Gina Barrett (she/her/ hers), Founder, Acting Board Chair
Gina Barrett, author, trauma informed yoga therapist and eastern movement instructor has a Masters of International Administration from World Learning, Inc. Prior to her work in holistic health, Gina worked in the environmental and social justice fields as an educator, technical specialist and consultant. Gina was a founding member of Deerfield River Watershed Council and Nuestras Raices in Western, Massachusetts. She sat on their boards and held office as Treasurer. As a trauma informed yoga therapist and eastern movement instructor, Gina has trained trainers and specializes in assisting her clients with sexual assault trauma and sex reeducation. In this role, Gina shared yoga, workshops and healing arts in Central American, Indigenous and rural Caribbean cultures. She brings all these skills and experience as Volunteer Acting Director.
Board of Directors
John Rene Berard (he/ him/his), Board Treasurer
John ‘Rene’ Berard is a highly experienced team builder in both corporate settings and as a holistic health practitioner. Berard has over 15 years of hands-on experience in project management, yoga instruction, workshop and retreat facilitation, teacher training, massage therapy, and business development. He has proven ability to successfully analyze an organization's critical requirements, identify potential opportunities, and develop innovative solutions for increasing overall operational efficiencies and improving customer service offerings. Rene will bring these skills to his board office of Treasurer. Specialties include: Massage Therapy · Yoga Instruction · Domestic and Global Customer Operations · Project Management · Process and System Development · Training and Team Building.
Ntabe Mugalihya (Namad), Board Member
Ntabe Mugalihya (Namad) is Congolese by nationality. He has been living in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp (DRC) for 8 years fleeing war. Since losing two sisters in DRC, he has become a passionate advocate of womens' rights. Namad founded MUTU.org to make a difference to the most vulnerable refugees in the camp. He specializing in working with youth and building relationships. Namad has a background in teaching, translating, counseling and is a spoken word poet. Namad and MUTU have partnered with CdP SLV since October 2022 in providing holistic trauma support and training to groups and trainers in the camp. We are grateful for his refugee perspective and energy for assisting those less fortunate.
Sembrando Salud Mental
(Sowing Mental Health)
Gina Barrett, BS, MIA, E-RYT, C-IAYT (she/ her/ hers)
Gina Barrett, of Crestone, CO is the Volunteer Acting Director, author, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapist and Eastern Movement Educator at Casa de Paz SLV. Gina has a Master's degree in International Administration and has worked with environmental and social justice NGOs for much of her career in the US, Central America and rural Jamaica. Gina administers the program from Crestone, CO and has made regular trips to the border to guide teams and volunteer.
Norah Brasil
Norah Brasil from Harlingen, Texas is a Middle school, Reading ESL certified teacher who has been volunteering regularly as the teen teacher in Matamoros, Mexico with Team Brownsville Escuelita de la Banqueta. Nora facilitated translation, teaching projects, and growth mindset activities online and in person. We are grateful for her assistance with the older teens and young adult asylum seekers.
Lilia Cabrera
Lilia Cabrera from Brownsville/Edinburg, TX, has served on our service trip teams and as a board member since January 2020. She teaches Art Education at UT-RGV, and is focused on community outreach by taking art experiences to underrepresented populations in our region. Lilia is a fluent Spanish speaker. She assisted & facilitated our art therapy classes, delivered donations and comfort.
Kate Kozlova
Kate Kozlova is a high school special education English teacher working at a technical high school for special needs teens. She is a certified yoga teacher who studied in India and has been a devoted practitioner for over 3 years. She is a world traveler who seeks to learn as much from the world to make her a better teacher and more compassionate human.
Rae Reed (they/them/theirs)
Rae Reed is an LCSW working at Refugee One, a local refugee agency in Chicago. They received a degree in social work with the aim of working internationally and with immigrants and refugees. They worked abroad in Honduras and since being back in the United States has vowed to give the same welcome to immigrants and refugees as they offered them while living there. Since graduating from grad school, they have worked with unaccompanied minors, conducted immigration interviews and psychological assessments for asilees. They are also a writer and storyteller, something they now accompany with social work in their storytelling therapy group. Last August, they traveled to Brownsville, TX and Matamoros, MX to teach trauma informed grounding techniques combined with storytelling basics to asylum seekers. They use improv based storytelling games to build community and create safety while working to stay trauma informed throughout the process. They are motivated to use storytelling as a way to manage grief, build confidence and overcome trauma. They combine this with mindfulness techniques and narrative therapy practices to help meet the whole person while working with them. Rae serves as Board Chair on our Board of Directors offering their expertise in mental health and serving marginalized communities.
Belinda Broden (she/her/hers)
Belinda Broden has worked in the fitness industry for 20 years in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Certified in personal training, pilates and yoga, Bel has worked with clients with a variety of health conditions. She is also fluent in spanish. Bel teaches for all levels and modifies for individual needs. She has been hired by Casa de Paz SLV as an independent contractor to share trauma informed yoga with unaccompanied minors from a government shelter in Brownsville, Texas.
Daniel Stern
Daniel served with Casa de Paz SLV on a ten day mission in February 2020 as a volunteer yoga instructor. It is through teaching and being on the yogic path that led to his goal toward being of service to others. His experience doing men’s work with the Mankind Project and facilitating groups created a greater confidence in working with trauma and healing techniques. He had been considering a career in Social Work as a way to combine his experience with teaching yoga and men’s work to be an even more effective helping professional. He is currently in the process of starting graduate work toward an MSW next year in the NY area. Daniel also spent time at the Casa de Paz SLV headquarters in Crestone, CO caring for therapy horses. He plans on continuing to be a volunteer working toward the well being of asylum seekers.