Leading from Indigenous Values: Corrine Sanchez and Nathana Bird to Serve as TWU Co-Directors
With full hearts, we welcome Dr. Corrine Sanchez back to Tewa Women United after her well-deserved sabbatical this past year. During this time, the TWU board of directors and the leaders’ circle collaboratively explored a management structure aimed at fostering the sustainability and well-being of the organization and its people.
We are thrilled to announce that Corrine and Nathana Bird will now serve as co-directors. Together with Bernadette Trujillo, finance director, and Chanel Dority, associate director, they form Tewa Women United’s circle of leaders:
- Corrine is responsible for overseeing strategic vision around social ventures and structure, properties oversight (including security, maintenance, and facilities rentals), budget co-creation, fundraising, and training for new and current staff on our foundational frameworks along with Elder Kathy (such as the Trauma Healing Rocks, Two World-Butterfly Harmony model, and Opide).
- Nathana is responsible for oversight of our three programs: Environmental Justice, Reproductive Justice, and Gender & Generational Healing Justice. This includes budget co-creation and grant deliverables, hiring and staff evaluations, and staff onboarding and training.
- Bernadette oversees all aspects of the organization’s financial well being, including budget co-creation and expense tracking.
- Chanel, who joined us in 2024 as the Interim Associate Director, has transitioned to a permanent position and will supervise Program Managers, providing support through individual meetings and problem-solving sessions.
This structure and division of roles and responsibilities continues to support Tewa Women United’s grounding in Indigenous and feminist values which recognize the importance of collaboration and power sharing that is reflective of weaving a multi-dimensionality of leading, rather than just a flat hierarchy. We think of the way we do our hearts’ work together as circular — a process of looping back around to listen to feedback from staff at all levels in order to continually strengthen our systems, capacities, and sustainability in an ever-changing and challenging world.
Corrine and Nathana have worked alongside each other for years, and together they make a dream team. Nathana shares, “I appreciate the opportunity to continue to support the organization in a way that allows for sustainable leadership models and to be able to work alongside Corrine.” Corrine says, “I very much enjoy working with Nathana. To see her compassion and heart leading the way is amazing. Co-directing is not always easy, it takes two acting as one. Being compatible is key. Thank goodness that we are both water signs with Gemini rising! I am excited to see what the future holds for Tewa Women United.”
We are grateful for both of them!