Suzanne Benally (Navajo and Santa Clara Tewa), Executive Director. Suzanne comes to Cultural Survival from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, where she served as the associate provost for institutional planning and assessment and associate vice president for academic affairs. She was also a core faculty member in environmental studies and a member of the president’s cabinet. Before starting at Naropa in 1999, she was deputy director and director of education programs at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and director of the Institute on Ethnic Diversity at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. She has been a teacher at the university level and has served as a consultant to philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, and many higher education institutions. Additionally, she has worked extensively with American Indian communities. Her interests, teaching, and passions are focused on the relationship between land, spirituality, and people as reflected in stories, and in environmental issues and Indigenous rights. Contact Suzanne at sbenally[at]cs.org.
Mark Camp, Deputy Executive Director. From 1993 to 1998, Mark ran Joint Effort, a small fair trade company that imported crafts from Maya cooperatives in Guatemala. He came to Cultural Survival in 1998 and served as Membership Coordinator and Editor of Cultural Survival Voices before assuming his current duties in 2004. Contact Mark at mcamp[at]cs.org.
Danielle DeLuca, Program Manager. Danielle manages the Global Response program and is the Logistics and Distribution Coordinator for our new FPIC initiative. Previously, she worked for 3 years assisting with the Community Radio project. Originally from Boston, she is now based in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and has been been living in Guatemala since 2009. She speaks fluent Spanish and holds a B.A. in Cultural Studies and Psychology from McGill University, Canada. Contact Danielle at danielle[at]cs.org.
David Michael Favreau, Bazaar Program Manager. He is the Cultural Survival Bazaar manager, works on media partnerships, sponsorships and fundraising, as well as advertising and circulation for the Cultural Survival Quarterly. In 2002, he graduated from Framingham State College with a BA in Sociology, concentrating on Cultural Anthropology, and a minor in Creative Writing & Communications. He joined Cultural Survival in 2004. Contact Dave at dave[at]cs.org.
Sofia Flynn, Accounting & Office Manager. Sofia is originally from Cali, Colombia, and worked in international banking in Venezuela for 10 years before moving to the United States. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, she has worked at Cultural Survival since 1989. Contact Sofia at sflynn[at]cs.org.
Cesar Gomez (Pocomam), Content Production and Training Coordinator for the Community Radio Project. Cesar is from Palin, Esquintla, Guatemala. Palin is a Pocomam Maya town that is located only 25 miles from Guatemala City. Pocomam was once a widely spoken language but, in Cesar’s words, “the colonial Spanish language media in Guatemala City have eroded our language and culture over time.” The Pocomam of Palin are an exception; they have maintained their language and many cultural practices. In 1999, Cesar started as a volunteer at the Palin community radio station where he worked for five years. In 2005 he was selected as a regional representative to the Association of Guatemalan Community Radio Stations. In 2007, he was hired as the office administrator of the National Congress of Community Radios. In 2008, he joined Cultural Survival. He holds a degree in communication from the University of San Carlos (Guatemala). Contact Cesar at cgomez[at]cs.org.
María del Rosario Sul González or "Rosy" (Kaqchiquel), Radio Producer for Free, Prior and Informed Consent Initiative, is from the town of Sumpango, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. She studies communications at the University of San Carlos in Guatemala City, and has worked at her local community radio station Radio Ixchel for the past three years as a communicator, human rights promoter, and recently within the radio's administration. Contact Rosy at rosy[at]cs.org.
Jamie Malcolm-Brown, Communications & Information Technology Manager. Jamie graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with a degree in anthropology. Before coming to Cultural Survival, he helped establish a computer lab at The Charles J. Andrew Youth Treatment Centre in Sheshatshiu Labrador, Canada. He has since conducted similar work in Kenya with the Maasai Education Discovery. Contact Jamie at jamie[at]cs.org.
Agnes Portalewska, Communications Manager, manages communications for program and advocacy initiatives. From 2004 to 2008, Agnes ran the Cultural Survival Bazaars program. Agnes is from Warsaw, Poland. She studied anthropology, Latin American studies, photography, and media production at the University of Massachusetts-Boston and holds a Master's degree in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University. She has traveled extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean, researched Indigenous media, and taught photography workshops to children. Contact Agnes at agnes[at]cs.org.
Angelica Rao, Program Assistant for the Community Radio Project. Angelica is originally from Toronto, Canada. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Western Ontario, and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of Toronto. In 2012, Angelica moved to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and has recently started working with the Cultural Survival team. Contact Angelica at angelica[at]cs.org
Alberto ‘Tino’ Recinos (Mam), Citizen Participation Coordinator for the Community Radio Project. He was born in San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenago, but was raised in the Ixcan region of Guatemala. ‘Tino’ joined the guerilla as a young man during the civil war. He served for 13 years as part of the clandestine radio station operated by the guerrilla on the Tajumulco volcano. When the war ended, ‘Tino’ helped found the Doble Via community radio station in Quetzaltenango. In addition to his duties with Cultural Survival, he is the President of Muj abl yol, a federation of 24 community radio stations.
Patrick Schaefer, Director of Development, joined Cultural Survival in February 2012 and currently manages all fund-raising activities. He is an experienced fundraiser, working for a variety of non-profit organizations throughout his 12 year career. His experience includes scientific research institutes, hospitals and universities. Patrick joined Cultural Survival because he is interested in supporting the diversity of human experience represented in the faces and stories of the Indigenous Peoples of the world. In addition to his work with Cultural Survival, Patrick also serves on the Board of the Center for Snake Conservation in Lousville, Colorado. Patrick can be reached at patrick.schaefer[at]cs.org.
Miranda Vitello, Development Assistant, processes all donations and manages the membership database. Before joining the Cultural Survival staff in 2011, Miranda assisted with the creation of the Wampanoag teaching kit at the Boston Children’s Museum, conducted research on contemporary Native American artists for the Museum of Fine Arts, and organized cultural awareness presentations in elementary schools during an internship at United Planet. She holds a BA in Art History from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a master's degree in Museum Studies from Harvard University. Contact Miranda at mvitello[at]cs.org.
Ancelmo Xunic (Kachikel), Guatemala Community Radio Program Manager for the Community Radio Project. In 1999, he helped found Radio Ixchel, the community radio station in Sumpango, Sacetepuequez. In addition to his duties with Cultural Survival, he continues to serve as the volunteer coordinator at Radio Ixchel. He also serves as the treasurer of the village cooperative.
