BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Yá’át’ééh shí éí Cynthia Begay yinishyé. Kiis’áanii nishłį́. Naakaii Dine’é bashishchiin. Tódích’íi’nii dashicheii. Naakaii Dine’é dashinalí. Ákót’éego diné asdzáán nishłį́.
Cynthia Begay, MPH (she/hers) is Hopi, Sunforehead Clan, born for the Navajo and Mexican people. She is a doctoral student at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and a Senior Epidemiologist for a Native-woman owned consulting company. She is a longtime advocate for Native communities to advance health equity and reduce health disparities. Guided by community-based participatory research methods, Cynthia has worked with Tribal communities in California, specifically in cancer control, mental health, and substance use, for over ten years. She is a co-founder of the non-profit Native American Pathways, located on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. In addition to her work in public health, Cynthia enjoys creating contemporary and familial Hopi overlay jewelry, weaving, and visiting her family in Sipaulovi, Second Mesa, AZ.
Cynthia Begay
Secretary
Hello/Hola/Lios enchim aniavu, ketchem allea? (English/Spanish/Yaqui)
Stephanie Guadron, M.Ed (Chicana/Yaqui) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is owner of Corazon de Lucero, a heart healing and wellness community that focuses on reconnecting with Ancestral and Earth magic. She is a public servant, former teacher, education advocate, and mother. As a life-long learner, Stephanie believes that building community through cultural awareness starts with embracing the wisdom of our ancestors so that we could strengthen our hearts collectively to empower future generations and protect our Earth.
Stephanie Guadron
President
Avril Cardova
Treasurer
Avril Cordova is an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo Tribe of Taos, New Mexico on her father’s side and 6th Generation from Chief Red Cloud of the Oglala Lakota Nation from Pine Ridge, South Dakota on her mother’s side. Avril is a Solopreneur, the owner/operator of AC and Associates, a consultation agency in Los Angeles, CA. Avril's work includes parent advocacy, care coordination on mental health treatment teams, technical assistance, hosting and planning community events in person plus virtual programming. AC and Associates has hosted and facilitated online community family/youth activities during the pandemic. Avril is a certified master facilitator of Positive Indian Parenting and Gathering Of Native Americans (GONA) curriculum. During the Covid pandemic Avril worked virtually connecting communities through ZJing GONA virtual events such as Chuckchansi, Lakota, Alaskan nations. Avril was born and raised in Downey, CA. She is an active community member in the Los Angeles American Indian/Alaskan Native population. She is a proud parent of daughter and a Unci (grandmother) of two 8th Generation Chief Red Cloud grandchildren. Avril is the proud Honoree of the 2021 Community Award given by Fernandeno Tataviam Band of Mission Indians and featured in “Community Champions" through California Indian Rural Health Board. Avril is a NICWA Community Tribal Trainer and is currently facilitating ICWA training to the social worker’s core academy around Basic Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). Avril goes back to her reservations on a regular basis to attend and participate in ceremonial
traditions. Avril is currently on the path as a language warrior taking Taos Pueblo Language classes facilitated by Taos Pueblo Education Department. Avril has been on the red road for the past 17 years and role models a positive and honest lifestyle to her daughter/grandchildren and those around her on a daily basis.