COCONINO COUNTY — Coconino County’s three Diversity Councils recently elected new leaders. Officers for the Councils are elected for two-year terms by their fellow members.
Chairman Matt Ryan expressed his gratitude for the leadership of the Councils, “Our Diversity Councils have a long legacy of serving our community and advising and advocating to the Board of Supervisors on issues and policies that impact our diverse community. These newly elected leaders will work closely with the Board as we tackle significant challenges in the year ahead from the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to the officers and members of our Councils for their dedication to helping us grow a brighter future for Coconino County.”
The African Diaspora Advisory Council (ADAC) elected Khara House as its Chair, Amber Jones as its Vice-Chair, and Jermaine Barkley as Assistant Vice-Chair.
Khara House is a 10-year resident of Flagstaff and a passionate community member with a focus on service and “bridge building.” In addition to her role on ADAC, Khara serves on the boards of the Flagstaff Housing Commission, Flagstaff Shelter Services, NAMI Flagstaff, and Southside Community Association. Khara earned her bachelor’s degree from Messiah University and her master’s degree from Northern Arizona University (NAU).
Amber Jones has been a resident of Coconino County for the last 16 years. She is driven to connect, educate, and serve her community. In addition to serving as the ADAC Vice-Chair, she volunteers for the Arizona chapter of Postpartum International. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at NAU.
Jermaine Barkley has lived in Coconino County for nine years, working in the fields of criminal justice, mental health, and social work. In addition to his role as the Assistant Vice-Chair of ADAC, he is the Chairman of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Council for Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona, and is the First Episode Psychosis Grant Coordinator for Health Choice AZ. Jermaine completed his Bachelor of Science in Psychology through NAU and Master of Arts in Sociology through Arizona State University (ASU).
The Coconino Hispanic Advisory Council (CHAC) elected John Haro as its Chair and J Michael Cruz as Vice-Chair.
John Haro serves as the Northeast Division Director in the Transmission & Distribution organization at Arizona Public Service (APS). During his 34-plus year career, John has earned the opportunity to hold various frontline and leadership positions throughout APS. In addition to his role as Chair of CHAC, John serves on the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Northern Arizona. John is also a proud Marine, having served four years in the USMC Reserves.
J Michael Cruz is an applied sociologist who currently works as the Director of Operations for Native Americans for Community Action, Inc. Michael holds a PhD in Sociology and has spent most of his professional life teaching undergraduate sociology courses at universities in Texas and Maine. In addition to his role with CHAC, J Michael sits on the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, the City of Flagstaff Beautification and Public Art Commission, recently served on a Flagstaff Unified School District Anti-Racism/Anti-Bias Task Force, and is currently part of the Arizona Hispanic Leadership Institute.
The Indigenous Peoples Advisory Council (IPAC) re-elected Sharon Singer Doctor as its Chair and Diana Cudeii as its Vice-Chair.
Sharon Singer Doctor is originally from Kaibeto, Arizona on the Navajo Nation and has resided in Flagstaff since 1990. As a Diné/Navajo woman, Sharon is of the Todich’ii’nii, born for the Tábaahá, and her grandfather’s clans are Kiyaa’aanii and Tl’izi lani. Sharon has earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree (M.Ed. Counseling-Student Affairs, 2009) from NAU. Since 2002, Sharon has been a member of IPAC. In addition to her involvement with IPAC, Sharon has been employed at Northern Arizona University for over 25 years and currently serves as the Director of the Office of Indigenous Student Success.
Diana Cudeii is of the Diné Nation. She is Maa’iideeshgiizhnii, born for Oozei Tachii’nii. Her paternal grandfather is Ashii’hi from Gadii’ahi (Cudeii), NM. Her maternal grandfather is Tachii’nii from Cove, AZ. Diana was born and raised in Shiprock, NM. She attended Diné College, University of New Mexico, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Northern Arizona University. Professionally, Diana has been in the oral health field and has worked with city, county, tribal, state, and federal departments as a clinician, educator, researcher, liaison, and consultant. Diana has been a resident of Flagstaff for approximately 20 years and has been a member of IPAC for 14 years.
The Diversity Councils, established in 2001, are comprised of community members appointed by the Board of Supervisors who volunteer their time to represent and advocate for the communities they represent or have interest in. More information on and membership applications for Coconino County’s Diversity Councils can be found here: coconino.az.gov/2239/Community-Relations