Santa Ysabel woman selected local hero honoree

Brandie Taylor of Santa Ysabel has been selected one of two local hero honorees for Native American Heritage Month by Union Bank and KPBS.

The 2011 Cultural Diversity Partnership of Union Bank and KPBS has honored 16 local heroes in eight diverse groups throughout the year. The program recognizes those who have made a difference by improving their workplace, profession, neighborhood, community, region and the world.

Taylor is the vice chairwoman of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel and has dedicated her life to advocating for tribal rights, preservation of tribal culture, and improvement of health and safety of native peoples. She is also an avid supporter of higher education for youth.

Taylor’s accomplishments include securing funding for Iipay Nation’s Tribal social services, which handle child dependency cases and culturally-focused assistance for family preservation.

She is a member of many tribal, local, state and national groups, including Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy, Inter-tribal Court of Southern California, and the Cal State San Marcos Native Advisory Council.

Taylor is the recipient of the 2010 Community Leader of the Year award and the 2004 Tribal Leader award for Indian Child Welfare.

Union Bank and KPBS also named Michelle M. Parada, co-founder and lead teacher of the All Tribes American Indian Charter School, as a local hero honoree. Parada grew up on Rincon Reservation.

Video profiles of the hororees may be viewed at www.kpbs.org/heroes. More information on the local heroes awards is at unionbank.com/heroes.