We’re a small team with big hearts and a passion for providing community care.
Cultural Council
The Cultural Council, established in 2024, provides ongoing guidance for Sorrel Leaf Healing Center’s development and its relationships with Tribal communities. The Council is led by our Cultural Coordinator, Ruth Wortman, and meets quarterly to bring together Sorrel Leaf’s leadership with Tribal members to ensure collaboration, cultural humility, and guidance in cultural decision making.
The following is read aloud and reflected upon at our meetings.
Traditional values are sacred. We are grounded in spirituality, accepting unknown and unexplainable.
We treat each other with respect and gratitude. From this place we nurture a safe and comfortable environment in which individuals may share words, thoughts, feelings and actions.
We stay present with one another, pause, and listen.
Everyone has their own truth. From a relational worldview, we can learn from one another.
While many things are shared, each individual determines for themselves what is true for them. Unitedly, we come together to look at the what, the why, the how and reflect.
Current Members
The purpose of the group is to advise, share cultural etiquette, and remind us that we are all relatives.
There are certain traditions that are not to be explained or written down.
Traditionally, things are shared and passed down through stories and through actions.
By listening and sharing everyone gets the benefit of one another’s intelligence, the group knowledge grows, providing greater wisdom and strength to deal with whatever issue or challenges are before the community.
Our community is one of relations, we are all relatives.
Aerin Monroe
Daisy Etta Smith
Juanita Villareal
Lizz Rivera
Maxi Lopez
Merle Whistler
Amos Albers
Leo Carpenter
Gracie Graham
Bruce Kaye
Marissa Lopez
Board of Directors
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Matt Rees
BOARD CHAIR
Matt is a recognized business leader and entrepreneur with a passion for starting companies and helping others to grow.
His focus is building strong administrative teams that help to establish organizations and minimize turnover.
Experienced in advocacy work, Matt has served and chaired several boards in the healthcare, service and insurance industries.
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Gabrielle Kelly, LCSW
BOARD VICE-CHAIR
Gabrielle (Gaby) Kelly, LCSW, CSW-G, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly a decade of experience across integrated behavioral health, rural healthcare systems, and community-based mental health services in Humboldt County.
Gabrielle has held leadership roles in program development and implementation, including collaboratively building a county-wide Enhanced Care Management program from the ground up. She holds advanced training in gerontological social work, perinatal mental health, and trauma-informed care, and has served as an MSW field instructor for Cal Poly Humboldt since 2021.
A Humboldt County native, Gabrielle is deeply rooted in this community and it’s where she has chosen to raise her family. She brings to the Sorrel Leaf Healing Center board a personal and professional commitment to expanding access to quality mental health services, knowing firsthand how much this work matters for the families and neighbors she calls her own.
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Alison Hodges
BOARD SECRETARY
Alison Hodges is an experienced educator and advocate with over 20 years dedicated to supporting marginalized and underserved populations. Her career reflects a deep commitment to fostering resilience in teens through holistic care, academic support, and community collaboration.
Previously, Alison was a Program Director and educator at the Academy of the Redwoods, Early College High School in Eureka, CA, where she collaborated with a dedicated team to design and implement effective programs expanding higher education access for underrepresented teens. Her expertise in curriculum development and program management allows her to bridge the gap between therapeutic and academic environments, creating pathways that support teens both in crisis recovery and future planning.
Currently, Alison serves as an Academic Advisor and Lecturer at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she emphasizes personal development and academic success for students.
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Bruce Kaye
BOARD MEMBER
Bruce is a Towering House clan member for the Big Water clan. Bruce brings his 24 years of experience as a substance abuse counselor and prevention specialist to the board and imparts important information regarding culturally sensitive ways when working with tribes in Humboldt County.
Bruce has invaluable knowledge of current childcare welfare systems as well as tribal wisdom that informs Sorrel Leaf’s commitments to honoring native representation and traditional knowledge.
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Lisa Rose Sanderson
BOARD MEMBER
Lisa Rose Sanderson (Yurok, Hupa, Karuk) is an Indigenous systems builder and Tribal wellness strategist with over 15 years of experience. Lisa has worked across behavioral health, Tribal court, trauma recovery, youth services, and coordinated care systems supporting youth, families, survivors, and communities navigating complex barriers and life experiences.
Her work focuses on strengthening collaboration, trauma-informed coordination, and relationship-centered approaches which support healing and stronger outcomes for youth and families.
At Sorrel Leaf, Lisa brings culturally grounded guidance, relational support, and a strong belief in the power of youth-centered healing spaces.
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Becky Giacomini
BOARD MEMBER
Becky is an active member of her community in Humboldt having served on various boards and clubs since moving here in 1970. These include Rotary, St. Joseph Health Community Board and the Humboldt County Library Foundation among many others.
Becky enjoyed a career in the Fortuna Elementary School District starting as a librarian and retiring as the Superintendent of Business, outlining her practical and steadfast approach to youth and youth education.
She provides invaluable knowledge and support in regards to formal board organization as well as community connections to further Sorrel Leaf’s long term goals.