Speakers

Maryam Ahranjani is an award-winning professor of law at UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she teaches courses related to constitutional law, criminal law, and education law. She writes and speaks about these same subjects, including her recent book, Women in Criminal Law: A Practical Guide to Inclusive and Thriving Workplaces (ABA Publishing, 2026) and her law review article “Unarresting School Safety” (Nevada Law Journal, 2025).

Michael Baty is currently serving as the professional learning specialist for the Black Education Act. From Albuquerque, New Mexico, Michael has spent the majority of his life actively serving the Albuquerque community through educational opportunities, mentorship, and community service. He attended Eastern New Mexico University where he attained a bachelors in music science with a minor in communicative disorders. This allowed him to begin his early teaching career in which he primarily taught k–12 special education. During this time he aligned his teaching with his masters degree program and obtained his masters degree in special education pedagogy and learning from Eastern New Mexico University.

Michael Baty is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. where he currently serves as the director of educational activities. In this role he aids in the facilitation of the Alpha Mentorship Program. Through this program, high school students are provided with guidance and assistance along with tutoring, community service, and scholarship attainment opportunities.

Michael takes pride in being able to provide students in New Mexico with positive and high level learning experiences while advocating for the correct methods of teaching to be actively applied.

Jed Duggan is in his 27th year in education. He has worked with board members as a charter leader and as a central office administrator in Gadsden ISD. He designed the MLSS processes for Gadsden ISD which was recognized as a model for the state of New Mexico. Since May 2024, he has worked within the NM PED where one of his primary responsibilities is to update guidance and provide professional development to district and school leadership on the implementation of their MLSS processes.

Check back soon.

Bianca Jones is an educator, community organizer, and facilitator whose career spans over ten years in multiple grade levels at private, public, and charter schools, including work as a classroom teacher, instructional leader, and as a program manager for nonprofit organizations. She currently serves as the family and community engagement coordinator for the Black Education Act of New Mexico.

Her praxis centers developing culturally relevant practices that empower Black students to understand themselves and their history, develop critical thinking and perspective-taking skills, demonstrate intellectual curiosity, and identify themselves as agents of transformation, both of themselves and their communities. Her praxis is rooted in being an educator who facilitates learning alongside students- cultivated in intergenerational spaces where youth and adults learn together, grow together, and work towards justice. She is a dedicated scholar who holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from American University. During her time in Chicago, she engaged in transformative real-world learning with diverse liberatory practitioners and movement leaders. Additionally, she is published in the Journal of Equity & Excellence in Education.

Dr. Lozano began his career in education with LCPS in 2005 after earning a B.S. in elementary bilingual education from New Mexico State University (NMSU). He also earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in educational leadership from NMSU. Dr. Lozano has served in different leadership capacities throughout his career, including high school assistant principal, elementary principal, and district bilingual director. Dr. Lozano’s favorite part of his job is being in classrooms and seeing students engaged in learning. He is also passionate about engaging parents in the education of their children. In his free time, Dr. Lozano enjoys spending time with his wife, Patricia, and two kids, Isabel and Diego.

Dr. Tia Trumaine Mills is a special education teacher from Baton Rouge, La., with more than 20 years of classroom experience. Dr. Mills was elected to the NEA Executive Committee in 2025 for a three-year term.

Dr. Mills is the immediate past president of the Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) and the youngest person to serve as president in the association’s history. In her capacity as president of LAE, she served as the official spokeswoman of LAE where her primary duties included leading the association’s efforts at the Louisiana State Legislature and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meetings.

She also served as local president of the East Baton Rouge Parish Association of Educators (EBRPAE) for seven years. As president, Dr. Mills led the association’s efforts in the fight to enhance the salaries of district employees by convincing the school board to unfreeze educators’ pay schedules. She was also instrumental in helping increase membership in the local by 30 percent during her term as EBRPAE president and led the local association’s push for fair standards for the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

Dr. Mills’ state-level activism includes her service on the LAE Board of Directors, as well as the Board of Trustees for the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana. In 2017, LAE honored Dr. Mills with the association’s top honor, the LAE Teacher Image Award. A strong and fierce advocate for students and their educators, Dr. Mills has received numerous accolades, including the NAACP’s Benjamin Hooks Keeper of the Flame Award, the NEA Foundation’s Horace Mann Award, and recognition as one of Southern University’s “40 Under 40.” Dr. Mills is affiliated with several professional and civic organizations, including the Southern University Alumni Federation, the NAACP, 100 Black Women of Metropolitan Baton Rouge, and is a proud member of the Tau Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Dr. Mills believes that the fight for public education and labor is inseparable from the fight for equity and racial and social justice. As an adjunct professor at Southern University in Baton Rouge, she hopes to inspire a new generation of activist leaders to uphold the NEA’s rich legacy of fighting for great public schools for every student.

Dr. Mills earned her bachelor of arts in history, master of arts in social science with a concentration in history, and an alternative certification in special education, all from Southern University and A&M College. She received her EdD in higher education and organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

Check back soon.

Dr. Cleveland Robinson (Dr. Cleve) is a nationally recognized licensed professional counselor supervisor and the founder of Robinson House Behavioral Health Services and The Robinson House Foundation. With over a decade of experience in child and adolescent therapy, family counseling, and school-based mental health, Dr. Cleve specializes in helping families build stronger emotional connections and overcome behavioral and relational challenges.

Dr. Cleve holds a bachelor of arts in religion and philosophy from Fisk University, a master’s in community counseling from Argosy University, and a doctor of education in community care and counseling from Liberty University.

He is licensed to practice in Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas, offering high-quality telehealth counseling services for children and families. In addition to therapy, Dr. Cleve provides parent coaching and co-parenting mediation services nationwide, supporting divorced, separated, and blended families with customized guidance that prioritizes the child’s well-being.

As the creator of Sammy the Soul Kid, a children’s book series promoting emotional literacy, and host of the YouTube series Parenthood Is, Dr. Cleve offers accessible, weekly content focused on mental health education, parenting strategies, and family wellness.

Whether in private practice, on stage, or through digital platforms, Dr. Cleve is committed to delivering culturally responsive, family-centered care and helping communities thrive one conversation at a time.

Dr. Brandi Stone works as the director at UNM African American Student Services and special advisor to the president on African American Affairs. Her passion is to assist Black students in their college navigation towards graduation, specifically through intersectional identity work. Brandi is from New Mexico and received her bachelor of arts in political science and her master’s in public administration from the University of New Mexico. She earned a PhD at New Mexico State in educational leadership. Additionally, Brandi serves as a national board member for the Association of Black Culture Centers. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys at lobo athletics games and out in the outdoors exploring New Mexico.

Dr. Patricia Trujillo joined the New Mexico Higher Education Department as deputy secretary in November of 2020. She formerly served as founding director of the Office of Equity and Diversity at Northern New Mexico College since 2013, where she oversaw programming to address access and inclusion for historically underrepresented populations in higher education. Key initiatives included leading development of co-curricular assessment and student learning outcomes for cultural sustainability, creation of student support groups such as the Hermanas Juntas and Black and African American Student Organization, and oversight of the ¡Sostenga! farm.

Born and raised in the Española Valley, Trujillo has dedicated her career to improving social engagement via critical education, social justice, and community-building. She has served on multiple commissions and boards, including the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, Tewa Women United, NewMexicoWomen.Org, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation. Trujillo also has more than 15 years of experience in higher education and is a tenured professor at Northern New Mexico College. She has taught in the areas of Chicana/Chicano studies, Southwest literature, Indigenous history, and New Mexico history, and has published work in multiple academic books and journals.

She has a Ph.D. in United States Latina/Latino literature from the University of Texas San Antonio, an M.A. in English from the University of Nebraska, and a B.A. in English with a supplemental major in law and society from New Mexico State University.

As curriculum specialist for the Black Education Act, Dr. Ulibarri is a passionate advocate for creating inclusive spaces where every individual’s story is heard and valued. He is dedicated to fostering well-being and belonging for all, both in education and beyond. Dr. Ulibarri holds degrees from Eastern New Mexico University, Bowling Green State University, and Liberty University, where he studied music education, art, and curriculum studies.

Christopher Woods holds a master of science in family and consumer science and a bachelor of arts in psychology from New Mexico State University. He brings over 20 years of experience in public service, including 21 years working in corrections as both a mental health provider and adult basic education instructor. He has also served as a vocational rehabilitation counselor. Christopher currently works as the anti-racism and anti-oppression portal specialist for the New Mexico Public Education Department, where he supports efforts to create equitable and safe schools. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to serving and advocating for the people of New Mexico.

Kimberly currently oversees the Black Education Bureau for the New Mexico Public Education Department. She is a doctoral candidate at Grand Canyon University, completing a Ph.D. in psychology with an emphasis in organizational psychology. Her dissertation focuses on perceived organizational support and occupational burnout. She is an independent licensed clinical social worker (mental health therapist) with over 25 years of blended experience in organizational leadership, youth development, training facilitation, and racial and social justice. She excels in education and community-based development, strategic planning, and systemic transformation. Her clinical competencies include resiliency-based mental health assessments, treatment planning, and conducting individual and group therapy with children, youth, and families.

As a servant leader, Kimberly has a proven record of commitment to service. She was appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to the New Mexico Racial Justice Council and elected as the diversity coordinator of Las Cruces Chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She previously held additional community leadership roles as the 2nd vice president of Dona Ana County NAACP (education chair) and a member of the Executive Committee of the State of New Mexico Office of African American Affairs. She has provided consulting services to many organizations including Las Cruces Public Schools, United Way of Southwest New Mexico, Ngage New Mexico, La Casa, and more.

Kimberly holds a bachelor of social work from Capital University. She earned a masters of social administration and a masters of nonprofit organizations (specialization in nonprofit management) from Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Additionally, Kimberly is an alum of the Treu – Mart Resiliency and Youth Development Fellowship at CWRU’s Mandel Center for Non-Profit Organizations. Her international experience includes organizational and youth development in Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Kimberly holds independent clinical social work license (with supervision designation), non-profit management certification, advanced mediation certification, and No Bullies, No Victims trainer. She is a trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) practitioner, national trainer of nurturing parenting, and circle of security. She is most proud to be a national resiliency trainer and has completed national character education training by the Josephson Institute on Ethics. She is a member of the Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society and the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society for Adult Learners.