We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Tim Hand will be joining the Anna, Age Eight Institute as Associate Director. We asked Tim about his experience gained from his past roles as Deputy Director of the Legislative Education Study Committee, Deputy Secretary of Education, and educator for fifteen years.

Question: The mission of the Anna, Age Eight Institute is to prevent childhood trauma and social adversity by ensuring all families have access to vital services. What attracted you to this groundbreaking project?

Dr. Tim Hand: The mission of the institute has been circling my work in education for years. The project attracted me as an opportunity to join a first-class team and focus my energy on creating the social conditions that will empower the students and families I’ve served in education to survive, truly making academic success a more accessible reality and empowering communities to thrive.

Question: How can your expertise and experience help the movement to ensure the rights of kids to thrive?

Dr. Tim Hand: In order for a community to thrive, the educational system must meet the needs of students and families. In order for an educational system to thrive, the community must have access to vital services needed to survive, freeing up energy for authentic learning. My expertise and experience serving students and families over my career will help the movement by bringing local and state context as well as an appetite for innovation.

Question: How have you seen childhood trauma impact families and communities? How have you seen social adversity in the form of lack of access to vital services impact families and communities?

Dr. Tim Hand: In my latest decade administering educational programs and teaching and learning from high school students, I’ve learned more than my share about disparities in access and outcomes. I’ve also seen the impacts of adequate access to vital services and the hope that brews when this access shifts in a positive direction. The goal of access to vital services for 100% of communities inspires me and centers the work in front of us.

Question: What are the strengths you see in New Mexico and our capacity to address disruptions to healthcare, schools, jobs, and vital services?

Dr. Tim Hand: The cultural, language, and experiential assets housed in New Mexico set the conditions for a diverse and vibrant approach to any endeavor. Far too often, these assets are minimized and even seen as a cause for the challenges we face as a community. There has been a recent push in our state to change this mindset to focus on the abundance around us leveraged to serve those who need it the most.

Question: Ensuring vital services means working with ten different service sectors, from medical care to job training to early childhood learning programs. How do you promote capacity-building across agencies in a county?

Dr. Tim Hand: My approach to capacity building centers on collective impact which requires shared values and goals. In order to promote capacity-building across agencies in a county, the future of our community must be clearly articulated in order to inspire a shared vision. A shared vision is contagious and motivates people to take the energy necessary to build capacity and develop systems to sustain this investment to human capital.

Question: Sometimes local organizations have concerns about funding and compete with other agencies that should be partners. What is your approach to building collaboration?

Dr. Tim Hand: Human beings have shared needs and are motivated by autonomy, mastery, and purpose. My approach to building collaboration leans on these basic truths in an attempt to cut through the division we often see motivated by politics, ineffective policy, competing interests, and greed.

Question: What fuels your commitment to equality and justice?

Dr. Tim Hand: Hope. In any space devoid of equality and justice, hope suffocates. Hope is the fuel for progress and even a glimmer of hope can inspire groups of people to overcome tremendous challenges and flourish, together.