OUR TEAM
MARION KREGELOH
Founder, Alex4Hope and Resilient Marin
The tragic passing of her son Alex led Marion onto the path of trauma-informed advocacy and founding of Resilient Marin. Her vision of a trauma-informed Marin County is exactly because of her son’s journey: Alex’s environment did not recognize nor address his trauma; he lived in constant survival mode because of accumulative re-traumatization. The ACEs study confirms that unresolved childhood trauma carries a high risk for addiction besides other negative life-long health impacts. When Alex passed from fentanyl poisoning while relapsing on April 3, 2020, Marion knew that it was her calling to honor his legacy and work with local trauma experts towards transforming our community at large and creating acohesive system that is not trauma-inflictive but restorative with focus on prevention.
“Our children are the biggest investment. And when the most vulnerable are recognized, seen and addressed, kids like Alex will have a real opportunity in life”.
Marion is a physical therapist by profession and enjoys inspiring others to move beyond their limitations; her interests are diverse, incl. dancing, the outdoors, arts, yoga. Alex’s spirit is her biggest inspiration, and she is part of a parent group for support on her grief journey. Alex’s memorial website is www.alex4hope.org.
KRISTEN GARDNER
Consultant
Kristen is an Organization Development Consultant. She has worked with many agencies in Marin that serve young adults who have experienced childhood trauma. She believes that grassroots providers are an essential part of the system of care, as they effectively reach people who could benefit from services but are often not accessing care through larger organizations. In her free time she teaches unlearning racism.
DON CARNEY
Founder, Youth Transforming Justice
Don Carney has worked with youth and families for over 45 years. He started his career directing group homes and educational services for wards of the court. Don is now the Executive Director and founder of Youth Transforming Justice (YTJ), a youth driven social justice movement that is transforming punitive school discipline and juvenile justice systems into restorative trauma-informed, peer-driven solutions. In the past 20 years YTJ has diverted nearly 2,000 youth from the juvenile justice system and has provided alternatives to school suspension for thousands of students.
To support youth referred to YTJ’s program, Don developed a Substance Safety Skills Harm Reduction Training. This training provides a pragmatic approach for parents dealing with a substance experimenting child and prepares teens with the skills to be each other’s first responders. He also produced Corporate Weed Is Targeting Your Brain: Fight Back! a prevention workshop that has been presented at youth wellness conferences throughout California and his The Addiction Industry Is After Your Developing Brain training has been featured at Stanford’s Annual Teaching Cannabis Awareness Camp Prevention Conference. Don is also an Advanced Behavioral Health Prevention California trainer specializing in mitigating childhood trauma and increasing resiliency through the use of trauma-responsive restorative practices.
He received the Constellation Behavioral Health Hope Tribute Award in 2019. This annual award honors a professional who has advocated for youth impacted by addiction and mental health disorders. He is a member of the Marin County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission, consults several federally funded Drug Free Community Collations, and he is an instructor for the Beyond Differences, Professional Development Learning Community. Don trains schools, community organizations and probation departments on how to replicate YTJ’s successful restorative and trauma-responsive alternatives to school suspensions and juvenile justice involvement.
JEANNINE CURLEY, MFT
Founder, Opening the World
Jeannine Curley is the founder of the Opening the World program. She is a Marriage and Family therapist who for the past 17 years has dedicated her career to working with Marin County’s marginalized and disadvantaged youth. Jeannine is particularly interested in working with those exposed to developmental trauma. Growing up, she struggled with her own adversity and had a profound curiosity about the world. Due to working various jobs, Jeannine traveled extensively abroad and through this experience was “opened to the world.” As a result, from this and her other life experiences, she believes in providing opportunities for youth who see bleak futures for themselves. The Opening the World program fosters community and peer leadership, provides educational, vocational and cultural experiences and local, national and global volunteer opportunities.
KELSEY FERNANDEZ, MA
Executive Director, Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships
Kelsey Fernandez is the Executive Director of Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships where she was a founding member in 2011. Kelsey received her formal education in Counseling Psychology which she applies to the area of prevention and public health. She brings lived experience having raised two children in San Anselmo who attended public schools. In addition, she has over a decade of service within Marin’s recovery community.
