Nanya Chiejine is the Director for Well Connected Communities at National 4-H Council where she is building the capacity and professional development of Cooperative Extension staff at our nation’s land grant universities (LGUs) to improve health and well-being through community engagement, multi-sector partnerships and evidence-based strategies. She oversees the implementation of policy, systems and environmental changes that impact community health and address systemic health inequities across 23 LGUs and 50 communities. She received both her Master’s in Public Health and B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan. Email: nchiejine@fourhcouncil.edu
Cate Jones-Hazledine (she, her, hers), Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist from Rushville, Nebraska who returned home 17 years ago to provide services in the Panhandle and Sandhills areas of the state. She currently owns Western Nebraska Behavioral Health (WNBH) Clinics, with 8 different service sites in Sheridan, Dawes, Sioux, Box Butte, Cherry, and Scottsbluff Counties. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Jones-Hazledine is actively involved in training new providers and mentoring young people exploring careers in behavioral health. She has collaborated for a number of years with the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) and is now the Co-Director of BHECN Panhandle. Dr. Jones-Hazledine is an adjunct faculty with Chadron State College and the Munroe-Meyer Institute. Prior to starting WNBH in 2011, Cate served as an Assistant Professor with the Munroe-Meyer Institute at University of Nebraska Medical Center for seven years. Email: drcate@westernnebraskabehavioralhealth.com
Alana Knudson (she, her, hers), Ph.D., is the Director of NORC’s Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis. She has 25 years of experience implementing and directing public health programs, leading health research projects, and evaluating program effectiveness. Knudson also worked at the North Dakota Department of Health and for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Dr. Knudson serves on the Rural Policy Research Institute, the Maryland Rural Health Association Board, the National Rural Health Resource Center Board, the University of MD School of Public Health Community Advisory Council, the East Tennessee State University Rural Health Research Center Board and the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Population Health Board. She received the 2021 National Rural Health Association Researcher of the Year Award, and attributes her passion for rural health policy to her experiences growing up on a farm in frontier North Dakota. Email: knudson-alana@norc.org
Jim Warne is an Educator-Advocate-Filmmaker and a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Nation. His mom, Beverly, grew up on Pine Ridge Reservation and is an administrator for South Dakota State University College of Nursing, his dad, Jim Sr., worked in international business finance where the family lived in Thailand and Mexico. His brother, Don is Associate Dean, INMED University of North Dakota. Jim’s wife, Jill, is from the Hoopa Tribe and Ryan is Jim’s son. He earned a BS from Arizona State University and a MS from San Diego State University (SDSU). Jim created and administered continuing Education programs at SDSU Interwork Institute from 1993-2015. He has written over 50 million in grants/contracts for various Universities and Tribal Nations.
Currently, Jim is the Community Engagement and Diversity Director at University of South Dakota’s (USD) Center for Disabilities, Oyate` Circle, Sanford School of Medicine and an Instructor for USD Pediatrics. Jim wrote several grants for University of South Dakota to establish the Oyate` Circle that include partnerships with various state/federal agencies, universities and organizations.
Jim is also President of Warrior Society Development LLC. He consults for various government agencies, organizations, Tribal Nations and academia including University of Arizona College of Medicine Sonoran Center. Jim is a Motivational Speaker, Native Advocate and experience includes Congressional Testimonies, Cultural Diversity, Workforce Inclusion, Film Production, Actor/Stuntman, Professional Football, Youth Athletic/Life Skill Camps, Grant and Organizational Development including Higher Ed Administration. Jim’s WSD Productions Film Division produced “7th Generation” an Award-Winning Documentary. His short film, “Oyate` un Ito`wapi – Pictures of my People” was featured on Fox NFL Pregame Show, Thanksgiving Day 2020 and FOX Network, “Voices” on Martin Luther King Day 2021. It was nominated for 3 Sports Emmys! Email: warriorfoundation@gmail.com
