Our values are a reflection of what we have learned from those whom we admire.
1. Break the cycle.
We support actions and programs that disrupt the passage of ACEs from one generation to the
next – and focus our efforts on our communities and populations most in need of this support.
2. Build community.
The only way to address a challenge of this magnitude is to work together, collaboratively,
addressing the effects of ACEs, upstream and downstream, in all the places they reside. We are
anti-archipelagos.
3. Do no harm.
good.
4. Stick to the science.
Trust is of paramount importance. We reference the most trusted, validated information and
partners.
5. Empower people with ACEs.
ACEs are what happened to us as children. They are not our fault. We can take steps toward
caring for ourselves, our growth, and our healing and recovery. Together, we can change our
lives and legacies.
6. Value lived experience and personal stories.
7. Be a connector.
Our Leadership Team
Our Leadership Team is comprised of individuals who are deeply knowledgeable and care passionately about the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Sarah Marikos
But witnessing Hurricane Katrina’s devastating — and inequitable — impact on communities influenced her to pivot from the pre-med track to public health, deciding to pursue a master’s in public health (MPH) in epidemiology to better understand the confluence of factors that influence the health and well-being of people and communities.
In graduate school at San Diego State University, Sarah conducted research on young adults who injected drugs, seeking to understand how abuse in childhood influenced their adult circumstances and behaviors. That research is what led Sarah to the landmark Kaiser Permanente-CDC Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. Intrigued by the correlation between ACEs and adult health and well-being, Sarah chose to pursue the topic of childhood abuse for her epidemiology master’s thesis, and was shocked by the apathetic responses of some professors.
After graduation, Sarah worked for and then led the Epidemiology & Assessment Unit for the Sonoma County health department for over five years, leading major community health initiatives related to infectious and chronic diseases, and violence prevention.
In early 2019, wanting to work with people who influence the major determinants (or roots!) of health, Sarah started her consulting business to provide public health data and strategy expertise to the education, health, medical, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors. During this time, she also completed a national fellowship on racial equity with Human Impact Partners.
Sarah is thrilled to be the Executive Director of the ACE Resource Network. She enjoys connecting people and data to improve systems in order to prevent harm and help people recover and heal.
Sarah loves the ocean and athletic pursuits, including skiing, surfing, scuba diving, and competing in triathlons. She recently moved to San Francisco and is having a ball getting to know the city!
Joy Thomas
Communications and Engagement Manager
Joy specialized in applied theatre, theatre for young audiences, and the development of new works for the stage and has directed, designed, produced, and managed hundreds of theatrical productions. She was a theatre arts instructor at her alma mater, McDaniel College in Maryland, and at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Washington, DC.
In 2006, Joy shifted to social services to bring her skills and experiences to bear on helping people understand and heal from trauma, with a focus on addressing the lasting impacts of toxic stress in childhood. She served as Outreach and Education Specialist for the KIDS Network of Santa Barbara County and the Santa Barbara County Child Abuse Prevention Council and, later, as the Communications and Outreach Manager of the Sonoma County Human Services Department.
In 2015, Joy signed on as the Creative Arts Director of Child Parent Institute, a nonprofit aimed at ending child abuse and strengthening the health of children and families in Sonoma County, California. Her focus was on researching, developing, and implementing trauma-informed creative arts programs that build social and emotional skills, promote healing, and reduce the impact of ACEs.
Joy has completed the Advanced Mind-Body Medicine Training Program with the globally renowned Center for Mind-Body Medicine as part of the Sonoma County Resilience Collaborative, formed to bring community-level healing to the region following the 2017 wildfires.
She has trained teaching artists in the effects of trauma on behavior and development, and trained educators, counselors, and other service providers in integrating creative tools, largely based in improvisational theatre techniques, to support connection, empathy, growth, and healing.
Bryan Clement, M.Ed.
Education Specialist
As a former teacher, principal, and, most recently, as a lead trainer and consultant for social-emotional learning and resilience, Bryan’s passion is creating trauma-informed, healing-centered schools.
Growing up in a mixed-race family and attending privileged private schools while living in the apartments his family managed was formative in his understanding of the multiple perspectives of the human condition. As a cisgender husband and father of three, Bryan is committed to leaving a legacy of social justice for future generations.
Through his work with a local First 5 Commission in California, his partnership with PACES Connection, his service on a Community Roundtable for Engagement, Equity, and Diversity for a local law enforcement agency, and his policy education work with the California Campaign to Counter Childhood Adversity, Bryan has pushed for systems reform and eliminating barriers to opportunity.
Bryan’s path to true connection is through telling a good story and lots of laughter.
Keep in touch with us and get the latest updates on ACEs and our efforts.