A native son of New Mexico, with ancestral connections to both Hispano and Native American communities, Dr. Rael-Gálvez is currently a writer, creative strategist and the founding principal of Creative Strategies 360°, which supports transformative work within communities, governments, universities and cultural based organizations. In this capacity, he has designed and implemented several national and local initiatives, including the Manit@s Community Memory Project, ¡PRESENTE! and Culture Connects Santa Fe. Prior to this work, Dr. Rael-Gálvez has led a full career as a successful senior executive administering cultural institutions at national non-profit organizations and government agencies, including serving as Senior Vice President of Historic Sites at the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Executive Director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center; State Historian of New Mexico. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Rael-Gálvez received a Ph.D. in American Cultures from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he completed his dissertation, “Identifying Captivity and Capturing Identity: Narratives of American Indian Slavery,” focused on the meanings of American Indian slavery and a unique legacy and identity in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, and is currently working on the manuscript, The Silence of Slavery.