John Castillo, Ph.D. – Executive Director
jcastillo@walkingshield.org

John Castillo, Ph.D., is Walking Shield, Inc.’s Executive Director.  Dr. Castillo, who is of Apache heritage, has worked for Walking Shield since 1999. Prior to coming to Walking Shield, Dr. Castillo was the Executive Director of the Southern California Indian Center for 9 years. He coordinated multiple programs and services to assist the largest urban Indian community in the United States. He has received numerous awards for his work and leadership in Indian Country including the California State Chapter of the National Society of the American Revolution’s Outstanding American Indian, the Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge’s George Washington Honor Medal, the County of Los Angeles’ Affirmative Action Volunteer of the Year and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s National Fellowship.  Dr. Castillo has taught graduate courses in social work as well as undergraduate courses on Indian Studies at California State University, Long Beach.  He has published several articles about American Indians and is a sought out speaker at functions across the country.  With decades of experience in program coordination and a Ph.D. in organizational development, Dr. Castillo is fully dedicated to improving the quality of life on American Indian reservations. 

Amanda Roggow, M.S.W. - Program Manager for Development
aroggow@walkingshield.org

Amanda Roggow received her Masters of Social Work from the University of Southern California with a concentration in community organizing, planning and administration.  Ms. Roggow has over 10 years of non- profit experience including department management, program development and foundation relations.  She is responsible for Walking Shield’s grant acquisitions, compliance and reporting as well as many aspects of the agency’s internal development and public relations.

Marvin Thurman - Program Manager for Operation Walking Shield
mthurman@walkingshield.org

Marvin Thurman is the Program Manager for Operation Walking Shield.  His role includes coordinating our both partnerships with various branches of the military through the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Program as well as with the U.S. Air Force for the Housing Relocation Program.  Mr. Thurman works closely with participating tribes and also assists with other Walking Shield programs to ensure successful results.  Mr. Thurman brings many years of experience working for corporations such as Disney, Toshiba and Unisys to his role at Walking Shield.