Meet the Team

Beth Hoover: RJ&E Co-chair

Beth is a retired high school English teacher and taught at La Pine High School in the Bend La Pine School District from 1994 to 2008. She also brings her experiences as the mother of a child of color who attended Bend schools. Beth was the Assistant Director of TASC (Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes) from 1986 to 1991. From 2009-2019, she was a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children (CASA). Beth’s background working with citizen groups for the Portland Model Cities Program and the City of Portland from 1971-1978 are put to good use in organizing and maintaining the volunteer effort of the RJ&E Group. Beth is a member of the First Presbyterian Peace & Justice team, the Mountain View Neighborhood Association, and she is a board member with the Neighborhood Leadership Alliance. She has childhood trauma & ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) training and participated in Bend La Pine School District’s Taking It Up equity training in 2018.

Dr. Dalton-Miller Jones: RJ&E Co-chair

Dalton has a master’s in Experimental Psychology from Tufts University and a doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Cornell University. He taught at a number of prestigious universities, including Cornell, the University of Massachusetts, Williams College, and City University of New York. In 1991, he joined Portland State University as a Professor of Psychology. Now retired, he resides in the LaPine area, where he remains active in higher education issues nationally. Dalton’s research focus is on the impact that culture has on development, learning and reasoning, especially for African American children. His work is ongoing work in the area of identity and learning with emphasis on mathematics and science.

JoAnn Lawrence: Retired Educator, Content/Process Committee Chair

JoAnn was the Director of Curriculum, Staff Development and Assessment from 2010-2013 at Rowland Unified School District in California. She was the Rowland Unified-Ball Foundation Liaison: Principal on Special Assignment from 2008-2011. Before that, JoAnn was the Principal at Blandford Elementary School from 1996- 2008. From 1991-1996, she was the Principal at Yorbita Elementary School in La Puente, CA. From 2001-2003, she was an Adjunct Professor at National University. JoAnn has presented at numerous conferences on subjects such as: "Partnering with School Districts to Produce Sustainable Change," "Professional Learning Communities," "Communities of Practice & the Adult Learner,” and “Embracing the Gift: An Organizational Change Effort in Public Education.” Since 2005, JoAnn has been on the Association of School Administrators in San Diego.

Janet Whitney: Retired Social Worker, Community Activist, Fundraising Committee Chair

A former chair of First Presbyterian Peace and Justice Team, Janet participates in local and state efforts to support those whose voices have been systematically ignored and censored.

Ami Zepnewski: Teacher at Bend High School, School committee chair

Ami is a mother of two middle school students and a wife of 17 years. She is also a Japanese teacher and owns her own E-commerce business. She grew up in a bi-racial, military family living all around the world. She enjoys travelling, fishing, cooking and spending time with her family.

Lauralei Garrity: Writer, Embrace Board Member, Logistics Committee Chair

Lauralei received her BA in writing at the University of Pittsburgh in 2016. From 2014-2017, Lauralei was the Assistant Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s International Film Festival. Lauralei’s focus is resistance through reading, writing, and literary community. She is currently writing her first novel.

Rebecca Easton: Teacher at Silver Rail Elementary School, Content/Process Committee

In 2016, Rebecca was an Excellence in Education Award Winner. She is an English Language Learners (ELL) teacher, an advocate for Town Hall Symposiums/OEA trained, an Academic Director at the School for International Training, a CentroLatinoamericano caseworker in Eugene, and she is the Study Abroad Coordinator/Faculty Cross Cultural Advisor at the University of Oregon. Rebecca recently completed a CFEE seminar (Center for Educational Equity) and she participated in Bend La Pine School District’s Taking It Up equity training in 2018.

Teryl Young: Community Advocate, Embrace Bend Board Member, Logistics Committee

Teryl is a Black history educator with an AA in Criminal Justice. He is a KPOV radio host and producer. Teryl has served as Vice President of COCC’s Afro Centric Studies Club and received COCC’s 2014 Diversity Achievement Student Award. He is a current Board member for Embrace Bend.

DAREN VOM STEEG: RETIRED EDUCATOR, SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Daren was an early member of the coordinating group for RJ&E originally. He taught at the community college level in Washington State and was an English teacher at La Pine High School from 1996 to 2019, where he helped start a demonstration restorative justice program. He is a 2019 Excellence in Education Award Winner and an early advocate for trauma-informed care as a result of identifying ACES. In 2017, through the Medford Resolve program, he completed Gear Up training in restorative justice. He started and was an adviser to the La Pine High School multicultural club. Daren also participated in Bend La Pine School District’s Taking It Up equity training in 2018.

Lyn Pitts: Retired Educator, CASA Advocate, Logistics Committee

Lyn has a BS in Sociology and Psychology, an MS in Education Secondary, and an MS in Special Education & Counseling. Lyn was the Coordinator for Tri County Special Education Services in the State of Indiana. She was also a special education teacher in Toledo, Oregon. Lyn also served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children) from 2010-2019. Lyn has childhood trauma and ACEs training. Her professional background includes: collaboration/consultation, conflict resolution, educational/emotional assessment, program development, facilitation, in-servicing staff, crisis/behavioral intervention, resource specialist, and case management.

Oscar Gonzalez: Empowerment Programs Manager at the Latino Community Association, RJ&E team member

Oscar received a BS in Economics/Chicano Studies at Loyola Marymount University. From 1998-2005, Oscar was the Director of Student and Family Support Svcs. at KIPP Academy in Houston. From 2005-2007, he was a Counselor/Teacher/Coach at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. He served as a Parent & Community Advocate at KIPP Houston, Inc. from 2007-2009. He was an Academic Advisor at Houston and Lone Star Community College Systems in Texas and Chemeketa and Lane Community Colleges in Oregon from 2009-2014. From 2014-2015, he was the Title X: McKinney-Vento Homeless Youth & Families & Youth Gang Prevention Program Coordinator at Lane Education Service District.