Social Justice & Prejudice/Health & Education Panel
Channel: Fulbright Association
Date: 23/10/2023

Social Justice & Prejudice/Health & Education Panel
46th Annual Conference - Denver, CO
Saturday, October 21 – 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM

00:00 - Introduction
03:00 - SENADORA JULIE GONZALES - Senator for Senate District 34, Colorado
09:07 - DR. KRISTIN DEAL - Assistant Vice Chancellor for DEI Partnerships & Operations, DU
16:55 - LUCILLE A. ECHOHAWK - Advisor & Advocate for Denver’s Native Community
23:35 - TOM GONZALES, MPH - Public Health Director for Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE)
29:52 - Panel Discussion and Q&A - STACEY NICKSON - Moderator

Sen. Julie Gonzales
Colorado Senate Majority Whip Julie Gonzales is a progressive Democrat serving north, west, and downtown Denver as the state Senator for Senate District 34. With roots that stretch back generations in Colorado, Julie has spent her life organizing working people, Latinos, and young people on issues of affordable housing, educational justice, and immigrant rights. In her first term in office, she allocated millions of dollars towards affordable housing, strengthened protections for immigrant communities from ICE, repealed the death penalty, and streamlined Colorado’s marijuana regulations. She serves as Chair of the Judiciary Committee; Chair of the Committee on Legal Services; and as a member of the Local Government & Housing and State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committees. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus and the Parliamentarian of the Board of Latino Legislative Leaders.

Kristin Deal
Dr. Kristin Deal is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for DEI Partnerships & Operations at the University of Denver, and an adjunct professor of Higher Education at the Morgridge College of Education. Dr. Deal, as a scholar-practitioner, is engaged in the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a specific focus on the intersections of race, gender, emotionality, and inclusive practices. Whether in research or everyday practice, Dr. Deal’s work seeks to create welcoming and affirming learning environments for students, faculty, and staff.  Kristin’s work engages all areas of campus including the curricular and co-curricular spaces toward providing an understanding of, scoping for, implementation and evaluation of DEI initiatives, challenges, and practices in support of the DU community. Kristin holds a doctorate in Higher Education from DU and resides in Denver with her family.

Lucille Echohawk
Lucille Echohawk is a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and resides in Arvada, Colorado. She has worked in the Indian child welfare, non-profit and philanthropic fields for more than thirty years. She was employed for twelve years as a Strategic Advisor with Casey Family Programs, a national private operating foundation. She served as Executive Director of the Denver Indian Family Resource Center 2012-2014, and then again in that capacity as a volunteer from 2018 until 2020. Though formally retired she continues to be active in community, state and national endeavors.
She holds a BA degree from Brigham Young University and an MEd from Erikson Institute for Early Education, Loyola University – Chicago.
Lucille served on The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s Board of Trustees from 1990-96 and has participated as an Honorary Trustees in the years since that service. In 2021 she served as an honorary co-chair of the Foundation’s annual fundraising luncheon.

Tom Gonzales, MPH
Tom Gonzales serves as Public Health Director for Larimer County Department of Health and Environment (LCDHE). Gonzales holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health from Colorado State University and a Master in Public Health from the University of Northern Colorado. Prior to joining LCDHE, he was Deputy Public Health Director at El Paso County Public Health overseeing Emergency Preparedness and Response, Environmental Health and the Laboratory.
Previously, Gonzales was Program Manager of Environmental Health at Clark County Public Health (WA) addressing on-site wastewater management, water recreation and drinking water. He led the environmental health response and recovery activities after four wildfires and two flood events in El Paso County. Gonzales’ national and local involvement includes a term as regional vice president for the National Environmental Health Association where he pioneered the sustainability committee, charged with proposing the role of sustainability in environmental health. Gonzales also served on the executive committee for the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials and was president of the Colorado Environmental Health Association (CEHA).