Katherine Ortega Courtney, PhD is the co-author (with Dominic Cappello) of Anna, Age Eight: The data-driven prevention of childhood trauma and maltreatment, and co-director of the Anna, Age Eight Institute.

Dr. Courtney worked with the State of New Mexico for eight years, as the Juvenile Justice Epidemiologist, and the Bureau Chief for Protective Services Research Assessment and Data Bureau. She has also served as the Director of Collective Impact at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, and as the Director of Research and Policy for the New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership. She earned a Ph.D.  in Psychology from Texas Christian University where she studied at the Institute for Behavioral Research.

 Rayna Dineen loves teaching and learning, and has worked in education for 38 years. She received a master’s degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, in addition to doing doctoral work at Colorado State University. She co-directed the Santa Fe Public School based Cariño Community Children’s Program and has worked as an education consultant for EL Education in America, India and Australia. Rayna founded the Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences here in Santa Fe in 2000 and served as their teaching principal for 13 years. She is the founder and executive director of Reading Quest, a non-profit organization which provides year-round, high quality reading tutoring for students who are one or more years behind grade level in reading.

 Dr. Patty Weigand is a Licensed Behavior Analyst for general education at Santa Fe Public Schools. She is also the Director of the Five-day Autism Training.  Dr. Patty is also an Advance Applied Project/Advance Research Project Instructor for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Patty has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2000. She has worked in the field of behavior change processes since 1989, serving a variety of individuals with exceptionalities in numerous environments, including home and school. Patty has been teaching for online graduate-level programs in Applied Behavior Analysis since 2009 and has authored several online courses in the field, including Ethics for the Applied Behavior Analyst, Basic Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Change Techniques in Applied Behavior Analysis, and Clinical Behavior Analysis. Patty is currently preparing several manuscripts for publication on food selectivity and the ethics of invasive ABA treatment procedures as well as the use of learners as problem-based scenario developers in the use of Problem-based Learning as an instructional strategy for professional development in special education. Patty provides online supervision for individuals seeking BCBA certification. She is also developing online training for the certification as a Registered Behavior Technician as well as online CEUs for individuals who possess the BCaBA, BCBA, or the RBT certifications. Patty also provides ABA teletherapy services in functional assessment and behavior intervention planning and training to remote families of children with an exceptionality who live in New Mexico.

Cynthia Torcasso is a former Dallas ISD elementary school Math teacher. After a decades-long career in Advertising and Marketing Sales and Management, Cynthia went through the 2-year Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program, beginning in April 2009.  Upon moving permanently to Santa Fe in August 2012, Cynthia began tutoring at Salazar Elementary, joining Santa Fe For Students that became an affiliate of Communities in Schools (CIS). In October 2013, she became the CIS Volunteer Coordinator until August 2017.  Cynthia was a part of the New Mexico Children’s Well-Being Study Group that provided research for Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign manager and policy director. Cynthia then worked as one of two NM Legislature House Education Committee Analysts in the 2019 session. Currently she is a volunteer tutor at Aspen Community School, since 2013, and also is a member of two Santa Fe Public Schools task forces, working with Sabra Romero to improve student academic outcomes through successful relationships with the District’s volunteers.  

Lisa Vigil is Director of the Language and Culture Department for Santa Fe Public Schools. Mrs. Vigil is a graduate of New Mexico Highlands University, where she received a BA in Elementary Education, a MA in Curriculum & Instruction and a MA in Educational Leadership.  

​Mrs. Vigil taught in the elementary setting for 14 years in northern New Mexico prior to transitioning into the administrative roles of assistant principal at El Camino Real Academy in Santa Fe, NM and her current position as the Language and Culture Director.  Mrs. Vigil is dedicated to creating an equitable educational environment that incorporates the histories, languages, values, beliefs, and perspectives of all SFPS students. She works to ensure teachers are adequately trained in culturally and linguistically responsive instruction to better meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Nancy Davis, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, serves as the coordinator of Native American Student Services for the Santa Fe Public Schools.  Previously she was a teacher and taught grades K, 1st, 7th-8th grade math. She currently oversees academic and cultural programs for over 400 Native American students in grades K-12.  The students come from many different tribes from all across the United States as well as the local pueblos and tribes here in NM.  She enjoys working with students at all grade levels and strongly encourages their involvement in school, community, athletics and visual and performing arts.  Nancy is a dedicated advocate for students and their families attending Santa Fe Public Schools. She serves on the Truancy Task Force, Homeless Children and Youth Task Force, the Superintendent’s Diversity and Equity Council and is a member on the Santa Fe Indian Center board. She has two loving daughters, Kayla who is beginning her senior year of college at Ft. Lewis College in Durango, CO and Isabella who is in the eighth grade and attends ATC School.

Jess Clark is the Education and Prevention Manager for Solace Crisis Treatment Center in Santa Fe, NM. He has been involved in social change and sexual violence prevention work for over a decade. His work focuses on increasing youth capacity for healthy relationship navigation as well as collaborating with faculty and administration on policy building and implementation to achieve school climate change. He is Vice Board Chair for Girls Inc. of Santa Fe and has presented at regional and national conferences about topics including transgender identities, sexual violence, and queer masculinities.

Amy Miller is founder and Executive Director of May Center for Learning, a school and outreach center for students with learning differences in Santa Fe, NM.  She earned her BA in Literature and Education from American University, her MA from St. John’s College, and her MFA in Writing from Arizona State University. Amy is a nationally Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) and a certified trainer for the SEE Multi-Sensory Language Teaching Program. She is a frequent professional development provider for school districts, schools, and non-profit organizations, focusing on best practices for students with learning differences, the science of teaching structured reading and writing, and the importance of structuring the learning environment to improve executive functioning skills. Amy is also Chair of Outreach on the board of the Southwest chapter of the International Dyslexia Association (SWIDA), and she co-chairs The Reading Group, a literacy initiative focused on improving reading outcomes for students in Santa Fe in collaboration with the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Public Schools and Opportunity Santa Fe. Last year, she founded the Dyslexia Justice League, a community that connects students with dyslexia with adult mentors through superhero stories and artistic expression as a vehicle for learning about self-advocacy and their own personal strengths.  Where I Come From, a book that Amy co-authored with May Center students, won the 2014 New Mexico/Arizona Young Adult Book of the Year.