Meet The Team

In 2020, Nadine started SunClan Consulting, after more than 18 years in K-12 education and 11 years in the non-profit business sector.  An expert in federal funding benefitting Indigenous students, their parents, and their educators, she has developed an outstanding team of professionals to lead effective concepts and develop programs in Indigenous Education. SunClan Consultants specialize in professional development, systems improvement, building leadership teams, and more. Nadine is from the village of Encinal on the Laguna reservation in New Mexico.

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.

​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!

​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 three years. Her systems work greatly benefits the staff with whom she works.

​Sandra developed considerable skills in strategic planning when serving as Interim Indian Education Director and Education Administrator with the New Mexico Public Education Department for seven years. Her experience in tribal collaboration and consultation and government to government relations resulted in a study of an Indigenous Education Evaluation Model. She has built capacity with tribes and Pueblo nations, higher education institutions, school districts, charter schools, and tribal departments of education. She also developed tribal language and culture programs and assessed cultural competence as defined by the community. A systems thinker, Sandra advocates for equity in services that impact our tribal communities and students.

​"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. The subject of her fourth book is Liberating Structures in the context of the mandated transfer of power from the US Department of Education to the individual states.

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.

​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.

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. 

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. She also increased family engagement by 400%.

Francisco has 18 years of experience in public education, having worked as both a classroom teacher and school administrator at the primary and secondary levels. He has a vast knowledge of instructional practices, school improvement and program management. He currently serves as a Title I Program Coordinator for eighteen (18) schools in Tucson. He enjoys collaborating with school leaders and teachers to increase student achievement and teacher efficacy.

Dani is a PhD student in Education: Curriculum and Instruction at Montana State University. She has long been motivated in her work to advance social justice, culturally responsive driven practices, decolonizing curriculum, and centering Indigenous voices within classrooms and educational settings.  She currently serves as an advocate and school liaison offering guidance with a trauma informed lens toward culturally responsive solutions-based supports for Indigenous students and their families navigating Special Education and Individual Education Plans in public schools.

With over a decade in K-12 education, Tawnee has dedicated her career to supporting teachers and principals through professional development, instructional innovation, and the effective use of educational technology. Passionate about world literature, digital literacy, and the celebration of diverse cultures and languages, she has extensive experience working with Title I schools, advocating for equity, and promoting inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments. Fluent in English, with proficiency in Russian and Spanish, Tawnee is committed to creating dynamic educational experiences that support student growth and empower educators.

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.