Equity Development Institute

May 3, 2019

Facilitators

Marlon Brown

Marlon Brown is a black man with Equity and Social Justice specializing in leadership coaching, change agent mentoring, and organizational development with an emphasis on facilitation, training, racial caucusing, policy development and implementation. Marlon has created and advised equity committees/teams and developed anti-racist curriculum. Marlon also has over 20 years of professional experience working in healthcare, automotive and government organizations as an Information Technology Project Manager. Marlon is skilled in developing lasting relationships with staff and leadership, unionized and at-will workforces.

Fran Partridge

Fran Partridge is a white woman with 20 years of racial equity experience, specifically in instructional leadership, educational practices and educational policy change. Most of Fran’s work has been within the educational system, as a teacher, instructional coach and mentor, as well as, most recently, an equity and race relations specialist. She has facilitated over 250 professional development sessions focused on historical and systemic racism, implicit bias, racial identity, micro-aggressions and culturally responsive instruction. Fran is co-founder of Racial Equity Consultants LLC and has experience co-developing strategic planning for racial equity work; analyzing data, developing assessment tools, providing guidance, and designing and facilitating high quality culturally responsive professional development based on adult learning principles. She holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Policy and Administration (M.Ed.).

Naho Shioya

Naho Shioya, M.F.A. is an Asian woman with over 20 years of professional experience working in nonprofit, public, and private sectors as an educator, artist, and executive administrator. Ms. Shioya strives to connect our culturally and socially diverse communities through exploration, presentation and education, and has the ability to engage people from all walks of life through creativity and active learning. She has successfully engaged various organizations and partners in conversation on Race and Social Justice, and facilitated many workshops and trainings. She is well-versed in developing and facilitating workshops to fit the needs of the organizations and agencies, and has assisted many groups and department leaderships on inclusive outreach and public engagement efforts. She is experienced in developing and implementing organizational Race and Social Justice Initiatives, creating and guiding Racial Equity Teams, developing organizational Diversity, Equity and Inclusion assessments, creating organizational strategic plans, and developing Race and Social Justice work plans.

Abraham Rodriguez-Hernandez

Abraham Rodriguez-Hernandez self identifies as a LatinX man. He has over 10 years’ experience in developing and implementing systemic initiatives that operationalize racial equity into organizational leadership. He has lead racial equity literacy capacity building projects for private organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions. Most recently, he has directly served Seattle Public Schools, Edmonds School District, Everett School District, Everett Community College, North Seattle College, Trinity Lutheran College, Amazon and several King County government agencies.

Sebastian Wilson

Sebastian Wilson (Seb) is a white man who was born and raised in Seattle. He attended Seattle Public Schools and received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Seattle Pacific University. Sebastian has 20 years of experience as a professional in the youth and child development field and has worked with, and for, people of all ages and diverse communities across King County. In nearly a decade of employment with the City of Seattle, he was actively involved in the Race and Social Justice Initiative as a Core Team member, department co-lead, policy advisor, facilitator and trainer. He is currently a Coach and Trainer with Schools Out Washington where he works to improve the quality of non-profit organizational standards and program offerings. Sebastian seeks to contribute his talents towards the development of a brighter future for generations to come.

Jamie Epting

Jamie Epting is an educator, who uses she/her pronouns. She is also a white anti-racist organizer and trainer with eight years of experience working in community and within institutions. She has worked predominantly with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and European Dissent, which takes leadership from the POC organizers within the People’s Institute NW. Jamie has facilitated anti-racist programming using adult learning principles in nonprofits, social service agencies, universities, and within city and state institutions. She has facilitated workshops on implicit-bias, historical oppression, microaggressions, accountable gate-keeping, community education, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the impacts of mass incarceration. As a white anti-racist facilitator, Jamie speaks and teaches from the white perspective and through a lens of internalized racial oppression. She shares stories and antidotes that relate to white folks from a personal and humanized place, while holding space for the process of accountability. She is currently a master’s student at the University of Washington getting a degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology: Prevention and Treatment.

Karena Hooks

Karena Hooks is the Founder and CEO of Hooks Global, an organization that focuses on professional development, education, and transformation. With over 20 years of training and community engagement experience, Karena is a transformational leader, trainer, certified racial equity coach and an adjunct faculty member for Columbia University. After earning a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from New York University and the University of Washington, she served as the Director of Diversity and Equity at a community college and later as the Diversity, Equity and Outreach Manger in a K-12 school district. Her leadership style is diverse and adaptive. Karena has dedicated her life to supporting leaders who are committed to creating extraordinary results in a world where each individual and organization thrives.

Fleur Larsen

Fleur Larsen started facilitating 20 years ago on challenge course programs with youth and adults. Her style is based on sharp analysis, flexible thinking, joy, and purposeful results. Her work is relationship-based with connection, collaboration, and community as integral elements to reach goals. Currently, she works with several corporate, government and nonprofit groups facilitating retreats, trainings and workshops in addition to one on one coaching. Fleur’s work as a facilitator is focused on equity, social justice, diversity and inclusion, team building, emotional intelligence, experiential education and community development.

Felisciana Peralta

Felisciana Peralta is the owner of the FELIS Consulting as well as an Affiliate Professor for Clark College. She teaches in the Women’s Studies Department, Human Development Department, and COLL 101 Department, which she co-developed COLL 101 to include Power, Privilege and Equity in the curriculum. Since 2010, Felisciana Peralta has been a Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory. She uses the tool to support conversations and action towards cultural competence. Through consulting or in the classroom, the assessment enables the different audience in engagement of sensitive conversations around privilege, power, identity and equity that encourages education and creating an accepting atmosphere for the different groups. She has used the tools in classrooms, cohort based programs, community college across Washington State, non-profits, businesses, and individuals. She was the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Mt Hood Community College in Oregon.

The executive level role is designed to eliminate systemic barriers and address equity initiatives. She serves on the President’s Council as the College’s Title IX Coordinator and will oversee policy development and compliance issues related to harassment/Title IX, bullying, Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Before moving to Mt Hood Community College, Felisciana Peralta was the Director of Student Inclusion and Equity Services for Clark College for nine years and continues to be an Affiliate Professor for Clark College. She is was the past the President of the Multicultural Student Services Directors Council (MSSDC) for the Washington State Technical and Community College system from Summer of 2013 to Spring of 2017.

Her role at Clark College was to help navigate and retain student from non-dominate populations in the college system. Additionally, she has been working with community and organizations to empower people to achieve leadership skills, cultural awareness, and encourage higher education. In 2016, Felisciana Peralta was a recipient of the Val Joshua Social Justice Award; this honor is given by the community. As well as the 2017 Faculty and Staff of Color Conference Leadership Award receipt, given by colleagues of color in Washington State.