Tona has been assisting people with disabilities in obtaining their education and employment goals for 33 years. After college graduation her first professional job was as an Art Educator at a private residential school for youth who were rehabilitating from substance abuse. She also worked at the college and university level in Utah and Idaho for 9 years with the following 3 federally funded TRIO programs that proactively outreach and include students with disabilities in service provision:
- Educational Talent Search at Dixie College-Academic Advisor
- Student Support Services at Salt Lake Community College-Academic Advisor & Tutor Coordinator
- Northwest Nations Upward Bound-University of Idaho-Program Director
Tona was also the Vocational Education Program Director for the Nez Perce Nation in Idaho and worked closely with their Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation Program staff to include their clients in employment opportunities.
After moving to Arizona in 2002, Tona assisted people with disabilities in the following educational and community agencies and tribal communities:
- Rio Salado Community College-Academic Advisor & Disability Resource Specialist
- Paradise Valley Community College-Teacher Development Center Coordinator
- Goodwill of Central Arizona-Youth with Disabilities Program Advisor & Career Pathways Advisor
- Arizona Center for Youth Resources-Case Manager
- Mesa Public Schools Native American Education Program-Home & School Liaison
- Native American Connections-Transition Age Youth Specialist & Behavioral Health Technician & Cultural Resource Specialist
- Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community-Academic Advisor & Career Center Coordinator
- Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation-Youth Council Coordinator & Higher Education Coordinator
- Gila River Indian Community Tribal Social Services-Family Services Case Manager
Tona is currently a Board Member for the Arizona Center for Disability Law and serves on the Planning and Assessment Committee. She is also a member of the Arizona Association of People Supporting Employment and serves on the Education Committee. Tona also volunteers as a Parent Leader for Raising Special Kids to assist other parents of children with disabilities in their Parent to Parent Connection service. Tona has also previously served on 2 Special Education Advisory Panels, the first for the Idaho Department of Education when she lived there and the second for the Arizona Department of Education when she moved here.
Tona’s purpose in life is to be of service to others by providing whatever support is needed to assist people of color and people experiencing disability to achieve their goals. Tona was the first person in her family to graduate from college, earning first a Bachelors of Fine Art degree and then a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership. Tona was also a single parent, who worked full-time and raised 2 sons, Ty and Mateo. Her youngest son Mateo, became disabled at 5 months old when he received a Traumatic Brain Injury. Because Tona came from generations of strong Lakota matriarchs she was able to manage all of the extensive medical issues and ongoing therapies over the years to optimize Mateo’s recovery and increase his opportunities to live the full and rewarding life that was meant for him. Tona has also successfully navigated brief periods of homelessness and unemployment. Tona utilizes cultural teachings and practices to meet and overcome persistent systemic issues such as racism and discrimination when they occur at home, at work or in her community because her Lakota way of life has sustained her ancestors during the many known and unknown challenges they encountered during their lifetime, so she honors them and demonstrates her respect for them by persevering based on their example of resiliency.