Meet Our Team
Nadine Groenig
Laguna Pueblo
Owner & CEO
Federal Education Funding
In 2020, after more than 18 years in K-12 education and 11 years in the non-profit business sector, Nadine started SunClan Consulting. An expert in federal funding benefitting Indigenous students, their parents, and their educators, she has developed an outstanding team of professionals to lead new concepts and develop programs in Indigenous Education. Nadine is from the village of Encinal on the Laguna reservation.
Jon Lansa
Hopi
Professional Development
Jon has worked as a teacher, coach, and principal in public schools for over 20 years at both the elementary and high school levels. He currently oversees the federal funding and school improvement processes for over 80 schools in Tucson. Jon is from the Sun Forehead Clan on Shungopavi on the Hopi reservation. He is dedicated to using his experience to open up educational opportunities and understanding for Native students, families, and educators.
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Teri Fraizer
Laguna-Hopi Pueblos/Ojibwe
School Systems Developer
Indigenous Culture
With an impressive resume that includes grants management, curriculum writing, parent engagement, cultural programs, philanthropy, Native American history, and more. Teri retired from Gallup-McKinley County Schools in New Mexico in 2020. She joined SunClan later that year. She is also the Museum Director and Curator for the Cultural Center in Gallup, New Mexico and ran the annual Ceremonial celebration for the city for the last three years.
Tim McGowan
Building Healthy Social Networks
An educator for thirty-two years, Tim McGowan was a science teacher, school counselor, and program advisor in Rapid City, SD. For the past decade, Tim has worked with schools around the U.S. to develop prevention strategies that proactively strengthen healthy social bonds and reduce suicide. For the past three years, he has been a trainer for the University of Rochester, NY on a research project addressing military suicides. The result: Zero suicides since the project began!
William Brown
Youth Leadership Development
Strategic Planning
William Brown has extensive experience in the business world. He retired from Proctor and Gamble after 27 years to focus on community engagement activities, supporting disadvantaged youth and people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. William has worked with Nadine to develop strategic planning for SunClan Consulting in addition to collaborating with her and Tim to provide Youth Leadership Academies to young tribal members throughout Arizona.
Dr. Elizabeth Johnson
Higher Education
Professional Development
"Dr. J" is a Distinguished Professor at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Her expertise lies in Instructional Design, Professional Development, and Educational Leadership. Her passion is equity for all students. Dr. J has worked extensively with Native American populations, including the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. Her teaching style emphasizes student engagement and incorporating novelty while teaching state standards.
Esther Nystrom
Dine (Navajo)
STEAM Programming
Esther Nystrom is a K-12 educator who led the Native American Education Program for Mesa Public Schools, the largest school district in Arizona. While there, she implemented a Navajo language program and developed the 3rd Grade Native American Social Studies curriculum. Her STEAM workshops include cultural arts blended with mathematical concepts.
Jessie Taken Alive-Rencountre
Hunkpapa Lakota, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Trauma Informed Counseling
Jessie Taken Alive-Rencountre served as a school counselor for hundreds of students for 15 years and now works full-time as an author and presenter. She was named the Great Plains Emerging Tribal Writer’s Award winner for her first children’s book Pet’a Shows Misun the Light. Combining her teachings from her Lakota culture with a school counselor lens, she has published five children’s books. Jessie's passion is to help people remember their importance in life and to utilize their unique talents to create better communities for future generations.
On-Line Coding and Game Design Instruction
Co-founder, David Dodge, is a professional game designer who built over 30 games for the Sony Playstation, the PC, and multiple SEGA platforms. The CodaKid team consists of professional coders and designers, as well as software engineering undergrads. They may dress casually and have quite a bit of personality, but they know their craft like no other. Since 2014, they have taught over 100,000 students how to code and design using professional languages and cutting edge technologies, and their award-winning curriculum was named CODiE Finalist for Best Coding and Computational Thinking Solution.
Rachel Ruder
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Professional Development
Rachel worked as a teacher, Multi-Tiered System of Supports Facilitator, and Native American Student Services Program Coordinator in Tucson, Yuma, and San Luis, Arizona for 17 years at the elementary, secondary, and junior college levels. She is currently a Title I Program Coordinator for 18 schools in Tucson. Rachel was a member of the Indigenous Leadership Academy inaugural cohort through the American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University. She is passionate about improving academic outcomes for all students. Rachel enjoys serving as a chairperson on the Family Faculty Organization at her daughters' school.
About Us
A Social Impact Venture
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Providing Effective Solutions for Achieving Indigenous Potential
SunClan's mission is to greatly reduce suicide, significantly increase academic achievement, deepen self-worth and cultural identity, and improve health and wellness among Indigenous students and their communities.
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​SunClan's vision is for every Indigenous American to reach their academic potential, know their purpose, be self-sufficient contributors to society, and thrive in every way.
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SunClan Consulting offers multiple professional development and training opportunities for all stakeholders in K-12 Indian Education, including Native American students and families.
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Our programs are customized to the needs of our clients based on research, experience, and knowledge of what works. SunClan's providers have expertise in federal education funding, dropout prevention, equity, MTSS, social-emotional learning, historical trauma and resiliency, leadership development, civic engagement, culture, data evaluation and analysis, and more!
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