In the News

Let’s start with the easy stuff – give us a sample of your professional background and experience. For 30 years, I have worked in mind/body medicine and mental health, honing tools and techniques that combine movement, meditation, creativity and psychological practices to midwife change.I am a Board Certified Dance/movement Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher and Distinctive Meditation coach. I received my MA form Goucher College. I am honored to have studied to become a meditation teacher with Lorin Roche and Camille Maureen. I maintain a private practice working with individuals inIndianapolis, Indiana and offer virtual sessions to clients worldwide. My work flows between midwifing the deep intimacies of personal change, and facilitating large scale projects that bring divergent communities together on the common ground of play and beauty. In 2013, I was honored with an invitation to be a TEDx speaker and to teach at the prestigious TEDActive conference in Palm Springs in 2014 as well as create an experiential art instillation for TEDx Indianapolis. It was a thrill to share this community building piece called “The Third Thing" with the TED community. In 2018, I pioneered and founded a creative arts therapy department for Ascension, St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis a program that weaves art, music and dance/movement therapy for the healing of staff, patients and families. I am a published author and researcher who has written about imagination and the power of vulnerability. What brought

Let’s start with the easy stuff – give us a sample of your professional background and experience. I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. I have worked mostly with women and children. I have worked with children of all ages starting with preschool all the way up to High School. I have worked with youth in after- school programming and with youth in residential treatment. I have worked with women and children experiencing homelessness and women with addictions. In my last role I was the Unit Director for Wheeler-Dowe Boys & Girls Club. What brought you to PLC? A few years ago, I attended a training at PLC and I thought to myself this would be a great place to work. I love training and facilitating and recently I was looking into moving my career in that direction, so when I saw that PLC was hiring, I decided to go ahead and send in my resume. What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to be a part of an organization that practices what it preaches. I am also thrilled to be a part of such a diverse team of awesome individuals. What’s your idea of a perfect day? A nice breeze with some sunshine surrounded by the beauty of fall! If we pushed play on what you were last

Let’s start with the easy stuff – give us a sample of your professional background and experience. Hillary has been preparing K-12 and adult learners for the actualities of academia and real-world applications for over 15 years. Additionally, her experiences include professional development facilitator, Haitian Creole Liaison and various learning modalities of behavioral science. Hillary Duncombe is a graduate of Full Sail University. What brought you to PLC? While in search of a meaningful career shift, the word peace made me stop and delve into PLC’s mission. With the world being in a state of confusion and uncertainty, it was refreshing to find a company that believe in the core values that make us human. What are you most excited about in your new role? What’s most exciting about the facilitator role is being able to revive the practice of peaceful resolutions for misunderstood situations. What’s your idea of a perfect day? My idea of a perfect day is hike alongside a breathtaking scenery while in search of a perfect spot to jot down the thoughts in my head. If we pushed play on what you were last listening to (music, podcast or otherwise) what would we hear? The Peacocks by Till Bronner. So smooth, so thought provoking. Pre-COVID, you’re invited to a pitch-in, what are you bringing? Bahamian peas and rice for sure. Who is someone you look up to? Why? My father Saturne is

Let’s start with the easy stuff – give us a sample of your professional background and experience. I graduated from Ball State University in 2019 with my degree in English Literature and Sociology. I always tell people my background is in behavioral health—my professional background/ work experience includes outreach and skills work with a diverse array of demographics, and I am experienced with restorative practice and SEL. However, while that is my professional experience on paper, my perspective and background (as is all of ours) is informed by my personal life experiences and beliefs. My life goal is to promote liberated and healed communities, so that’s my real background and the real work I do, no matter what sphere I am operating in. What brought you to PLC? I first heard of the PLC through a friend and colleague of mine. The more I learned about the PLC, through their website, through the hiring process, word of mouth and now just by being here and observing the operations, the more excited I was, and am—I think there are few places that really live their values, and PLC really strives to imagine and implement a better way. I’m here because I can see a deep alignment between the PLC’s mission and my own. It gives me hope, not just because of the incredible work the PLC is doing outside of the organization, but also because the how

Meet Anita Jackson, Director of Community CARE* *Community, Advocacy, Reconciliation, and Engagement Let’s start with the easy stuff – give us a sample of your professional background and experience. My academic background is in education. I got my Bachelor’s degree in Education from IUPUI and taught for about 4 years. I recently returned to IUPUI to pursue my MPA in Nonprofit Management. In my 11 years of nonprofit experience, I have held direct-service and leadership positions. Some of the organizations I have worked at are the Brightwood Community Center, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis, Eskenazi Heath, Families First, and Catholic Charities Indianapolis. What brought you to PLC? It’s always been a dream of mine to work at PLC. I became familiar with PLC as a teacher and was impressed with the conflict resolution programs and curriculum. The Director of Community CARE position was appealing to me because it would allow me the opportunity to build community collaborations and provide an opportunity for young people to be more successful in their school endeavors. What are you most excited about in your new role? There are so many things I am looking forward to doing in this role. I am most excited to collaborate with other agencies like Reach for Youth, the Boys and Girls Clubs, Edna Martin Community Center, and external partners on this project. What’s your idea of a perfect day? My perfect day would