Meet our Team

Maya Esquivido

Interim Director

Maya Esquivido is an enrolled member of the Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation, and Hupa. After completing a BA in American Indian Studies, a Master of Social Work Degree, and a Graduate Certificate in American Indian & Indigenous Studies (AIIS), she was awarded a University of Washington (UW) Teaching & Curriculum Design Fellowship at Seattle Central College. 

As a part-time professor in the American Ethnic Studies Department, she has developed curriculum for AIIS. Additionally, Maya was the Program Coordinator and co-Faculty Lead for the National Endowment for Humanities Grant to redesign the humanities curriculum to center Native American histories, culture, and epistemologies.  

SBCTC has contracted with Maya as a curriculum designer and lead facilitator for the Tribal Stewards Program, for which she is a co-founder. 

Most recent, Maya has been accepted into the Indigenous-Centered Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at the UW Tacoma, Muckleshoot Cohort and is serving as the UW Tacoma Pre-Doctoral Teaching Fellow, AIIS courses. Learning Indigenous-centered curriculum and approaches in educational leadership will aid Maya in her endeavors to implement policies for intentional hiring and retainment of Native professionals within community and technical colleges. 

Irene Shaver

Program Manager Climate Solutions

Dr. Irene Shaver manages the Climate Solutions Program at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. She has worked in Washington higher education for 8 years, supporting and evaluating experiential, high-impact, teaching and learning and managing systemic change processes to increase equity in our community and technical colleges. At the State Board she has worked to integrate climate justice across the curriculum and support our workforce programs in becoming more responsive to the clean energy future and green economy. She also manages the WA Consortium for Undergraduate Research and Equity Project under Val Sundby.  She believes education is for transformation and social change and to create a more equitable, just, and resilient future. Dr. Shaver holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, and master’s and doctorate degrees in Environmental Science and Sociology.

Courtnay Llacuna

Administrative Assistant

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Courtnay Llacuna is a graduate of Saint Martin's University with degrees in Psychology and Sociology. 

Courtnay began her career in 2018 working for Shoreline Community College as a Program Assistant. She then found her passion when she became the AANAPISI program coordinator serving the API community, attending seminars, and creating programs with her program director for the API students and community members. She was at Shoreline for four years before coming to SBCTC.

Courtnay’s hobbies include tennis, piano, and spending time with her energetic Border Collie named Kaia. Additionally, she is dedicated to helping API communities by going back to Hawaii every year to volunteer and assist in opportunities for various organizations, churches, and businesses.