“GOING INTO THE MILITARY IS NO JOKE. I FEEL MY HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS BEING TARGETED, IN TERMS OF RECRUITING YOUNG PEOPLE AT SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY IN POORER COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE A DUTY TO TELL TRUTH WHEN IT COMES TO RECRUITING, AND I FEEL THAT DUTY ISN’T BEING MET. I WANT TO TAKE ACTION IN LETTING KIDS/PARENTS KNOW THE TRUTH. “
– Anarely, Santa Maria High School student.
Truth in Recruitment’s founding members and volunteers
Steering and Advisory Committee Members:
Caroline Alcorn, David Melendrez, Gilbert and Joy Robledo, Hugo Valdovinos, Ismael Ulloa, James Robertson, Joanna Barrera, John Douglas, Lane Clark, Lorena Pike, Mariah Miller, Mary Johnson, Michael Cervantes, Monisha Rios, Patrick McHugh, and Randall Day.
Students, Parents, Volunteers, and Community Supporters:
Abraham Melendrez, Al Williams, Angelica Urrea Santibanez, Anthony Loverde, Ari Standish, Bill Palmisano, Callum Standish, Carol Hauer, Christian Pederson, Daniel Seidenberg, David Morales, Eder Goana, Eliot Baez, Elisabeth Weber, Elizabeth Colon, Elizabeth Cortez, Eva Catalan, Fred Nadis, Gary Krasnoff, Heather McBurnie, Jacob Lesner, Jennifer Gibian, Joe Asebedo, Kelly Biswell, Lynnette Arnold, Marcus Lopez, Margaret Connell, Matt Buckmaster, Matt Marguiles, Meredith Brace, Michael Meredith, Michal Lynch, Michelle Bednash, Mitra Cline, Nancy Lynch, Pat Robertson, Rebecca Holland, Rebecca Troon, Ricardo Valencia, Ron Dexter, Rose Nadis, Sara Bazan, Saul Nadis, Sergio Rodriguez, Stanley Tzankov, Stephen Pope, Susan Owens, Tajo McBurnie, and Wendy Robins.
Student Clubs and Organizations:
Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student Success, Club In Lak’ech (SBHS), Ethnic Studies Now SBUSD (also Santa Barbara High School and Dos Pueblos High School ESN clubs), Future Leaders of America, San Marcos High School (SMHS) Mujercitas and MeCha clubs, SBHS and SMHS Associated Student Bodies, and the SBHS Gay Straight Alliance.
Truth in Recruitment Staff:
Kate Connell is the founding director of Truth in Recruitment. Read articles about her work with TIR on the Articles page in the Archive.
Community Organizers:
Adonay Moreno, Alan Morales, Angel Lopez, Aryeh Cohen, Doug Walker, Fernando Cornejo Faundez, Juls Neel, Kenya Palacios, Ky Biswell, Lisha Pacheco, and Zulema Aleman.
High School Interns:
Achante Smith, Alicia Vasquez, Anarely Martinez, Jenny Angel, Katrina Rodriguez, Osiel Ocampo, Selina Perez, and Zander Moreno.
University of California, Santa Barbara Interns:
Angelica Quintana, Doug Walker, Joanne Hernandez, and Kelsey Sword.
More Appreciations:
The mentorship and support of Rick Jahnkow, program coordinator for the San Diego based Project on Youth and Nonmilitary Opportunities (Project Yano), was key to the successful advocacy for implementation of a school district recruiter policy that regulated recruiter access to students and schools.
Much gratitude to: Edward Hasbrouck of hasbrouck.org for draft resistance resources, Pat Alviso of Military Families Speak Out for connecting TIR with veterans and families of active duty personnel, Robert Vivar from the Unified U.S. Deported Veterans Support House for providing background on deported veterans living in Mexico, and Bill Galvin and Maria Santelli of the Center on Conscience and War, for conscientious objector resources.
A shout out to the many school administrators, school board members, and educators who worked with us on regulating recruiter access to students and schools:
Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD):
Past and present school board members: Ed Heron, Gayle Eidelson, Jackie Reid, Kate Parker, Laura Capps, Monique Limon, Pedro Paz, Rose Munoz, and Wendy Sims-Moten.
Past and present SBUSD Administration and high school staff:
Ben Drati, Bill Woodard, Dave Cash, Elise Simmons, Frann Wageneck, Gabriela Balfour-Ritchie, John Becchio, Kathleen Vasta, Kearney Vander Sal, Kip Glazer, Marcia Barr, Nereyda Cotter, Patrick Shapland, Peggy Ochoa, Shawn Carey, Spencer Barr, and Tony Jackson.
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District:
School Board past and present members: Carol Karamitsos and Diana Perez.
Administration: Superintendent Antonio Garcia
Sponsors and Funders:
Santa Barbara Friends Meeting, Santa Barbara Foundation (Gary Clark, Capacity Building), McCune Foundation (Claudia Armann, Executive Director), Fund for Santa Barbara (Marcos Vargas, Executive Director, Patricia Solorio, Associate Director) Resist, A.J. Muste Social Justice Fund, and the Santa Barbara Independent/SB Gives!.
Truth in Recruitment 