Tovar Cerulli
senior director
Shadiin Garcia
Walking. I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands.— Linda Hogan
Across education, philanthropy, advocacy, policy, strategy and leadership, Shadiin works to counteract the systemic inequity created by colonization. She has an unrelenting belief that centers the full humanity of all people and children.
Shadiin drives collective processes that harness people’s lived experiences by uplifting and reinforcing community practices. She achieves this by being in alignment with the land under our feet and leading client work with her deep knowledge of people power, curiosity and love.
Her areas of expertise include:
- Asset-based community engagement with a focus on creating clarity for all participants
- Development and implementation of policy for K-12 public education environments
- Deep expertise in Indigenous education, including work with federally recognized sovereign nations and organizations such as the National Indian Education Association
- Support of professional learning communities that cultivate peer-to-peer learning models
- Organizational strategy and leadership development for schools, nonprofits and foundations
- Centering sovereignty, racial justice and belonging in all her work
Experience
- Senior strategy and operations advisor for the Oregon Department of Education
- Executive director of the Educator Advancement Council in Oregon
- Deputy director of Policy and Research, Chief Education Office
- Indian Education lead consultant at Education Northwest
Shadiin has a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University as well as two degrees from the University of Oregon: a master’s in educational leadership and a PhD in critical and sociocultural studies.
In Community
Shadiin brings her expertise as the board chair of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon. She also serves on the boards of College Possible and Carry It Forward. Additionally, she is an Indigenous education consultant for the Partnership for the Future of Learning and the Bay and Paul Foundations.
Shadiin is Laguna Pueblo and Chicana from New Mexico, the heart of Aztlán. She is devoted to her two sons and her sister’s two daughters.
She describes herself as an awkward runner, voracious reader, irreverent storyteller, terrible dancer, slow hiker and deep-belly laugher. Her friends describe her as a “truth-teller” and “mirror-holder” who centers everyone’s wisdom and gifts.
