Gino Antonio
Pollen Circles, Inc. Board of Directors – President
Pollen Circles, Inc. Field Director
Gino is the Field Director for Pollen Circles, Inc. and has over 18 years experience working with youth, families and the environment.
Gino is also the founder and co-owner of Pollen Tracks, LLC, which utilizes cultural and the natural environment to promote wellness for youth, families, veterans, and
the natural world. He directed, managed and actively participated in
a program with similar goals and activities from 1999-2010.
Gino holds current certifications as a Wilderness First Responder and in
CPR. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree with emphasis on the Environment/Indigenous Studies.
Barbara Ruth Bixby
Pollen Circles, Inc. Board of Directors-Vice-President
Barbara holds a PhD in Political Science and Masters Degree in Public Policy. She is a Professor of Social Sciences and Political Science and is currently doing consulting work with the University of Southern Maine. She is Vice-President and Founding Board Member of Tucson Westside Community Dev. Corp. and a Board Member of COPE Community Services. Barbara has been the volunteer facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project. Barbara has done extensive work for prisoner’s rights and has served as an advocate for the under-served in the judicial system.
Molly Bigknife Antonio
Pollen Circles, Inc. – Board of Directors, Secretary/Treasurer
Pollen Circles, Inc., Executive Director
Molly has over 16 years experience working with youth, families and the environment.
She is co-founder and co-owner of Pollen Tracks, LLC, which utilizes cultural and the natural environment to promote wellness for youth, families, veterans, and
the natural world. She co-directed, managed and actively participated in
a program with similar goals and activities from 2004-2010.
Molly has written and managed foundational grants for six years.
She holds current certifications as a Wilderness First Responder and in
CPR.
Molly holds a Master’s Degree in Adventure Education/Indigenous Studies.
Kendall Rae John
Pollen Circles, Inc. – Board of Directors
Kendall is originally from southern California and has lived in the Window Rock/Ft. Defiance community for over 16 years. Kendall has a B.S. in Biology from Humbolt State University and received her licensure in special education from Western New Mexico University. She has eleven years of teaching experience, from preschool to college level. She specializes in adolescent emotional/behavioral disorders, math, biology, and natural resources. She currently teaches youth 13-17 at an inpatient mental health treatment center in the community. Other employment experience includes coastal resource management, US EPA Superfund, gallery/retreat/cultural education coordinator, and assisting Traditional Practitioners.
Deborah Veres
Pollen Circles, Inc. – Board of Directors
Debbie is Navajo and grew up in the Window Rock/Ft. Defiance community. As a child she experienced living in foster homes and is probably the last generation to attend the tribal boarding schools. She spent her high school years in Anchorage and attended the University of Alaska where she received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She moved back to northern Arizona and attended Northern Arizona University where she received her master’s in Public Administration, with emphasis on Native American History and Law. Debbie formerly helped run a home health business in our community which hires community members to provide home care to elders in the elder’s home, rather than having to send the elder to a nursing home. In addition, this home health business participated in numerous community health events throughout the year. Debbie is also passionate about addressing issues concerning racism, sexism, and homophobia and worked on the 1994 documentary film The Color of Fear and the 2003 documentary film Last Chance for Eden. She would like to do more with young people in addressing these damaging issues.
