Council

The North Dakota

Restorative Practices Council

Council Members

Natasha Gourd

Director of Education Strategies, Consensus Council

When the Council launched in Spring 2024, Natasha Gourd convened its first statewide advisory group and served as inaugural Coordinator, bringing together professionals across justice, education, and community systems. She did more than organize. She set the strategic vision, helped secure the funding that supports the work, and shaped the implementation guides the Council uses today.

Natasha now serves as Director of Education Strategies for Consensus Council, where she provides strategic leadership for restorative practices statewide. Grounded in her Dakota identity as Wicanphi Tokca Win (“Different Star Woman”), she brings more than a decade of experience in restorative practices, Indigenous peacemaking, juvenile justice reform, and systems change.

Elizabeth Hilt

Associate Director, Consensus Council

Elizabeth Hilt serves as Associate Director of Consensus Council and has spent nearly 20 years advancing Restorative Justice philosophies and practices across communities and systems. A devoted advocate for values-based dialogue, her work centers on creating space for difficult conversations that build empathy, accountability, and stronger relationships. Elizabeth earned her master’s degree from St. Cloud State University (MN), focusing on restorative approaches to criminal harms, and most of her career has centered on applications within justice systems—supporting youth, adults, and institutions in addressing conflict and repairing harm. She has led North Dakota’s statewide Restorative Justice program in partnership with Juvenile Court and the Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation since 2018, and views restorative practices not only as effective interventions after harm has occurred but also as essential tools for prevention, belonging, and resilience in school communities. Elizabeth lives in Fargo, ND with her husband and five children.

Joel Friesz

Executive Director, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice

Joel Friesz has served as the Executive Director of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ) since January 2022. With two decades of experience as a restorative justice practitioner, he has worked extensively across North Dakota and the surrounding region to implement restorative practices in K–12 schools, the juvenile justice system, and adult corrections. A lifelong North Dakotan, he resides in Fargo, where he continues to support restorative justice initiatives at both local and national levels.

Friesz joined the Restorative Practices Council because he cares deeply about the safety and well‑being of communities and schools in North Dakota and believes restorative justice is essential to achieving these goals.

Dr. Rachel Bachmeier

Principal, West Fargo High School

Dr. Rachel Bachmeier is the Principal of West Fargo High School. Originally from Kent, Ohio, she earned her undergraduate degree in History and Secondary Education from Marietta College. After graduation, she joined Teach for America and served as a Corps Member on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, teaching eighth‑grade language arts at Todd County Middle School.

In 2016, she moved to West Fargo—her husband’s hometown—and began her career at West Fargo High School, first as an English Learner Social Studies instructor and later as an administrator. She received her doctorate from the University of North Dakota in 2024, completing a dissertation focused on restorative practices. She currently resides in West Fargo with her husband, daughter, and their rescue dog.

Bachmeier is enthusiastic about serving on the Restorative Practices Council, as restorative practices have been a central pillar of her work in education. She has witnessed firsthand the profound and positive impact these approaches have on students’ lives.

Jayme Davis

Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, Standing Rock Nation

North Dakota House of Representatives

Jayme Davis (Turtle Mountain Band/Standing Rock Nation) serves as the Representative for District 9 in the North Dakota House of Representatives and has been re‑elected Minority Caucus Chair. She is committed to advancing policies that promote equity, strengthen tribal–state relations, and uplift the diverse communities of her district. She is completing her Master of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School and brings extensive experience in leadership and advocacy to her government work.

Davis joined the Restorative Practices Council because she believes in the transformative power of restorative practices to build trust, heal relationships, and create stronger, more inclusive communities. She views restorative approaches as critical tools for addressing systemic inequities and fostering collaboration across diverse perspectives. Her participation aligns with her long‑standing commitment to ensuring that every voice has a place at the table.

Magdalena “Mena” de la Paz

Dean of Students, Four Winds High School

21st Century Coordinator, Tate Topa Tribal School

Magdalena “Mena” de la Paz is a veteran educator with 16 years of classroom experience, primarily as a fourth‑grade teacher. She currently serves as Dean of Students at Four Winds High School while continuing her long‑standing role as 21st Century Coordinator at Tate Topa Tribal School, which has expanded to include high school programming. She earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from North Dakota State University in 2019 and remains committed to lifelong learning through instructional, engineering, and teaching cohorts.

Her dedication to cultural revitalization is reflected in her leadership in securing grants for Dakota teachings, student drum groups, ribbon work, and fashion shows that honor Indigenous identity. In 2009, she received the “Be the Change” award for her impactful contributions to the 21st Century Grant Program.

De la Paz’s mission is to restore Indigenous cultural identity within school systems to help address intergenerational impacts of historical trauma. She is also a proud mother of two daughters, both recent graduates of Dartmouth College and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Seferino “Sef” Hernandez

Juvenile Court Officer I, Grand Forks Juvenile Court

Seferino “Sef” Hernandez moved from Texas to North Dakota at the age of eight and is a first‑generation college graduate. He holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Northland Community College and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of North Dakota. He currently serves as a Juvenile Court Officer, where he has worked for approximately a year and a half. His prior experience includes roles as a police officer with the University of North Dakota Police Department and as a correctional officer at the Grand Forks County Correctional Center.

Hernandez joined the Restorative Practices Council to contribute his personal and professional experiences toward establishing a stronger presence for restorative practices in North Dakota. His goal is to help BIPOC families experience smoother transitions in their communities and ensure that BIPOC youth across the state receive education about law and available services. He advocates for transparency and collaboration between families, schools, Juvenile Court, and Human Services, believing that strengthened support systems can help families avoid system involvement.

Kirsten Dvorak

Executive Director, The Arc of Bismarck and The Arc of North Dakota

Kirsten Dvorak has served as Executive Director of The Arc of Bismarck and The Arc of North Dakota for nine years, advocating for the rights and inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She holds degrees in Human Services Management and Health Administration and brings extensive experience in healthcare, mental health, and special education support. Dvorak is also actively involved in state‑level policy work, advancing legislation that promotes equity, inclusion, and improved access to essential services.

Inspired by her son Radek, who is on the autism spectrum, Dvorak remains dedicated to creating meaningful and lasting change for the disability community.

McKinzie Kipp

Juvenile Court Officer I, Grand Forks Juvenile Court

McKinzie Kipp earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies from the University of North Dakota in 2020. After graduation, she moved from North Dakota to Colorado to broaden her professional horizons. There, she began her three years of experience in Juvenile Corrections at Colorado’s Division of Youth Services, working at a state-operated secure residential treatment facility in Lakewood, Colorado. She served a complex adolescent population with behavioral health disorders, substance use issues, trauma histories, criminal behaviors, and gang involvement.

After returning to North Dakota, Kipp spent two years working in Child Welfare in a rural area and served on the Supervision Work Group as part of a statewide case management redesign focused on enhancing supervision practices. In September 2025, she began her current role as a Juvenile Court Officer in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where her diverse experience continues to support her success.

Kipp specializes in working with at‑risk and vulnerable youth across the state, providing trauma‑informed care tailored to individual needs. She approaches every youth and family with compassion and understanding. A 10‑year veteran of the North Dakota Army National Guard, she has developed strong leadership skills, attention to detail, discipline, and the ability to collaborate effectively within diverse teams.

She is recognized as a skilled communicator, collaborator, and advocate for client needs while ensuring safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and policy compliance. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her dogs Jagger and Jasper, thrifting, reading, hiking, fishing, and traveling. She hopes to apply one day to be a contestant on the CBS show Survivor.

Partner with us

Do you represent a school or organization committed to addressing youth behavior, repairing harm, and strengthening relationships? We want to partner with you. Together, we can build restorative approaches that create safer, more supportive communities across North Dakota.