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About Rashad C. Norris

ABOUT US

Rashad C. Norris
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MEET OUR TEAM

Rashad C. Norris,
President & Founder, Relevant Engagement 
Faculty, Communications, African American Studies & Human Relations

Professor Rashad Norris is a nationally renowned educator with roots in 

Tampa, Florida, Spanaway, WA & Cameroon.  He received his BA

in Marketing Communication with a Minor in English from the University

of Puget Sound where he also played basketball. He earned his Master’s

in Public Administration from the Evergreen State College.  He has

served as adjunct faculty in Communications at Highline College and

Centralia College. He has also taught Human Relations for Bates

Technical College. As the founder of Relevant Engagement Consulting

LLC, "Brother Rashad" partners with school districts, colleges &

universities, nonprofits and government agencies.  Professor Norris

serves multiple facilities within the the State of Washington (DYHS)

Department of Child, Youth  and Families Services Community, Reentry

and Parole Programs Juvenile  Rehabilitation by conducting  culturally

relevant healing sessions with incarcerated teens as a part of the youth's

re-entry process. He is one of the region's DEI innovators, creating black

and  brown male engagement programs and services, and providing

evidence based models for community engagement.

Professor Norris has lead some of the most renowned trainings in the

state of Washington. He leads powerful workshop sessions for

professional development with teachers and administrators

from local and state school districts regarding student engagement

practices. Rashad also delivers motivational presentations that uplift

young people in the community through keynote addresses, seminars, professional development workshops, and conference presentations to

adults working in the education system.  He has a proven track record

and history of being called to inform, teach, and put into practice the

work that he has created to help him engage effectively using DEI

content. Professor Norris coaches & teaches for the Department of

Children, Youth & Family Services Juvenile Rehabilitation, (Naselle

Youth Camp & Green Hill 2021-22, Canon View, Oakridge, Sunrise,

Touchstone and Woodinville),  and the Department of  Vocational

Rehabilitation (Franklin Pierce, Puyallup, Issaquah, Shoreline and

Tacoma Public Schools). Brother Rashad posses a Social Justice,

Anti Racist, and Equity minded approach that has gifted him the ability,

creativity, and communication style to create spaces for authentic

dialogue and tangible outcomes that reaches diverse audiences. 

He is the founder of the Blackand Brown Male Summit & Young Educated

Ladies Leading at Highline College and Honor Educate Respect Others.

Since 2018, he has co lead the MOCA  Men of Culture Academy & Center

for Guided Pathways.  

MICHAEL TUNCAP,

Consultant, Center for Guided Pathways 

Faculty, Ethnic Studies, Humanities & Social Sciences

 

Professor Michael Tuncap has worked in education, nonprofit and

leadership  since 1998. Tuncap was born in Aniguak, Guam & raised in

Tacoma & Lakewood, WA. He was the founding Director of the Pacific

Islander Student  Commission at UW Seattle. Former Director the Office

of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Green River College & the Interim

Director of TRIO SSS at Seattle Central College. Tuncap earned his BA in Communications & American Ethnic Studies (minor in Political Science) 

at the University of Washington in Seattle. Studied Race as a National

Ralph Bunche fellow at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. 

Tuncap earned the Public Policy & International Affairs

Institute Fellowship at the Goldman School and later his MA in

Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. In 2007, he earned a certificate in

Leadership from the National Pacific American Leadership Institute at

Kapiolani Community College in Hawaii. He served on three Guam

Delegations to the United Nations in New York City,  testifying before

the Special Committee on Decolonization (07-09).

Professor Tuncap is the co-founder of several award winning programs

including: the UW LEADERS program, the WA State Diversity

Equity in Hiring & Professional Development, UW Student

Ambassadors Program, & the Men of Culture Academy (2018).

Professor Tuncap taught over 1,200 undergraduates in the Department

of  Ethnic Studies (& Fall program for freshmen) at UC Berkeley 2003-09.

Since 2005, Tuncap has served as a consultant & trainer for Community

and Technical Colleges in Washington State. He served as a Visiting

Professor of Ethnic Studies at the Evergreen State College, Adjunct

Professor in Humanities at SPSCC, Sociology at Northwest Indian

College, Diversity & Global Studies at Highline, Englishat Shoreline,

Tacoma  Community College & Evergreen, Ethnic Studies &

Communications at TRIO UB for Lincoln, Mount Tahoma, Foss & Clover

Park High Schools  & the College of Education at UWT. His research and

students are published in Matamai: the Vasa in Us (2010), Pacific Voices 

Talk Story (2003) & Breathing Stories 2 Life (2012) He served as advisor

on Community Colleges for the Discovery Center at the Bill & Melinda

Gates Foundation 2019-21. He co leads DEI in Washington's Community

& Technical Colleges (2020-2023). Since 2013, Tuncap has served as the

faculty representative for the WA State Faculty & Staff of Color

Conference.  Since 2021, he has served as faculty, adviser &  consultant

with Relevant Engagement and the Department of Children, Youth &

Family  Services Juvenile Rehabilitation, (Naselle Youth Camp & Green

Hill 2021-22, Canon View, Oakridge, Sunrise, Touchstone, Woodinville), 

& the Department of  Vocational Rehabilitation (Franklin Pierce,

Puyallup, Issaquah, Shoreline and Tacoma Schools). 

MISSION STATEMENT

To engage youth, adults, institutions and community organizations with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, advancing conversations and creating activities that encourage all to achieve a new personal awareness. 

National Research, Local Innovations​

VISION STATEMENT

 To bring relevant engagement to every individual searching for new ways to find success.

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