"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
African Proverb
Community is lifted by inclusivity, thrives on diversity, is sustained on justice and equality, and requires equity. My love of community is the reason I center everything I do on inclusivity, diversity, justice, equality, and equity. We will go farther together.
Paige Backlund Jarquín, DrPH, MPH
I am a change agent, a bridge builder and a facilitator of authentic community engagement. This work has called to me for decades. My deepest desires are to contribute what I have learned to others, open my mind with new ideas, and embrace our belonging together.
MY INFLUENCES
A Life of Immersion
Over the last 20 years I have had the opportunity to serve, support and work alongside many communities. I have worked with small-scale subsistence farmers in rural Nicaragua on sustainable agricultre and community development initiatives, with gang-involved youth in Washington, D.C., and on multi-state and multi-system social change initiatives in the mountain west. Living in and working for various communities has shown me that "community" means different things for different folks.
Deep Wondering
I am a lifelong learner and there is never a time when I am not engaged in a new learning experience which broadens my perspectives, challenges my status quo, and shifts my beliefs. My masters and doctoral studies focused on topics associated with achieving racial equity in commuinty health. Beyond formal educaiton, I have participated in a large variety of learning opportunities to expand my toolbox of skills. Right now I am enrolled in a year-long course on Shamanic teachings and am in a business development program for social sector entrepreneuers.
The Gift of Facilitation
I love that the word facilitate means "to make easy." Hosting a space which brings people together to easily come up with unimagined solutions is one of my most favorite activities. I have been told that facilitation is one of my greatest gifts, and my desire is to share this gift and teach it to others. I have extensive formal training as a facilitator - faciltative leadership, change agent, facilitation fundamentals and facilitating strategic planning with teams, and more. I have decades of experience facilitating a wide variety of types of convenings.
Social Sector Transformation
I have worked as a change agent and social innovator in large and small non-profit organizations, hospitals, government institutions, emergency medical services, community-based initiatives, political advocacy, tribal governments, and state and regional projects and programs. In these settings I vaccinated babies, provided case management in Spanish, led hundreds of trainings and education sessions, developed programs, launched new departments, led and supported teams, performed community-engaged research and evaluation, and more.
