbyterian Hospital’s infectious disease clinic in New York City. His clinical experience also includes working with people receiving HIV pre and post-exposure prophylaxis, STI testing and treatment, as well as creating enterprise-wide nursing policies and overseeing quality initiatives to improve patient access to care. Mr. Yu obtained his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University and his Master of Science in Community and Public Health Nursing from Hunter College - CUNY. He is also certified as an AIDS Care Registered Nurse and an active member of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care’s rural nursing committee.

Ranked 2024's #1 yoga studio in Seattle and #1 in the Greater Seattle Metro, Pranify Yoga is a large 55 student heated yoga studio in Greenlake Village with daily yoga classes, workshops, events, trainings, and community get-togethers. Whether you're brand new to yoga or life-long student, seeking the calming and balancing effects of yoga or a strong and dynamic challenge, Pranify is an inclusive home to cultivate power and grace. 

Taylor Thomas earned her bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Amherst College in 2022—she then entered the world of Tribal Affairs. Born and raised in Rockville, MD, Ms. Thomas has always been interested in government work as she has had continuous exposure to socio-political environments, ideas, and practices. As a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, her motivation to help Indian Country into a better future perfectly aligned with her professional goals as a program assistant with the DCCS. Having worked in both Tribal Law and energy spheres, and now in the tribal healthcare field, she aims to broaden her understanding of the complex and unique needs of tribal industry, communities, and people to serve her community best and advance the welfare of Indian Country. When she is not busy with work, you can find her walking with my dog, Buddy, and going to the movies with friends. 

Luci (Lucianna) Kanson is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe from Kyle, SD. Mrs. Kanson graduated with an undergraduate degree in Business Communication from Stevenson University. She is currently working on her Master's degree in Healthcare Management at UMGC. Mrs. Kanson joined IHS in February 2018 as a Staff Analyst with the Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention at Headquarters. In August 2020, she joined the DCCS Team as a Management Analyst.

Nichole Cottier, Oglala Lakota, joined the Indian Health Service (IHS) in November 2023 as the Community Health Branch Chief for the Division of Clinical and Community Services (DCCS) and has served as the Acting Director of DCCS since April 2024. She began her career in Tribal public health with the University of Colorado’s National Center for American Indian and Alaskan Native Mental Health Research and then moved on to serve in various roles with the Pine Ridge Indian Health Service and the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board. Nichole has a bachelor's degree in Business Management and over 20 years of experience working with tribal communities to restore traditional health practices, build public health infrastructure, and implement programs to improve health outcomes. Nichole is a certified American Council on Exercise (ACE) Youth Fitness Specialist, a certified Health Coach, a Physical Activity Kit (PAK) Trainer, and a Cooper Trained Fitness Specialist.

Brian hails from the Ski’ri/Chau’i Band of the Pawnee Nation and Nokosvlke Band of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. He was bornxraised in the “Tornado alley” area of Oklahoma City and is a National Motivational speaker, Traditional Leadership and Staff Team Development trainer, Behavioral and Mental Health specialist working with IHS clinics, tribal programs, addiction recovery and treatment centers in urban and reservation communities. He is dedicated to the Vision and Mission of empowering our AI/AN and diverse communities to achieve

Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual well-being, be drug/alcohol-free,

connect, heal and celebrate our Native culture and identity through culturally-rooted practices and traditional teachings.

Donald Warne, MD, MPH (Oglala Lakota) serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Indigenous Health and as a tenured, Full-Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD where he also serves as the Provost Fellow for Indigenous Health Policy. Dr. Warne is also the Senior Policy Advisor to the Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board in Rapid City, SD. Dr. Warne is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe from Pine Ridge, SD and comes from a long line of traditional healers and medicine men.

Hello, my name is Amber Hoon, and I have joined GLITEC as a Senior Public Health Specialist. In a previous role within GLITC, I helped create GLITC’s Tribal Dementia Program. My greatest joy is the honor of working with Elders, and my specialty is working with interested Tribal communities in the area of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This work includes offering culturally relevant trainings such as Savvy Caregiver in Indian Country and Dementia Friends for American Indian and Alaska Native communities, as well as facilitating the Second Wind Dream® Virtual Dementia Tour® experience. I have also had the pleasure of presenting different topics about dementia and discussing GLITC’s Tribal Dementia Program at various conferences and gatherings. 

Before working at GLITC, I dedicated 14 years to working as a charge nurse and, at times, interim nurse manager in long-term care at the Special Care Alzheimer’s and Dementia Unit in Milwaukee. It was an amazing journey where I learned so many valuable lessons from those I cared for. 

Outside of my work with GLITEC, I have three adult sons and recently had the honor of becoming a grandmother to my first grandchild. I enjoy visiting with Elders and sharing a good cup of tea or coffee or spending my free time fishing, or in the woods with my two dogs and partner. I have a deep passion for learning about plant medicines and traditional food gathering and cooking.

Christina Alaniz, MPH, is a public health specialist for the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) in the Ann Arbor satellite office. In this role, she supports Bemidji Area Tribal communities’ efforts to improve health through technical assistance and collaboration on public health matters. She is especially passionate about working to better maternal health and dementia care. Prior to this job, Christina served as the program coordinator for the Center for Participatory Research at the University of New Mexico College of Population Health. While working there, she partnered with various communities and Tribes within the area and cultivated a love for community-based research. She also earned her Master's in Public Health, with a focus on community health. Christina plans to continue in the public health field, working to improve health equity by connecting with communities and increasing access to resources.

Leopoldo O. (Eljay) Panganiban (he/him/his) is a Public Health Specialist and Project Coordinator at the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) from their satellite office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eljay works with Bemidji Area Tribes and Tribal programs on various public health data and program evaluation needs. Most of his projects focus on community health assessments, substance use, and sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance and prevention. Notably, he coordinates a subaward program that awarded five Tribes and Tribal programs $100,000 in funding to enhance HIV, HCV, and STI prevention efforts in their communities. Eljay received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Wayne State University in 2023 and will be pursuing a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health starting in Fall 2025. 

LCDR Whitney Moseley is the Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HP/DP) Coordinator and Community Health Representative (CHR) Consultant for the Oklahoma City Area Indian Health Service.  She is a Registered Nurse and has been in healthcare for 26 years. Whitney is a Commissioned Corps officer of United State Public Health Service.

Beverly A. Kimmons, MFT, MSMC, CPC is a dedicated diversity, equity and inclusion professional with a passion for empowering underserved communities through education and resource accessibility. With a deep commitment to health equity, she works to bridge gaps in knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias by developing culturally responsive programs, fostering community partnerships and advocating for policies that ensure all individuals - regardless of background – have access to the vital resources they need. 

With nearly 15 years of experience working to increase awareness and understanding of brain health and Alzheimer’s disease, Beverly prioritizes creating inclusive spaces where individuals feel seen, heard and supported. In her role as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion and regional DEI lead, she supports Alzheimer’s Association staff in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state. She also uses the cross-sectionality of her skills and experiences to advance the work of various statewide committees on which she serves, including the Long-Term Supports and Services Subcommittee of the Washington State Dementia Action Collaborative; the University of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Community Advisory Board and the Dementia Friends Washington Advisory Council. 

Capt. Cynthia Gunderson, PharmD, is the Chair of the IHS National Committee on Heroin, Opioids, and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee. The HOPE Committee works with tribal stakeholders to promote appropriate and effective pain management, reduce overdose deaths from heroin and prescription opioid misuse, and improve access to culturally appropriate treatment.

LCDR Fiona Chao is completing her Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) residency program at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Prior to going back into residency training, she worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center as the Pharmacy Informaticist. LCDR Chao is committed to the mission of the Indian Health Service since starting in 2014. 

Arika Perry is a member of the Navajo Nation.  She is a proud graduate of Arizona State University with honors and has continued to advance her academic journey by pursuing graduate studies with a focus on Public Health. Arika currently serves as a Public Health Advisor at the Indian Health Service under Navajo Area and plays a vital leadership role as the co-lead of the Navajo Area Opioid Prevention Workgroup. In this capacity, the workgroup focuses on reducing opioid misuse and decrease opioid overdoses through public awareness, partnerships and data analysis.

In addition to her work in opioid prevention, Arika has made significant contributions to STI prevention initiatives and public health data standardization, helping to improve data quality and inform evidence-based decision-making. Her ability to foster trust and build strategic relationships has been instrumental in establishing partnerships and finalizing agreements with state agencies and local tribal governments—strengthening the foundation for long-term public health impact.

Megan Russell is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Megan graduated with an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science from Northern Arizona University. She will be pursuing a Master of Public Health with concentration in Health Promotion at Northern Arizona University starting in Fall 2025. Megan joined IHS in 2020 as a Health Technician and Health Technician Supervisor and now serves as a Public Health Advisor under the Office of Director with the Indian Health Service.

Emily Tahy-Ceballos, EdD, MPH, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe and serves as a Public Health Advisor with the Indian Health Service. She is dedicated to integrating public health initiatives and health literacy into her work. Emily focuses on promoting health, education, and awareness while advocating for American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

Halima Amjad, MD, MPH, PhD is an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her career as a geriatrician and health services researcher centers around the care of people living with dementia and is inspired by her family experience with young onset frontotemporal dementia in her father. Her research focuses on medical care challenges in dementia, including underdiagnosis of dementia, hospitalization, and improving primary care supports in dementia. She cares for patients as a dementia specialist at the Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Treatment Center. She is the clinical co-director of the MIND at Home evidence-based dementia care coordination program and the Medical Director for the Johns Hopkins Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) program launching in July 2025.She serves in leadership and advocacy roles as Chair of the Maryland Virginia I. Jones Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Council and a Board member for the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration.

Theresa Clay received her Master of Science degree from the University of New Mexico in Community Health Education and Promotion. Ms. Clay is a Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Specialist and Public Affairs Liaison with the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service providing culturally appropriate trainings, seeking best practices and resources, and building networks. Prior to joining the Indian Health Service twenty years ago, Theresa worked as a Health Education Manager with the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center working on several research studies.

Theresa is an enrolled member of the Diné (Navajo Nation). She loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, running and has completed 24 marathons. Most recently on May 4th in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Lisa Chee, MPH, is Dine/Navajo from Arizona and currently serves as a Health Promotion Disease Prevention (HPDP) Specialist with the Indian Health Service in the Navajo Area Office. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Arizona, with a concentration in Health Promotion, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology.

With 14 years of experience in public health on the Navajo Nation, Lisa has focused on collaborating with state, tribal, educational, and non-profit organizations to deliver effective health and wellness services to communities in the Navajo Area. Her work has included suicide prevention, school health initiatives, and grants management in various roles throughout her career at Indian Health Services, where she has served as an HPDP Supervisory Coordinator, School Health Coordinator, and HPDP Specialist.

Elfreida Barton is from the Navajo Tribe residing on the Navajo Nation. Her background include attending the University of Arizona as an Accounting Major and obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree at Arizona State University in Exercise Science and Physical Education with a minor Business Management. For the past 37 years, She has pioneer in fitness field to generate the need, interest, and development of fitness program development and wellness center facility development and wellness center increase of fitness professionals. Her accomplishments include working with Navajo Nation Special Diabetes to establish Window Rock Wellness Center, the Chinle Service Unit and Fort Defiance Service Unit offering fitness programming, services, and diabetes prevention and intervention strategies as a Wellness Center Coordinator for 18 years.

Leading health promotion multi-disciplinary teams to expand wellness center programming to 1)community based fitness with schools, chapters;2)Clinical fitness programs, ie, Adolescent Care Unit Fitness program, and post-physical therapy fitness programs; 3) Employee wellness programs, her dedication led to a 638 facility expansion of an $ 8.9 Million Wellness Center of now operation Tse Ho Tso Medical Center. She served for 14 years as a Master Trainer with the Native American Fitness Council in fitness instructor workshops and certifications in group fitness, personal trainer, functional training, and special populations. For 3.5 years, she consulting with the Havasupai Tribe to promote diabetes prevention for youth, elderly, and community. Finally, the production with Holt Hamilton Productions, of a 16 DVD series “Native Fitness with Freida” was launched for home exercise. Her dedication to maintain focus on sustain physical activity for all Native populations to access and benefit with creativity, partnerships, and commitment still stands. Today, she is a Fitness Specialist for the Navajo Area IHS Health Promotion Disease Prevention supporting Navajo area wide fitness and wellness initiatives to address new initiatives to sustain fitness and wellness.

My Name is Bill Hall, I am a full-blooded Tlinget of the Raven Clanfrom a small fishing village in Alaska called Hoonah, population 750. I am the Community Advocate for the Native American Community here in Seattle, I am also the Elder for the Urban Indian Health Board, and the Seattle Indian Health Board. I tested positive for HIV in June, 1986, so I have been living with HIV/AIDS going on 40 years. I began my journey on my road to Advocacy by volunteering for many AIDS organizations, including the Seattle AIDS Support Group counseling newly diagnosed individuals. This led to my joining various CABs (Community Advisory Boards) such as defeatHIV through Fred Hutch Cancer Search for a cure for HIV, the AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, I spent six years on the Seattle Planning Council, serving as co-Chair my final year. I am also on the Equity in Research CAB associated with Seattle Children's Hospital and have served on this CAB for 9 years now, and I am seeking to become their next Chair. I am also involved with two Social Determinants of Health Studies on Natives and HIV through the University of Washington. I speak at conferences, workshops, and seminars, all to assure that Native Americans have a voice where treatments, protocols, and funding are being decided. 

“Never Stop Searching”

Nora Downey is a Senior Project Manager for the Serious Illness Care Program at Ariadne Labs.  She manages the program’s global Community of Practice, oversaw the digitization of program implementation resources and development of the Digital Serious Illness Conversation Guide Training, as well as the subsequent study to determine its feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy.  

Phil Garrity is a Consultant with the Serious Illness Care Program at Ariadne Labs. He supports monitoring and evaluation efforts of the program as well as special projects including The What Matters to Me Workbook, a tool to help patients with serious illness prepare to talk with their care providers about their goals, values, and priorities.

LCDR Maria Bellantoni, MD, is an internist and geriatrician in the Primary Care Medicine Clinic at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. She is a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated geriatrics practice in primary care, dementia care models, and substance use disorders in older adults. She currently serves as the IHS Chief Clinical Consultant for Geriatrics & Palliative Care, and provides clinical consultation as a member of the IHS National Elder Health team.

Ms. Valerie Jones serves as the Elder Health Care Data Coordinator for the DCCS at the IHS Headquarters. She brings over twenty years of public service experience in the health and human services industries. Her background and interests center on improving health outcomes in Native American communities.

Prior to joining IHS, Ms. Jones served as the Health Administrator of the Navajo Nation Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support Program overseeing aging services in 110 communities on the Navajo Nation. She also served as the Tribal Arizona Long-Term Care Administrator with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, overseeing intergovernmental agreements with various Tribes in Arizona. Additionally, she worked with the Department of Commerce on the Decennial Census, providing technical assistance and administrative guidance to the Dallas Regional Census Center. Ms. Jones earned her Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling degree from the University of Arizona.

Marcia is Alutiiq, originally from Kodiak, Alaska, raised in the villages of Old Harbor and Port Lions.  Ms. Anderson has a strong passion for Alaska Native traditional foods, plants, and outdoor physical activity as she grew up hunting, fishing, and harvesting with her family both in Kodiak and at her fish camp in Bristol Bay.  

Marcia is Registered Dietitian, with over 27 years of experience working in the Alaska Tribal Health System, and currently serves as the Health Promotion program manager, under Wellness & Prevention at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC). Marcia earned a certificate from the University of Alaska, Anchorage in Ethnobotany in 2017, and enjoys working with Alaska Native flora and collaborating with community partners to promote healthy lifestyle and sustainable food systems for chronic disease prevention, across the lifespan. Marcia strives to be a positive and strong role model and mentor in her community and works hard to promote health and wellness in all aspects of life.

Scott Robison (Mvskoke Nation - Muscogee) M.Ed. – Scott is a Muscogee Nation tribal member and has been serving tribal communities in the fields of Diabetes Prevention, Health Promotion, and School Wellness for 30 years. He is the Community Health Director for the Wewoka Indian Health Center. During the 16 years prior to coming to Wewoka, he served as the Exercise Programs Coordinator for the Muscogee Nation Diabetes Program, K-6 Physical Education teacher for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians in NC, and the Academic Coordinator for the Muscogee Nation Boarding School. Scott participates in his tribal culture by making the Mvskoke ballsticks for his tribe’s stickball games. He is a graduate of Western Carolina University with a Bachelor’s in Health and Physical Education and a Master’s degree in Education from East Central University. He resides near Seminole, OK with his wife Janice and has been blessed with 3 daughters and 6 grandkids.

CDR Samantha Gustafson received her Pharmacy Degree from North Dakota State University in 2008.  She began a career in retail pharmacy, and transitioned to a clinical position in 2014 with the Indian Health Service on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, MN.  She is currently a credentialed and privileged clinical pharmacist and provides comprehensive care with a special focus on behavioral health and substance use disorders.  She is responsible for the naloxone co-prescribing initiative, and has coordinated the deployment of naloxone for the first responders and community members of the Red Lake Nation in collaboration with Red Lake Comprehensive Health.  She also serves as the Harm Reduction Lead for the IHS Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee, and is passionate about providing education on harm reduction strategies and available treatment resources.  

CDR Kristin Allmaras was born and raised in rural North Dakota, where her 2 brothers and parents run their family farm. She started her pharmacy career in 2009 as a technician with Costco in Anchorage, Alaska. In 2015, She earned a Doctor of Pharmacy from North Dakota State University and completed a PGY1 pharmacy residency with Southcentral Foundation / Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage which is when she was commissioned as an officer in the United States Public Health Service. After residency, she stayed with Southcentral Foundation as a staff pharmacist, spending the majority of her time as the decentralized pediatric pharmacist. CDR Allmaras transitioned to primary care in early 2018 as an integrated, clinical pharmacist supporting 6 primary care provider teams, 3 team coverage teams, co-located psychiatrists and pediatrician, certified nurse midwife team and multiple other ancillary clinicians. She moved to Northern Minnesota and was employed with Red Lake IHS as a clinical pharmacist and is currently the Director of Pharmacy at Cass Lake IHS. CDR Allmaras is a Board-Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist and holds her National Clinical Pharmacy Specialist certification. In December 2023, Kristin earned her Masters in Health Services Administration with a select specialty track of Health Institution Leadership. 

Kristin spends her free time with her growing family. Her husband, Josh, stays home with their 3 kiddos, Landon (5), Madison (3), and Tanner (1) and their 1 dog, Harper, an 8 year old Irish Setter. She enjoys scrapbooking, but has most recently found herself racing hot wheels and playing princess. 

Michelle Archuleta, (Paiute-Shoshone, San Juan Pueblo/Tewa) is the National Community Health Representative Lead for the Division of Clinical and Community Services. Ms. Archuleta brings to the Indian Health Service a diversity of experience with athletics, sport, recreation, and community health directing outreach and education programs in supporting healthy lifestyles, prevention and wellness. She joins us from the Bemidji Area Office where she served in dual capacities as the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention and Community Health Representative Consultants. Ms. Archuleta’s work passion includes health coaching, narrative processes and holistic models connecting first person lived experiences with health. She is a contributing chapter author in Living Indigenous Leadership: Native Narratives on Building Strong Communities. She has had many mentors who have guided her along the way, and in taking this position she sees it as both an honor, and a way of giving back to Native communities.

LCDR Fiona Chao is completing her Post Graduate Year 2 Corporate Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (PGY2 CPAL) residency program at Phoenix Indian Medical Center. Prior to going back into residency training, she worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center as the Pharmacy Informaticist. LCDR Chao is committed to the mission of the Indian Health Service since starting in 2014. 

CDR Samantha Gustafson received her Pharmacy Degree from North Dakota State University in 2008.  She began a career in retail pharmacy, and transitioned to a clinical position in 2014 with the Indian Health Service on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Red Lake, MN.  She is currently a credentialed and privileged clinical pharmacist and provides comprehensive care with a special focus on behavioral health and substance use disorders.  She is responsible for the naloxone co-prescribing initiative, and has coordinated the deployment of naloxone for the first responders and community members of the Red Lake Nation in collaboration with Red Lake Comprehensive Health.  She also serves as the Harm Reduction Lead for the IHS Heroin Opioids and Pain Efforts (HOPE) Committee, and is passionate about providing education on harm reduction strategies and available treatment resources.  

Dr. Marcy Ronyak is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Nespelem, Washington. Dr. Ronyak, is the Director for the Division of Clinical & Community Services, Indian Health Service (IHS), Headquarters. She is responsible for providing leadership and direction to programs and activities designed to improve the health services to approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) through a system of IHS, Tribal, and Urban (I/T/U) operated facilities and programs. Previously, she served at IHS as the Deputy Director for the Division of Behavioral Health. Prior to re-joining IHS, she was the Director of the Office of Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) and served as the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Lead. Preceding her federal career, she worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation as the Tribal Psychologist and an independent contractor providing clinical services to children and families within the community. She is currently working on her second doctoral degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Liberty University.

Dr. Wyatt Whitegoat is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. As a Program Coordinator for the National Community Health Aide Program, Dr. Whitegoat assists the program with administrative, analytical, and evaluative work. This includes, but is not limited to, support with policy, grant technical assistance, budget operation, and engagement with stakeholders to develop, manage, and review programmatic program procedures and processes.

Bobbi Jo Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian, is the National Behavioral Health Aide Specialist for the National Community Health Aide Program at the Indian Health Service. 

As the Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) Specialist for CHAP, Ms. Peltier serves as the principal liaison between the Division of Behavioral Health and the Office of Clinical and Preventative Services (OCPS) regarding the coordination of the BHA Program. She directs and advises on the development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation of the system of mid-level behavioral professionals working alongside licensed providers to offer patients increased access to quality care within the BHA Program.  

Ms. Peltier joined the OCPS DBH team in January 2023 and has been working with the Indian Health Service for 25 years, 20 of those years working in some capacity for Behavioral health. Prior to her current position, she served as the Great Plains Area Deputy Director for Behavioral Health for 7 years. She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Services and Gerontology from Northern State University and completed her master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of South Dakota. Her specialization is Healthcare Management. 

Dr. Cheryl Sixkiller, DDS, is an enrolled member of the Cherokee and the Seneca-Cayuga Nations of Oklahoma. As the National DHA Specialist, Dr. Sixkiller is part of a multidisciplinary team tasked to establish a national Community Health Aide Program as authorized in the 2010 amendment to the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). 

She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, before earning her doctorate in dental surgery from the University of Oklahoma, College of Dentistry as an IHS Scholar.    

Dr. Sixkiller served as the Area Dental and Privacy Officer from 2015-2020 to promote moderately invasive dentistry, trauma informed care, expansion of dental work force models, and privacy compliance. Dr. Sixkiller joined the Division of Oral Health headquarters staff in January 2020 where she successfully led efforts to revise the Indian Health Manual and the National Oral Health Council Charter. She is currently the program officer for the Dental Support Centers and Chair of the IHS National Oral Health Council.   Since joining the CHAP team in 2022, Dr. Sixkiller has ushered the CHAP System of Record Notice to the Federal Register and most recently graduated from the first cohort of the IHS Executive Leadership Development Program. 

Dion Reid, is the Community Health Aide (CHA) Specialist for the DCCS at IHS. Mr. Reid serves as the technical expert over the CHA Workforce and provides advisement and technical assistance on matters relating to the improvement of community health services. He graduated with a degree in Healthcare Administration/Population Health from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Preceding his federal career, Mr. Reid served ten years on Active Duty in the United States Air Force, where he began his career as an EMT and evolved into roles as an Operations Manager and Program Analyst throughout the Colorado Military Health Market. He brings to IHS broad experience regarding the application of public health strategies that align towards improved access, quality, and patient-centered care. Mr. Reid is a passionate advocate for health equity, disease prevention, and policy research.

Alberta Becenti is an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe and currently serves as the Public Health Advisor for the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Program and Acting Consultant for the Health Education Program with the IHS DCCS. Ms. Becenti has over twenty-five years of experience working in Native American communities to promote health and wellness. She is responsible for working with IHS Area HP/DP Coordinators and Health Educators to provide leadership and direction to plan, implement, and monitor prevention activities to support wellness. She earned her Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma and her Bachelor's degree from the University of Utah.