OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
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Debra A Kurkoski, CPA
Chief Executive Officer
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Cat Clontz
Human Resource Manager
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Troy Grover
Forensic Program Manager, Kingman
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Darlene Kittilson
Billing Manager
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Lizett Regalado
Forensic Program Manager, Phoenix
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Robert Rodriguez
Justice Liaison
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Brandilynn Store
Forensic Program Manager, Flagstaff
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Craig Brett
Board President
Craig Brett serves as President on the Board of Directors for Hope Lives Viva La Esperanza. He considers it a privilege and an honor to be part of such a truly dedicated organization.
He began his career in Minneapolis, MN at a non-profit that provided psychosocial, vocational and housing services to adults with serious mental illness (SMI). Hired directly out of college into a direct care position, he grew with the organization over the next 25 years to become the COO/CFO before leaving Minneapolis for Phoenix. In Phoenix, he worked as a Site Administrator for 10 years at an outpatient clinic owned and operated at the time by the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA). The clinic provided medication management, healthcare coordination and case management services to adults with SMI. During the last 10 years of his working career, he served as Administrator for healthcare organizations that provided comprehensive medical care to all persons, while dedicating themselves to serving those who experienced barriers in accessing adequate healthcare. These barriers included financial, cultural and immigration status challenges. He is now retired.
Craig served in the Minnesota Air National Guard for 6 years as an Air Evacuation Medical Technician. His service time in the National Guard ran concurrent with his studies at the University of Minnesota.
He is married, and he and his wife have 2 adult children and 2 grandchildren. They travel frequently to Boston to visit their son and his family and to Estes Park, CO to visit their daughter. He walks 5 miles each morning and goes to a gym 5 days per week to make up for the 45 years of working and not exercising enough.
Moses Angry
Moses Angry is a Board Member for "Viva la Esperanza" Hope Lives. He has been on the board for over 2 years and is proud to sit as a board member to an organization that has so many positive impacts within the community. He is currently the CEO of 4 Get Me Not LLC., which provides Vocational Rehabilitation Services with the State of Arizona under DES. His passion and mission is "Helping individuals with life's challenges to learn and develop skills that will enhance their futures." This is his company's mission statement and aligns with what Hope Lives does every day.
Some of his favorite things to do in his spare time are spending time with family, cooking, welding and traveling.
Jose Colon
Jose R. Colon was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico raised in Brooklyn, NY, and resides in Phoenix, AZ. A former client of Hope Lives who was the President of Hope Lives community council and a graduate of Hope Lives’ first Peer Support training program has worked his way up to being a long-standing Board of Directors member. A self-professed “Jack of all trades and master of some” who believes that there is no such thing as a ‘no-win scenario’ and that everyone can rise above any challenges that life can bring.
Kathleen Dzielinski
Originally from Michigan, Kathy has lived in Arizona for the last 27 years. She has been employed in the behavioral health field for the last 40 years working with various populations and settings. Initially, she started out as a probation officer, but felt she would be more helpful trying to assist those in addressing their specific issues, in the hopes that they would not return to jail. She has a strong crisis background, along with extensive experience working with individuals who have been designated as SMI, along with Substance Use Disorders. Kathy completed her Masters Degree in Counseling and is independently licensed as a Professional Counselor (LPC) and Addictions Counselor (LIAC). She has been on the Board of Hope Lives, for approximately since 2022. Kathy is married and is a very proud Mom of three children. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, decorating (houses/holidays) and hosting gatherings for family and friends.
Christopher Gonzalez, EdD.
Dr. Gonzalez is the former CEO and current Board Member for "Viva la Esperanza" Hope Lives. He has been with the organization for over 10 years and a Board member for over 2 years. He is currently the statewide Health Equity Manager for a Managed Care Organization (Health Plan). At the Health Plan, he works within the requirements, guidelines, and recommendations connected with the Health Equity umbrella. This includes developing and implementing annual cultural competency and language access plans, while managing CLAS, SDOH-HRSN, ICD-10 Z codes, close-loop referral, language access, and health literacy-preventative education.
Some of his favorite things to do in his spare time are spending time with family, cooking, movies, reading, traveling, and long walks on the beach.
His motto as a leader and training facilitator is to provide all people with the opportunity to learn, regardless of their cultural diversity or literacy degree.
All people are unique, and as a trainer, advocate, and equity specialist it is my responsibility to embrace diversity. Every person has the right and should be given the chance to change their future, and my position is to provide them with the tools, informed choice(s), and opportunity to help themselves make the change and transform their life.