About

Ho’o Brown

Patricia Conway

Jennifer Vasilez

The Indigenous Leadership Academy PNW was born in 2021. Our work was inspired by the youth crisis that we saw in our tribal communities. We seek to heal families, engage youth, and build leadership skills in the seven generations. We are an Indigenous-led non-profit. Our directors are Patricia Conway, Puyallup, Jennifer Vasilez, Puyallup, and Ho’o Brown, Indigenous Hawaiian.

Ho’o is an Indigenous educator who has worked with Coast Salish tribes for over 25 years. This work has included curriculum design, instruction, and mentorship. She has served as a teacher at Chief Leschi Schools. She is also an entrepreneur who provides holistic wellness instruction through her business, WholisticFit. She raises her children in their traditional ways as Indigenous Hawaiians. Ho’o has been involved in supporting Indigenous youth in the Puget Sound for many years and has connections to various non-profits and local organizations through this work.

Patricia Conway is a member of the Puyallup tribe. She also has ancestral connections to tribes across what is today Puget Sound and beyond. Patricia is a mother and educator who has served as an instructional coach and teacher. Today she serves her community as a curriculum writer, designing learning materials specific to the Puyallup Tribe. Patricia has been engaged in supporting Native youth in the area for many years. Patricia also has a Masters Degree from the University of Washington, Tacoma.

Jennifer Vasilez is a member of the Puyallup, with ancestry from many other local Indigenous communities. She is a descendant of David and Annie Squally who have deep ties to this land and community. Jennifer is an educator, who has served as a teacher and school administrator since 2011. She also has served as a case manager for youth exiting foster care and as a homeless prevention specialist for teens in Skagit County. Jennifer is also a mother of two and a wife and daughter. She is deeply committed to her tribal community and serving the next generation. She also recently graduated with her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Washington, Tacoma.