Our Story
At a Community Public Health conference in 2007, Dr. Robert Anda challenged individuals by saying, “Go home and make something happen”. Teri Barila did just that – with the help of Annett Bovent and Mark Brown, CRI was born. Together with local community members, CRI started as a grassroots movement to inform its local community about the negative health effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) if left unaddressed.
Over a decade later, CRI is now a nonprofit organization conducting trauma-informed training online and in person, across the continent. CRI is recognized as a leader in trauma-informed training and offers several levels of training based on Knowledge, Insight, Strategies and Structures (K.I.S.S.), its blueprint for building community capacity.
Our Core Values
Connection
Relationships are the number one protective factor. Humans are social and crave to belong and be loved.
Culture
Culture is diverse and many communities are multicultural and we believe culture has to be fluid.
Diversity
We believe diverse communities are resilient communities. Variation is the norm.
Knowledge
Knowledge is power and enables people to make informed decisions based on the current science.
Resilience
Resilience is a skill that must be modeled, taught and practiced. Everyone has the capacity to build resilience.
Sustainability
Sustainability is paramount to transforming systems for healthy and equitable communities.
Wellbeing
Every person has the right to thrive, be happy, and be healthy.
Our Team
Theresa Barila
Founder
Theresa Barila (she/her) is the founder of the Community Resilience Initiative (CRI). Teri earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from American University and a Masters of Science in Fisheries Management from the University of Maryland. Teri spent 20 years as a Research Biologist with the Federal Salmon and Steelhead recovery program in the Pacific Northwest. Her experience in that field helped her bridge science and practice when she changed careers and moved into community engagement work 22 years ago.
Recognized internationally for her work with CRI, Teri frequently travels, training communities to develop their own blueprint so that “Resilience Trumps ACEs.” Teri is involved extensively in training, consulting, writing, and researching in trauma, resilience, and community capacity building. Her work has attracted attention in various venues, in part due to the focus Teri places on grassroots organizational development and the focus on the hope of resilience.
Teri is mom to two children, a son and daughter, and was pleased to add the title grandmother in 2018. Experiencing a special needs child’s world has significantly shaped Teri’s thinking on systems, education, resilience, and advocacy for children.
Penny Capko
Executive Director
Penny Capko has been partnering with Community Resilience Initiative since 2016. She has experience as a CRI trainer, board member and president of the board. Penny received her Master of Education, with Administrative Credential through Washington State University. Her extensive experience as a teacher and administrator across the state of Washington has provided her opportunities to support children and families in diverse communities. She has trained teachers and community partners about ACEs, self-care and resilience strategies. One of her greatest joys is working with community partners to build more resilient communities.
Rick Griffin
Master Trainer
Rick (he/him) is the former Executive Director for CRI and our current Master Trainer. With more than twenty years of experience in non-profit administration, Rick has first-hand experience with building organizations that use a trauma-informed approach in both internal operations and service delivery. Under Rick’s guidance, CRI has become a leading voice in the field of trauma and resilience. His dedication to resilience, and his commitment to creating a citizenry conversant in the science of trauma, are an inspiration to all who know him.
Becky Turner
Director of Community Engagement
Becky Turner (she/her) joined the CRI team as Director of Community Engagement in September 2022. A lifelong resident of the Walla Walla Valley, Becky has experience as a public-school teacher and in the local nonprofit sector. Previously, as Executive Director of a reentry-based nonprofit, she and her team provided essential services to individuals post-incarceration. An active volunteer in the Walla Walla community, Becky is a member of the local Reach Out coalition to prevent suicide.
With a deep knowledge of nonprofit management, Becky seamlessly assists with many areas of CRI’s operations. Her expertise in community engagement has expanded CRI’s concept of community to encompass individuals nationwide and globally. In her role, she engages with a worldwide community, collaborating with individuals and organizations across multiple continents to build a global network of resilience and support. Outside of her professional commitments, Becky enjoys gardening and weekly Sunday dinners with her extended family, where she is known for her dessert-making skills.
Board Members
Vacant Position
President
The CRI Board of Directors currently has a vacancy for the President position. Interested in joining our Board? Reach out to our Executive Director for more information!
We will update this page after our next Board meeting.
John Kiepe
Treasurer
John Kiepe hails from Spokane, WA and has significant experience in the world of finance, including serving on several other nonprofit boards.
We will update this page soon with more information about Mr. Kiepe.
Amber Sosa
Secretary
Amber brings to the Board her lived experience within the Child Welfare system and an unwavering passion for children and families. She strongly believes that it is her duty to help strengthen the next generation of children and families and reduce rates of childhood trauma.
After graduating from the University of Washington with a Master of Social Work, Amber pursued her goal of advancing the well-being of families by working as a grant writer and director of an outreach program in the Pacific Northwest. As a student, she volunteered and interned for organizations like the Mockingbird Society, Treehouse, the Institute for Family Development, and the Department for Children, Youth and Families.
Amber was a congressional intern for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. In 2017, she received the University of Washington Social Service Impact Award.
After growing up and working mainly in the Pacific Northwest, Amber recently moved to Northern California.
Ashley Manfred
M. ED.
Ashley Manfred first became involved working with at-risk youth and students with disabilities through a volunteer program when she was in high school. After extensive work with this population, she put a degree in Public Relations to use working at the Spokane Guilds’ School in fundraising and event planning. She soon realized that her calling was in providing direct services to youth. After completing a Master of Initial Teaching at Gonzaga University, she began teaching high school special education. In recent years, students with a history of trauma and high ACEs scores have become an area of particular importance, as these students often face some of the most significant barriers to learning and success. She has been an active volunteer with several community organizations, most notably the Junior League of Spokane. An active member for 10 years, she served 5 years on the Board in roles including President Elect and President. She is a CRI Trauma Informed Trainer and has shared this work with many individuals in her building, district, and community.
Kelly Jedd McKenzie
Ph.D.
Kelly (she/her) is a Senior Social Science Research Analyst at the Administration for Children and Families in Washington DC, where she works on research and evaluation related to home visiting, child welfare, and human trafficking. Kelly’s involvement with CRI began in 2010 when she became an intern with CRI as a Whitman College student. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Child Development from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota, where she researched the impacts of adversity and trauma on brain development. Kelly was a Fellow with Doris Duke and the Society for Research in Child Development.
Sonia Cole
Sonia (she/her) supervises public child welfare in Walla Walla & Columbia Counties in WA state. She has worked in public child protection and welfare for over 30 years. Since her introduction to CRI in 2008, Sonia has used the knowledge and insight about trauma and resilience to help shift the local agency practices.
Dwayne Delaney
Peter Vander Galien
MACP
Peter is Kenyan-born and raised in the Midwest. While completing a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, he worked for five years in child and family community health services.
With varied experiences in responding to high-crisis trauma in both Alaska and Washington State, Peter brings a holistic approach to hope and community healing.
Peter is taking a brief sabbatical before pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. He and his family currently live in Kitsap County.
