Reann posing with a pattypan squash and sunflowers grown in their community garden.
Reann Gibson joins us as Research Manager. We asked Reann 10 questions to learn more about their background, community, and how they connect to our work at Inatai.
Name:Reann Gibson
Pronouns: she/her and they/them
Role: Research Manager
Home: Pierce County
1. What are three words that describe you?
Thoughtful, playful, collaborative
2. What is the “long story short” of how you landed at Inatai?
It’s important to me that I use my research skills to advance justice and support community power building in real, tangible ways. When I began to plan my move from Boston to Washington state in 2022-23, folks in my network pointed me toward Inatai. I was working at the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) when I saw the Research Manager position open and applied immediately. The excitement I heard from community leaders I had been working with at DOH when I let them know I was joining the Inatai team further confirmed that I was making the right move.
3. What excites you most about being part of Team Inatai?
It’s both exciting and refreshing to work at a place where values like racial justice, collective liberation, and joy are the foundation and are considered in every decision that is made – from hiring to finance to research and community engagement. I’ve never worked someplace with the level of intentionality and care that Inatai has. It fits closely with my own nature, and I look forward to contributing to the intentional work environment.
4. Tell us about the community or communities you belong to.
I have deep connections to the Black and queer community, and I’m grateful anytime I can spend time in these spaces, especially when they intersect. Having spent the majority of my life thus far in Boston, I can’t help but shoutout my East Coast community, too.
5. Inatai’s strategies are underlined by a 50-Year Vision informed by communities. What is it about your community that keeps you hopeful for the future?
The care that people in my community show for me and each other keeps me hopeful. We cannot heal from or overcome the struggles we face societally in isolation. Knowing that I’m surrounded by people who are willing to go that extra mile helps me see that we can make progress together.
6. Finish this sentence: The Inatai value the most resonates with me is…
If I have to pick just one, I choose collective liberation.
7. What is your favorite fact about Washington?
Since I first visited Washington in 2015, I’ve been fascinated by the agricultural history: 15 million acres of farmland spread across nearly 40,000 farms! Though I’m sustained in the summer by fruits and vegetables I grow in my own backyard, I hold gratitude for the farmers, growers, and pickers statewide.
8. Where is your favorite place in Washington?
I appreciate Washington’s natural beauty, including anywhere I can immerse myself in a lake, river, or forest. Currently one of my favorite places is Charlotte’s Blueberry Park in Tacoma, where I’m a steward of a newly planted food forest. I’m looking forward to eating lots of berries any day now.
9. What is the last thing you read, watched, or listened to that you would recommend? Why?
I loved listening to culture writer J Wortham during their days hosting the Still Processing podcast with Wesley Morris. Recently J was a guest on the Co-Regulation podcast, speaking on community care, preparedness, and how to stay present in our current social-political moment. I really connected with their perspective.
10. What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I love any activity that gets me outside: growing fruits and vegetables, walking my dog, hiking, camping, or playing kickball with Queer City Sports. I’m also a huge foodie and enjoy watching Top Chef and visiting the cheftestants’ restaurants locally and when I travel.
