Presenters
Ingrid L. Cockhren, M.Ed.
Ingrid Cockhren, M.Ed., specializes in co-creating equitable and inclusive environments within organizations, collective impacts, and grassroots movements. Utilizing her knowledge of stress, trauma, human development, and personality, Mrs. Cockhren has been able to translate research concerning diversity/equity/inclusion/belonging (DEIB), trauma-informed, and healing-centered practices into community, workplace, and organizational solutions that suit both traditional and virtual teams.
Ingrid Cockhren's academic journey is marked by a B.S. in Psychology from Tennessee State University and an M.Ed. in Child Studies from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Mrs. Cockhren specializes in PACE science (positive and adverse childhood experiences), collective trauma, historical trauma/intergenerational transmission, brain development, developmental psychology, and epigenetics. Her diverse career experience includes roles in corporate sales, juvenile justice, family counseling, early childhood education, professional development & training, and community education. Currently, she serves as an adjunct professor, specializing in lifespan developmental psychology, abnormal psychology & minority mental health. She is the former CEO of PACEs Connection, an international social network dedicated to raising awareness of trauma and resilience. Learn more at cockhrenconsulting.com
Yoli Maya Yeh
Yoli’s lifelong journey in academia, spiritual and healing arts molded her expertise in the science of transformation. From a ceremonial initiation into her family’s Native American tradition at age thirteen, now thirty-one years later Yoli finds herself working at the intersections of Indigenous Way, healing arts and social justice. She is an educator in Comparative Religious Ethics, Global Studies and Cultural Anthropology whose teaching style is rooted in Indigenous methodology and experiential pedagogy. After building a successful yoga therapy and bodywork healing practice with unique specializations in chronic conditions, unexplainable & untreatable diagnosis and deep spiritual crisis, Yoli began to turn her focus towards diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting in the yoga, wellness and lifestyle industries. Recognizing that not enough change has happened in the wellness industry for spaces to be decolonized and safe for all, Yoli, in partnership with co-founder Ruthann Gagnon, founded DEIcipher to make a larger impact. Learn more at https://www.deicipher.com/
Ruthann Gagnon
Ruthann has spent much of her career strategizing and catalyzing creative efforts through organized, thoughtful and collaborative architecture. With a background spanning women’s public healthcare, hospitality, marketing, sales and technology, she has focused her efforts on implementing new frameworks and executing highly creative architecture with tangible execution and results. This inter-industry knowledge has given her a unique toolbox for many workspace settings seeking transformation. After realizing their similar passion and aligning their vision around the deep need for change in the wellness industry, Ruthann and Yoli came together to form DEIciper in the spirit of uplifting, communal, collaborative leadership that allows their gifts to shine brightly in new ways. Learn more at https://www.deicipher.com/
Ama Atiedu, MS, MSOD
Ama Atiedu holds a Master’s in Community Nutrition from Iowa State University and a Master’s in Organizational Development from Pepperdine University. Ama has worked in the field of evaluation for over 15 years, focusing on public health, nutrition, healthcare systems, and early childhood education. She has worked as an internal evaluator at both state and local levels and provided support to many non-profit and public sector organizations as an evaluation and organizational development consultant.
Ama’s academic training, coupled with her diverse work experience, has helped her develop skills in evaluation, program management, stakeholder engagement, and facilitating organizational learning. Ama has been with Cottage Health since 2016 in the Population Health department, where she has helped to develop programs and provide evaluation support internally and externally.
Christian A. Bracho, Ph.D.
Christian A. Bracho is an assistant professor in the Teacher Education Department in the College of Education at California State University Long Beach, where he is also program coordinator of the Master of Arts in Education, Curriculum & Instruction program. A Southern California native, he received his master’s degree and teaching credential at the University of Rochester, and worked as an English teacher and teacher trainer around Los Angeles County for 12 years. After completing his Ph.D. in International Education from New York University, he was a professorial lecturer in American University’s International Training and Education Program, and later taught at the University of La Verne. His research interests include Mexican teacher movements, teacher identity, Latinx communities, queer theory, and Hispanic-serving institutions. He is co-editor of the volume Teachers Teaching Nonviolence (DIO Press, 2020), and is an associate editor of the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. His creative work on grief was recently published in the anthology Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice (Common Notions, 2023).
https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-education/curriculum-and-instruction/page/christian-bracho
Ali Cortes, MA, LMFT
Alejandra is a pioneering Mexican first-generation trauma-informed marriage and family therapist whose passion for healing and community advocacy has forged a profound impact within the mental health field. With a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, she has dedicated her career to fostering accessible mental health programs and services for individuals, couples, families, and youth.
With over a decade of experience within the Santa Barbara Unified School District, the executive director of both Santa Barbara Response Network and A Different Point Of View, training communities in Psychological First Aid and Skills for Psychological Recovery, being an adjunct professor at Antioch University, and owning a private practice offering teletherapy, her gained expertise in navigating complex psychological dynamics has been instrumental
in nurturing healthy relationships and fostering resilience amongst diverse communities.
Brandon Kaysen
Brandon Kaysen is dedicated to raising awareness, inspiring passion, creating harmony and spreading love through his teachings and sonic-yoga experiences. His personal practice is grounded in the studies of yoga, zen, and environmental awareness. While Brandon has been exploring spirituality his entire life, he began studying and facilitating sacred sound meditations in 2012. Brandon’s mentor, Sotantar Suraj, inspired his journey into Kundalini Yoga and sacred sound during a vital time in his journey - exposing new pathways toward self-mastery. Brandon is a fellow traveler who is committed to growing a heart-centered sangha through sound. Learn more at https://www.sanghasound.com/.
Senta Greene, MA, CCLS
Mrs. Senta Greene and Dr. Kathleen Van Antwerp, “Dr. K,” celebrate a 30-plus-year proven track record in professional learning and development and leadership services. Their unique approach, which combines expertise in family empowerment, disabilities services, trauma-informed care and practices, and anti-bias, anti-racist and anti-hate work for child-youth social justice, sets them apart. Their deep understanding of human development, brain science, organizational development, and the importance of emotional intelligence and adversity intelligence is a distinctive element of why they are nationally recognized as human developmentalists, skilled facilitators, trainers, and systems strategists.
As advocates for strengthening families and social justice collectively, their work has catalyzed systems change for children and families in Austria, Amsterdam, China, England, Finland, Jamaica, and the United States.
In their unique co-facilitation and co-directorship, Senta and Kathleen unite their voices, hearts, purpose, and capacity as women in leadership. They model and deliver personal empowerment, conscious leadership, and effective teaming, inspiring others to lead with consciousness and purpose for collective healing and social justice.
Tamara Harra, MPH
Tamara Harrah received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her Master’s in Public Health from the American Public University System. Tamara has been with Cottage Health since 2022 in the Population Health department, where she has supported projects related to maternal and child health in Santa Barbara County. As PeRC Coordinator, Tamara focuses on supporting screening and interventions for children exposed to adverse childhood experiences and promoting resilience for these children and their families.
Sarah Hemmer, MD
Dr. Hemmer is originally from Chicago but developed her love for California at Stanford University, where she received her BA in Human Biology with a focus on the effects of race and poverty on child development. She attended Northwestern Medical School in Chicago and completed her internship and residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She then moved to San Francisco in 2009, where she began her Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) work at a pediatric practice with Dr. Nadine Burke. Relocating to Santa Barbara for her husband’s work in 2013, Dr. Hemmer worked for seven years as a pediatrician at
the Pediatric Diagnostic Center in Ventura and served as an advisory board member for ACEs Aware Ventura County. Dr. Hemmer now works in her hometown of Santa Barbara at American Indian Health and Services, where she also trains pediatric residents from Cottage Hospital in their continuity clinic. She served as a Santa Barbara Resiliency Project advisory board member, helping ACEs work become more widespread in Santa Barbara. She is now thrilled to be the PeRC (Pediatric Resiliency Collaborative) co-chair, in partnership with Cottage Hospital, to further her work in building resiliency in our community.
Andrea I. Hercules
Andrea Hercules received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with an applied psychology and educational studies at UCSB and is a doctoral student studying School Psychology at Loyola University Chicago. Andrea worked on creating trauma-informed programming for at-promise students impacted by shootings in Santa Barbara, and on a community health needs assessment in collaboration with Cottage Health and the Santa Barbara Public Health Department. Andrea worked as the research coordinator for the Center for Publicly Engaged Scholarship under Drs.
Rebeca Mireles-Rios and Victor Rios. Andrea's research focuses on preventing the
school-to-prison pipeline by increasing a sense of support and belonging for girls of color designated as "at-risk".
Ismael Huerta
Ismael Huerta is the Lead Youth Outreach Worker for Santa Barbara Unified School Districts. He’s created an organic approach serving youth with a streetology base teaching from street knowledge to school knowledge, and the benefits of mindful practices. As well as workshops on physical and mental health, learning how to breathe in movement, cultural awareness, social justice and equality, self-agency, forgiveness, healing from within, moving forward, public speaking, family trauma and family values, youth rights, domestic violence, guest
Ron Huxley, LMFT
Ron Huxley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with over 30 years of
experience specializing in trauma-informed care, anxiety, and adoption-related issues.
He integrates modern neuroscience techniques with traditional therapeutic approach to
help individuals and families heal from trauma. Ron is the founder of FamilyHealer.tv and TraumaToolbox.com, where he offers valuable resources for parents and professionals. Ron's compassionate approach and expertise make him a sought-after speaker in the field of trauma and family therapy. For more information, visit RonHuxley.com.
Susana Lopez, Ph.D.
Dr. Susana A. López is a bicultural and bilingual (English/Spanish) licensed clinical psychologist and professor who specializes in culturally-humble and trauma-informed, healing centered psychological interventions and assessment for individuals who have experienced marginalization and oppression. As an immigrant herself, Dr. López has a passion for working with clients on issues related to immigration/acculturation processes, race-based trauma, and family disruptions. Learn more at www.Resiliencepc.com
Jonathan McCay
Jonathan McCay partners with human services professionals in using evidence and research methods to guide decision-making, strengthen programs, and improve outcomes. Jon specializes in the areas of employment and training, workforce development, coaching, and case management for social safety net programs. He has collaborated with federal agencies, states, counties, Tribes, and U.S. territories on dozens of implementation projects. Jon played a key role in the creation of the Learn, Innovate, Improve (LI2) framework, which is now widely used in the field of human services to guide evidence-driven change and implementation. He is a certified human-centered design practitioner and implementation support practitioner. Learn more at https://www.mathematica.org/staff/jonathan-mccay
Melissa Ruiz, MD
Dr. Melissa Ruiz is the current president of the local chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is an associate program director for the Cottage Pediatric Residency Program and directs the Ambulatory care rotation at Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics at Goleta.
Dr. Ruiz is a national leader in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screening and advocacy and has worked in this field for the past decade. She has co-authored publications on screening for toxic stress risk factors and presented at national conferences on developing curricula for pediatric providers to address the impact of child poverty and ACEs.
Kathleen Van Antwerp, Ph.D
Mrs. Senta Greene and Dr. Kathleen Van Antwerp, “Dr. K,” celebrate a 30-plus-year proven track record in professional learning and development and leadership services. Their unique approach, which combines expertise in family empowerment, disabilities services, trauma-informed care and practices, and anti-bias, anti-racist and anti-hate work for child-youth social justice, sets them apart. Their deep understanding of human development, brain science, organizational development, and the importance of emotional intelligence and adversity intelligence is a distinctive element of why they are nationally recognized as human developmentalists, skilled facilitators, trainers, and systems strategists.
As advocates for strengthening families and social justice collectively, their work has catalyzed systems change for children and families in Austria, Amsterdam, China, England, Finland, Jamaica, and the United States.
In their unique co-facilitation and co-directorship, Senta and Kathleen unite their voices, hearts, purpose, and capacity as women in leadership. They model and deliver personal empowerment, conscious leadership, and effective teaming, inspiring others to lead with consciousness and purpose for collective healing and social justice.