ACTA Welcomes Two Members to its Board of Directors

ACTA is pleased to announce that Paula “Pimm” Allen and Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson have recently been elected to its Board of Directors.  Allen, a Traditional Resources Specialist for United Indian Health Services, Inc. in Arcata, California, has served the northern California Native Community for over fifteen years in the areas of culture and health.  Dr. Jackson is a senior research associate in the Metropolitan Housing Communities Center at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC and also directs its Culture, Creativity and Communities Program.  Executive Director Amy Kitchener noted, “We are thrilled to have two such accomplished and highly regarded individuals join our board.  Their expertise and commitment will be invaluable to our organization.”

Paula “Pimm” Allen (Karuk/Yurok) is the Traditional Resources Specialist for United Indian Health Services, Inc. where she works to promote and integrate cultural traditions and values into healthcare services provided to her local American Indian community, and coordinates cultural & arts programming for the Potawot Health Village.  Paula received her BA in Native American Studies from Humboldt State University and has worked within her local American Indian community in the areas of culture and health for the past fifteen years.  Paula was one of the original coordinators for the Native Cultures Fund, which supports the renaissance of California Native American arts, culture, sacred sites and the cultural transmission between generations, and she continues to provide cultural oversight for the fund.  

She is currently a Board Member at the Humboldt Area Foundation, a member of the Karuk Tribe's People Center Advisory Committee and recently served on the Contemporary Arts Committee for the California State Indian Heritage Center Project. Paula is also very involved in the culture of her Karuk and Yurok communities, and is a singer, dancer and mentor for Karuk Women’s Camp at the Brushdance and Ihuk ceremonies.  She and her husband, Alme reside in Humboldt County where they are the proud parents of two daughters, Ty’ithreeha and Ahtyirahm.

Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson is a senior research associate in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Center at the Urban Institute (UI) and director of UI’s Culture, Creativity and Communities Program.  Her research focuses on urban policy, neighborhood revitalization and comprehensive community planning, the politics of race, ethnicity and gender in urban settings, and the role of arts and culture in communities. Projects that Dr. Jackson has directed or in which she has played a key role have focused on economic development, public safety, education, parks, housing, community cultural vitality and artists in communities as well as the development of quality of life indicators. Her work has typically integrated both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Dr. Jackson’s work has appeared in academic and professional journals as well as edited volumes in the fields of urban planning, sociology, community development and the arts. She has been a speaker at numerous national and international conferences focusing on quality of life, changing demographics, communities and cities of the future, and arts and society.  

Dr. Jackson is also a consultant and has provided technical assistance in planning and program implementation to numerous organizations including various community development corporations, community based collaboratives, organizations serving inner city youth, public housing resident organizations, service organizations and advocacy groups in the U.S. She has also consulted with a range of cultural organizations about their role in promoting civic engagement and community development.  Dr. Jackson earned a doctorate in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California.