CSTI 2003


CSTI Trainers
Elijah Akins is 17 years old and a senior at Ingraham High School in Seattle. He has been a board member of the Seattle Young People's Project for three years and founded the annual Young Men's Conference. His passions are journalism, post 9-11 political analysis and youth organizing
RuthAlice Anderson is the Finance Administrator and Web Developer for Western States Center. Ruth is President of the Board of Oregon Action. She also serves on the boards of USAction, Progressive Action Network and Fair Share Research & Education Fund.
FRANCISCO ARGÜELLES PAZ Y PUENTE, born in Mexico, has lived in the US since 1997. He is currently the organizer for the Immigrant Community Organizer Working Group (ICO) of the National Organizers Alliance (NOA). Francisco started teaching popular education in 1983 in Chiapas. He has organized and taught popular education extensively in rural communities throughout Central America and the US for the past 20 years.
Francisco Argüelles Paz y Puente, Mexicano, ha vivido en los Estados Unidos desde 1997. Actualmente es organizador para el Grupo de Trabajo de Organizadores de las Comunidades Inmigrantes, con la Alianza Nacional de Organizadores [NOA]. Comenzó a trabajar en educación popular en 1983 en Chiapas. Durante los siguientes 20 años Francisco trabajó como organizador y entrenador en comunidades rurales a través de México, Nicaragua y los Estados Unidos.
MARSHA BOTZER is the founder of the Ingersoll Gender Center in Seattle, one of the nation's oldest organizations serving the transgender community. An accomplished activist, she serves on the board of directors of a number of organizations, including the Pride Foundation and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
JO ANN BOWMAN, former State Representative in Oregon, is a longtime criminal justice reform activist and notable public figure. She currently serves on the board of Western States Center, Western Prison Project and as 2nd Vice President for the NAACP AK/OR/WA State Conference.
Moira Bowman is Field Organizer/Trainer at Western States Center. Moira has extensive background and experience in domestic and sexual violence issues, dismantling oppressions training and curriculum development.
Alexa Bradley is on staff at the Grassroots Policy Project working with organizations on strategic plans to build long-term power. Alexa was also Co-Director of the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action, a multi-issue, labor-community coalition. In 1999 she received a Bush Leadership Fellowship to research popular education and interactive theater in social change work in the US.
LOLITA BURNETTE is an organizational development consultant with Achievement Architects, specializing in diversity initiatives. A Reed alumna, Lolita has worked with a variety of non-profit and government organizations to create inclusive and productive work cultures, policies and practices for the past 12 years.
Emma Catague is the Program Manager and Senior Domestic Violence Community Organizer for the Asian & Pacific Islander Women & Family Safety Center in Seattle. She implements educational programs in API communities on domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. A domestic violence survivor, she has 26 years of experience in community and labor organizing on a variety of issues.
Stephanie Cho is a queer femme of color and Community Organizer for Oregon Action, a statewide, grassroots organization that works for social and economic justice. In her spare time, she is the co-founder of Transracial Abductees, a group connecting transracial adoptee issues to the larger people of color movement
Cindy Clark is the Program Coordinator for Just Associates (JASS), a non-profit international learning network. Just Associates provides training, technical advice, action research and resources to help organizations build strategies for social and economic justice. Cindy has worked for many years with NGOs in the US and Chile dedicated to the promotion and defense of women’s rights globally.
Staci Cotler is a member of JEWCY, a national network of younger Jewish social justice activists and a co-founder of Jews For Global Justice, a progressive Jewish organization in Portland. JFGJ provides a Jewish voice against the Israeli Occupation and against the war on Iraq.
Malkia A. Cyril is the Director of the Youth Media Council, an organization dedicated to building youth power through media advocacy and accountability. She has organized low-income youth and communities of color for the past 8 years focusing on poverty and race. Author of several publications, Malkia has worked closely with young people on media accountability for balanced news coverage of youth and youth policy.
ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC JUSTICE PROJECT (EEJP) is based at AGENDA, a grassroots community organization in Los Angeles. Their mission is to build the long-term capacity of environmental and economic justice organizations and networks nationally by providing community organizing training and strategic facilitation.
Juana Flores es co-directora interina de Mujeres Unidas y Activas, una organización de base de inmigrantes latinas en el área de San Francisco. Juana es una inmigrante de México que comenzó a participar en MUA en 1991, primero como miembra y luego como empleada. Juana ha asumido liderazgo en numerosas campañas comunitarias --incluyendo las luchas contra las Proposiciones 187, 227 y 21 - y ha proveído ayuda técnica a grupos de base de inmigrantes latinas de todas partes.
AUNTIE BIJOU MATINEE, the alter ego of Pride Foundation's Outreach Manager KEVAN GARDNER, is a long time sexuality educator, community organizer and performer. She resides in Spokane, WA.
reynaldo (jojo) gaon is a filipino american poet and activist and co-founder of the isangmahal arts kollective (1996). jojo works for the api women & family safety center and for asian counseling and referral service. at both places, he works within the movement against violence against women and children. jojo is the api men's campaign coordinator/ api youth united against violence co-coordinator as well as a domestic violence batterer's intervention specialist.
Richard Healey is the President of the Grassroots Policy Project based in Washington, DC. He has been an activist on peace, civil rights, and economic justice issues since the 1960s.
Leah Henry-Tanner is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho and works as a community organizer for the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation in Seattle, WA. She is the coordinator of the Native American Women’s Dialog on Infant Mortality, which addresses the disproportionately high infant mortality rate in the Native communities in Seattle-King County. Leah is an activist on issues of tribal sovereignty and a Board member of Western States Center.
Mónica Hernández, Méxicana, es la coordinadora del proyecto Pueblos de Latinoamérica del Centro Highlander, en Tennessee. Pueblos es un programa que busca desarrollar el liderazgo de la comunidad latina del sudeste y sus organizaciones de base. Mónica, se unió al personal de Highlander después de haber trabajado por la Coalición del Norte de California por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes en San Francisco por 13 años.
Jeannette Huezo is the Training Network Coordinator and Lead Trainer for United for a Fair Economy. Originally from El Salvador, Jeannette has more than 20 years of experience as a community organizer and popular educator working for justice and social change. Before to coming to UFE Jeannette was the Program Director/Trainer for the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD).
DAVID HUNT is an Organizer with USAction, the nation’s largest progressive activist coalition. He has 20 years of experience working with community based organizations and is founder of the Community Building Storytelling Project, an organization designed to reintroduce storytelling into American culture as a tool to build community and heal America.
Pramila Jayapal is an activist and writer, and Director of Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, a grassroots organization created in November 2001 in response to the backlash against immigrant communities of color. For the past ten years, she has been actively involved in international and domestic social justice issues, particularly with women and children's issues. She is a former Board Chair of Chaya, a non-profit serving South Asian women in crisis, and is also a Board Trustee of The Institute of Current World Affairs.
VAL KALEI KANUHA is Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai`i, School of Social Work. A native of Hilo, Hawai`i, Dr. Kanuha has been an activist, clinician, administrator, and consultant with community agencies, HIV/AIDS organizations, and other social service settings in the US and Hawai`i for almost 30 years. She is an appointed member of the Hawai`i State Commission on the Status of Women, and on the Steering Committees of Incite! and The Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence.
Patricia Jerido is the Program Officer for Health and Safety at the Ms. Foundation for Women. Pat oversees the Reproductive Rights Coalition and Organizing Fund (RRCOF), the New Partners/New Initiatives Fund and the Women and AIDS Fund. She has been instrumental in establishing outreach & education programs for women with HIV/AIDS both in neighborhoods and prisons in the New York City area.
Malachi Larrabee-Garza is a 23-year old mixed race, San Francisco native, butch infatuated with popular education and poor peoples’ justice. For 8 years Malachi has been involved with organizations and crews that range from organizing queer youth, anti-police brutality work, revolutionary chicano(a) cultural work to popular education institutes and is presently the advanced political education director at SOUL - the School of Unity and Liberation in Oakland CA.
Alma Maquitico works with the Border Network for Human Rights based in El Paso, Texas. Alma trains human rights promoters and helps create committees for legalization and immigrant rights in the border region communities. She is also the coordinator of the migration caucus of the Border Women's Group, a religious group of women dedicated to promoting Peace and Justice in the Southern New Mexico, West Texas and Chihuahua region.
ALMA MAQUITICO trabaja con el Red Fronteriza de los Derechos Humanos en el Paso, Tejas. El Red se enfoque en campañas de la salud, inmigración, labor y de los derechos económicos. Alma enseña a los promotores de derechos humanos y da a luz cómites en las comunidades fronterizas para la legalización y los derechos de inmigrantes. También es coordinadoa de la junta inmigrante del Grupo de Mujeres de le Frontera un grupo religioso dedicado a avanzar la paz y justicia en el sud de México Nuevo, el oeste de Tejas y Chihuahua.
CARLOS MARENTES es organizador con el Comité Pro-Amnistía General y Justicia Social. También participa en el Proyecto Internacional Trabajador a Trabajador con la Oficina de Labor y Empleo del Noroeste (LELO) en Seattle, WA y con el Proyecto Organizativo Sin Fronteras de El Paso, TX.
Asha Mohamed is coordinator of Community Outreach with Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington and works with East African communities. Asha was the co-founder of Somali Women and Children Skills for Change in Seattle. SWCSC empowers immigrant women by educating them about their civil rights and providing ESL classes and job skills training.
JOY Nair is a member of Oregon Students of Color Coalition (OSCC) at the University of Oregon. Joy organizes OSCC's statewide campaigns and coordinated the First Annual Oregon Students of Color Conference that provided political education on issues affecting communities of color.
HUY ONg is a 3rd year organizer for the Oregon Students of Color Coalition (OSCC), a statewide coalition of students advancing an anti-racist agenda for educational access through statewide grassroots campaigns. Huy was a leader in the fight for several bills providing educational access and equity to immigrants and welfare recipients.
RICARDO ORTEGA es un inmigrante mexicano que estudió economía en la Universidad Nacional Autonomía de México. Ha trabajado con comunidades de inmigrantes en diversos proyectos a través del Comité Pro-Amnistía y Justicia Social y otras organizaciones. Actualmente es coordinador del Proyecto Internacional de Trabajador a Trabajador en la Oficina de Labor y Empleo del Noroeste en Seattle, WA.
Carol Pencke is Director of Organization Solutions, a consulting firm for the nonprofit, philanthropic and educational community. Carol was the Director of A Territory Resource foundation for seven years. Her consulting work includes long term contracts with the Ms. Foundation coordinating a project in WA with NARAL on organizational development issues, and with The Applied Research Center, assisting in major donor development and events.
AMARA HAYDÉE PÉREZ is Executive Director of Sisters in Action for Power, a community-based, intergenerational organization that promotes racial, gender and economic equity through grassroots leadership development and direct action issue campaigns. Amara has worked to develop the girls’ leadership model designed by Sisters in Action for Power to promote intergenerational organizing.
Ari Rapkin is the Renter Stability Education Program Director at the Community Alliance of Tenants, a tenant-controlled renters rights organization. Ari previously worked in the anti-violence movement for several years. He is passionate about bicycles and secretly wants to run away with the circus to become a trapeze artist.
MATT REMLE is the regional coordinator of the Northwest Environmental Justice Alliance and an organizer for the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice in Seattle, WA. Matt has been instrumental in bringing indigenous rights issues to the forefront of social justice movements through his talks and organizing efforts
Rosi Reyes is a Project Media Trainer & Strategist at the SPIN Project in San Francisco. She has worked with various community organizations as a trainer and organizer in the Bay Area. Most recently she was Communications Associate at the Applied Research Center where she oversaw various aspects of communications. Rosi is also a radio producer and host of KPFA's First Light and La Raza Chronicles.
ANDY ROBINSON has worked since 1980 as an organizer, trainer, and grassroots fundraiser. He is the author of Grassroots Grants and Selling Social Change. When he's not on a plane, Andy lives in Plainfield, Vermont. He is honored to participate in his eighth CSTI.
Steve Schnapp is curriculum development specialist and lead trainer for United for a Fair Economy (UFE). Steve has more than 30 years experience as a community organizer, popular education trainer of trainers, and adjunct professor of Community Organizing at the Boston University School of Social Work and Springfield College School of Human Services.
Emily Shannon is an 18-year old queer social justice organizer leading safe schools campaigns in Boise, Idaho. Emily also organizes at the state level, lobbying legislators and training others to do the same. She is a founding member of Your Family Friends & Neighbors.
Alisa Simmons serves as Policy and Outreach Associate for Children First for Oregon, a non-profit, non-partisan organization using outreach and public education initiatives to advocate on behalf of Oregon’s children and families. Alisa was previously an organizer with the Oregon Student Association working on issues affecting low-income communities, people of color, parents and the lgbt communities in colleges and universities.
YALONDA SINDÉ is Executive Director of the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ) in Seattle, WA. Yalonda has been an organizer on issues of environmental racism and injustice, low-income housing, globalization and other social justice issues for the last 10 years. She is the recipient of several awards for her work and writing and credited for spearheading a regional environmental justice network.
Kay Sohl is founding Executive Director of Technical Assistance for Community Services (TACS), the Northwest’s largest nonprofit management support organization. Through TACS, Kay has developed consulting, training, professional networking, and web services to help over 4000 nonprofits achieve their missions through strengthening management, governance, planning, and funding strategies.
Rose Spears is a Board member of Oregon Action, the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations and the Fannie Lou Hamer Project, a national education and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening democracy by bringing justice and equity to the campaign finance system. A proud grandmother of four, one of whom aims to be president, Rose is a leader on health care and welfare issues.
Chuck Tanner is a long time civil and human rights activist. Mr. Tanner has done extensive research on the White Supremacist movement and has published numerous articles.
Roey Thorpe is the Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon, a statewide grassroots GLBT civil rights organization. Roey has been an activist for social justice for over 20 years and a nonprofit administrator for 15 years, with 6 years as an executive director. She is a former city councilwoman and acting mayor of Ithaca, New York, and has extensive experience in all aspects of political campaign work.
Norma Timbang is a founder and Executive Director of Asian & Pacific Islander Women & Family Safety Center. Their mission is to prevent violence against women through community organizing and education; provide safe, culturally relevant alternatives for women, youth, and children who face domestic violence, sexual assault, and exploitation in the API communities. Norma has extensive experience in training on many aspects of organizational development and planning.
ERIC WARD is the Executive Director of the Seattle-based Northwest Coalition for Human Dignity, a former Western States Center board member and an advisor with the Home Alive project. Home Alive is an anti-violence project that offers affordable self-defense classes, provides public education and awareness and leads local community organizing efforts.
WESTERN PRISON PROJECT is a regional organization playing a lead role in building a grassroots, multi-racial movement that achieves prison reform and reduces the over-reliance on incarceration in the states of OR, WA, ID, MT, UT, WY and NV. WPP involves prisoners, former prisoners, family members and allies in a broad range of advocacy, education, and capacity building projects related to criminal justice reform.
CINDY WIESNER is the former Organizing Director for People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER, a community-based membership organization in San Francisco organizing low and no-wage workers to fight for full employment and living wages. Cindy worked at POWER for four years and developed the group’s political education curriculum.
Liza Wilcox is Community Services Coordinator for Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington. This role combines direct service to post-Sept 11-targeted communities with community mobilization and political advocacy at local and national levels. Liza has held organizing and technical roles in social justice organizations affiliated with National Citizen Action and the Tibetan Government in Exile.
THALIA ZEPATOS is a veteran organizer, campaign manager and trainer with over 20 years experience fighting the Right. Author of Women for Change: A Grassroots Guide to Activism and Politics, she is currently a freelance writer and consultant living in Portland, Oregon.
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CSTI Trainers

Buy books by current and former CSTI trainers and support Western States Center.