Photos: (From top) Nona meets José in person while visiting the JTA office in San Diego. (Second row): (L) Nona Chai at Chicano Park in San Diego in front of a mural depicting Coatlicue (pron. Co-at-li-cu-e) or “Serpent Skirt”–a major deity in Mexica pantheon. Coatlicue was regarded as the Earth-mother goddess. In the mural behind Nona, Coatlicue is depicted with her son Quetzalcoatl. (R) Tyler Norman presenting at “Community Organizing as Disaster Preparedness” pop-ed training in 2018.
If you have been a part of Just Transition Alliance for a while, you may have noticed we’ve been growing—and we’re excited to welcome the latest members of our team: Tyler Norman, who has taken the role of Education Coordinator after spending the summer supporting the organization as the Internal Support and Projects Coordinator; and Nona Chai, who is now our Program Assistant.
Tyler has a background in art & storytelling, popular education, youth mentorship, and network organizing. He attended United World College of India – Mahindra and has a deep commitment to internationalist values.
Additionally, he has extensive experience in grassroots humanitarian crisis response, as well as the more common day-to-day “Mutual Aid” work that slowly but surely builds alternative local economies and opportunities for those shut out of the exploitative corporate economy. He understands that only we keep each other safe and healthy, and that strong tight-woven communities brave enough to tackle hard conversations and defend their lands and cultures are key to sustainability, peace, collective empowerment, and deep fulfillment for all.
You can learn more about Tyler’s volunteer work with Mutual Aid Disaster Relief and Mutual Aid Networks. See innovative collaborative art/education projects at Beehive Collective and Symbiosis Strategic Education, plus a personal pop-ed blog at Big Ideas For Bees.
Nona is an administrative professional who supports underserved populations in the realms of public health and environmental justice. They graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a minor in psychology from the University of California San Diego in 2020. Nona is also a Korean American artist, cat parent, and dreamer who constantly strives to engage with themselves and the world in a loving way.
Nona and Tyler join Executive Director José Bravo, Strategy Advisor Ananda Lee Tan and Communications Director Anne Asman. Please help us to welcome them!