Board of Directors

Marinah V. Farrell Midwife, LM, CPM

Board President

Marinah identifies as a first generation two-spirit Chicanx/Indigenous daughter of a medicine woman from Chihuahua, Mexico, and mother to mixed race children including Pascua Yaqui, Mexican and Irish/English descent.

Marinah is active in multiple public health initiatives within her community and at the national and international levels. Her background includes diverse activism such as street level medic work and immigration activism in Arizona, clinical/government policy work in Mexico and Africa, organizational development and facilitation in the U.S and Mexico with various non-profits, and as a founding board member of a primary-care free clinic, Phoenix Allies for Community Health. Marinah is passionate about advocating for traditional and community health workers, and has worked as a staff midwife for birth centers and medical facilities internationally, as a program coordinator for traditional midwives, and an educator. Marinah is the owner of Phoenix Midwife, a longstanding midwifery practice in Arizona. Marinah is active in national midwifery and maternal health coalitions, and served as the past president for the Midwives Alliance of North America.

Other current roles include: Network Coordinator, Good Birth for All. Newly elected board member, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Founder/Director, Parteras de Maiz, dedicated to advocacy for traditional birth work, health justice and the Dignity Birth Campaign, a campaign working towards healing trauma and embracing dignity for midwives. Marinah is also currently a participant of SM+I Prototyping Labs for a collaborative project focused on unity among black and brown birth workers and traditional healers in Arizona.

Marinah makes delicious tostadas and salsa, loves to host parties, and is mama to 5 twenty-somethings.

Bethany Moody RN, CNM, MSN

Board Vice President

Bethany Moody is a traditional woman of the Eagle Clan. She is both Shawnee and Potawatomi Descendant. Early in life, she learned plant medicines from her maternal Shawnee grandfather. Bethany is a certified nurse midwife, as well as an indigenous midwife, and has caught 1327 new little ones in their arrival into their physical journey from the Star Realm. She received her formal education through Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing in 1992. She is Kokumtha/Nokomis/Grandmother of 6 grandchildren.

Bethany is active in the breastfeeding community and was one of two Native American Consultants for Boston Medical College for the CHAMPS Project and the Breastfeeding in Indian Country Coalition. She currently is the traditional birthways and breastfeeding consultant for Inter-tribal Council of Michigan Healthy Start program as well as a part of the Asabike Coalition to advanced indigenous prenatal health care in Michigan. Beth was instrumental in setting the stage for Breastfeeding Tents at a local powwow, which provide light, nutritious snacks and water to mommas in a quiet and relaxing space. The initiative became the start of state wide breastfeeding tents at indigenous community events. Along with the breastfeeding tent initiative, she wrote policies and procedures for breastfeeding breaks for women employed at local casinos and reservation governments. These policies and procedures helped to spearhead lactation areas as well.

Bethany has worked tirelessly with Elder grandmothers and grandfathers around the Great Lakes area continuously learning the teachings and lifeways of our mommas and babies. She has provided workshops on cradleboards and mossbags from Detroit to Minnesota. Her interests focus on providing cultural, nutritional, foraging, herbal medicines, breastfeeding, women's health justice, women's health and traditional parenting life ways to all Anishnaabek communities.

Recently, Bethany became a Certified Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor. She was also elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network. In addition to these duties, she serves as the President of the board for a newly formed non-profit organization, Jibek Mbwakawen, which advocates Indigenous environmental conservation impact issues.

Beth was gifted a dream about the interconnectedness of breastfeeding, breast cancer and domestic violence. This dream was freely given and is the foundation used at many Safe Sleep presentations on reservations throughout Michigan. Within these workshop presentations, women are able to make Breastfeeding Awareness shawls which are a beautiful colostrum yellow color. “The work is vital to restoring our indigenous cultural life ways if feeding our babies their first traditional foods and the foundation for food sovereignty.”

Shayai Lucero BS Biology, Minor Chemistry

Board Secretary

Shayai Lucero was born and raised on the reservations of the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna. She is of the Roadrunner clan for her mother and a Turkey Child for her father. In 2008, Shayai graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. It took Shayai 16 years from her high school graduation to finish college, but during that time she was Miss Indian World (1997), worked for the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the All Indian Pueblo Council, and as the Tribal Liaison for Native Visions (a Native American media arts company). Upon graduating from college, Shayai became an entrepreneur with the purchase of a floral shop on the Pueblo of Laguna reservation. She is the owner and an award winning floral designer at Earth & Sky Floral Designs and Gallery.

Shayai is a lifelong student of the traditional Pueblo healing methods. She began studying Pueblo traditional medicinal plants when she was 13 years old from her elders and relatives at Acoma and Laguna. She also published a book on the medicinal plants in 1997. In 2005, she received her Certificate in Traditional Mexican Healing. The program was a joint certification with La Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, el Centro de Desarrollo Humano hacia la Communidad, A.C. and the University of New Mexico. When asked to treat clients, Shayai has integrated Curanderismo Medicine with traditional Pueblo healing.

Shayai remains active in her community in the promotion of STEM and Woman/Native American Entrepreneurship and as an ally of the LGBTIQ2S Community. She was selected as a "Changemaker" to attend the United State of Women Summit (2016) hosted by The Obama White House. In 2017, Shayai was nominated by Native America Calling producers to become a TEDxABQ speaker. Her speech/video is available online where she discusses how she incorporates traditional Pueblo teachings into issues of patience and tolerance. Shayai has also spoken on Capitol Hill to advocate rural and Native American business concerns and needs to Congressional Leaders. She also is a Sequoyah Fellow for the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), where she also was given the lifetime appointment of Elders Helper for the AISES Council of Elders.

Shayai and her life partner Aaron Fry currently reside on the Pueblo of Laguna reservation where they are raising their two children, Kaweshchima and Maityaitsa. They live next door to her parents, Cecelia and the late Stanley, and her brother Haitsi.

Georgiana Aguino BA Accounting, MBA

Board Treasurer

Georgiana Aguino is a young professional employed as a financial business analyst. She manages funding for projects from start to close at a national laboratory. After spending the last eight years in higher education, Georgiana has gained business skills and knowledge to benefit the nation and her tribal community in maintaining financial sustainability.

Georgiana holds a Master of Business Administration from New Mexico State University and a BA in Accounting and Project Management from Northern New Mexico College. With these degrees, Georgiana is excited to work with Native communities to ensure prosperity in not only monetary value, but also culture for generations to come.

Georgiana is a woman of Ohkay Owingeh, also known as the Home of the Strong People. She represents the Winter Clan. She is the daughter of the very loving, traditional, and talented David and Anna, both of Ohkay Owingeh. She is the mama to a very bright, witty, culturally interested, and fiery toddler named Miguel. She finds great joy in displaying the importance of education to him, as well as the vitality of their Oke traditions and culture. Guiding Miguel through life is her favorite job and his curiosity spikes a lot of experience and understanding for the two of them.

In her spare time, Georgiana loves treating her body to workouts in the gym and healthy eating. To treat her mind, Georgiana spends time meditating during yoga classes and reading books or scrolling through her timeline. She enjoys cooking and loves eating even more. Georgiana enjoys traveling with her son, as she wants him to see as much as the world as he can because she was not given the gift of traveling when she was younger. If she had to choose between being in the mountains or lying on the beach, she would bring the beach to the mountains.

Caroline Davis MPH, CHES

Director of Sustainability

Caroline is Dine (Navajo) and an Arizona native. She is Tahneeszahnii, born for German people, her maternal grandfather was Tachiiini and her paternal grandfather was Irish. Caroline was born and raised in Tuba City, Arizona on the Navajo Nation.

Caroline received her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Northern Arizona University in 2007 and her Masters of Public Health from New Mexico State University in 2013. Since graduating from NMSU Caroline has worked in a variety of settings and capacities within the field of public health. She has gained experience and expertise in Native American health, chronic health condition management, infant/child/adolescent development, healthcare capacity building, and health equity. She is experienced in program planning and implementation, strategic planning, program evaluation, and data analysis.

Her passion for infant and maternal health came from her own personal experience. After having an unnecessary c-section in 2009 to give birth to her son she looked into the possibility of a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) for any future children she might decide to have. She became very involved in being an advocate for breastfeeding and improved environmental factors to support breastfeeding success. Very passionate about her baby's health, her interest in public health was born as well. In 2016, Caroline was blessed with a second pregnancy and continued her research in being able to have a VBAC. Under the care of a midwife in Flagstaff, Arizona in October of 2016 Caroline and her husband Kenny welcomed their daughter, Eliana, after a successful unmedicated VBAC birth. Following the collective experience of giving birth to both her children she has become a strong advocate for maternal rights and safety in giving birth.

Kandyce J. Garcia BS Community Health Engagement

Director of Community Engagement

Kandyce was born and raised in Kewa Pueblo. Her parents are Jose Tenorio and Rochelle Garcia of Kewa Pueblo, she currently resides in Kewa with her grandparents, mother and partner. Kandyce is recently brought new life into the world and is a new Mom. She is constantly surrounded by her community, so it is only fitting that her motivation and strength come from her family and community, as well as the practices of her ancestors. Kandyce is forging community health by creating a paradigm shift in tribal communities.

In 2018, Kandyce graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education. Upon graduating from college, Kandyce became a prevention and linkage coordinator for rural communities in New Mexico. She has always worked with communities of color in developing sustainable strategies for effective and long-term interventions. Kandyce has extensive knowledge in Community Health and Community Based Participatory Research, as an orientation for working and partnering with Latino and other Indigenous communities of color. Kandyce is passionate about advocating for health equity, sustainability and equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

Kandyce is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Community Health Education; upon graduation she plans to focus on population health as opposed to individual health. Kandyce’s goal is to promote health education by incorporating traditional pueblo customs with community health.

Memarie Tsosie BA Psychology, BS Political Science

Organizational Development Director

Memarie Tsosie is a member of the Navajo Nation. Her clan is Salt Clan, born for the One-Who-Walks-Around Clan. She comes from a family of educators and mental health professionals. Memarie attended Northern Arizona University and graduated with dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and political science. She is passionate about improving the lives of young children and their families, especially in services rooted in Indigenous practices.

Memarie is currently the Regional Director for the Navajo Nation Region at First Things First, an organization that partners with families and communities throughout Arizona to support the healthy development of young children. The Navajo Nation Region region covers nearly 16,000 square miles in the northeast corner of the state, stretching across Apache, Navajo and Coconino counties. In her current position, Memarie supports the Navajo Nation Regional Partnership Council in developing and implementing their multi-year strategic plan that meets the needs of families with children birth to five years old in the region. Her leadership, along with the Regional Council, tribe and community partners, has helped to increase access to quality early education, health and family support programs. She also worked for First Things First previously as the Community Outreach Coordinator and was responsible for executing targeted educational outreach and engagement strategies targeted toward civic-minded individuals, including tribal and community leaders.

In her work with non-profit Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment (COPE), she served as a Project Manager for the Food Access team. She led her team in developing and implementing a culturally appropriate Healthy Stores Initiative Toolkit for small stores throughout Navajo Nation. The toolkit helped to increase the availability of fresh produce in areas designated as food deserts. Memarie also supported the implementation of the COPE Fruits and Vegetable Prescription program, an innovative initiative that partnered with healthcare providers and local retailers on the Navajo Nation to promote healthy eating for at-risk families, including prenatal mothers and young children.

Memarie also spent time in college as a Community Organizer to increase voter registration and participation for the Arizona Democratic Party and Organizing for America. After graduation she was immediately hired as the Tribal Field Coordinator for the Arizona Secretary of State candidate, who was the first Native American to win a statewide primary in the history of Arizona. Throughout her career, Memarie has always striven for equity and access for Indigenous people.

CHANGING WOMAN INITIATIVE