2024 Tribal Elections

The Nomination Meeting was held on February 22, 2024, for the purpose of taking nominations for the remaining one-year term of Second Chief, the three-year terms of First Councilman and Secretary-Treasurer, and one Grievance Committee position. 2024 nominees for Second Chief are: Mikal Scott-Werner, Beryl “Gene” Epperson, and Jonathan Jacobs. Nominees for First Councilman are: Cody Hollenbeck and Orion Clint Henry. Nominees for Secretary-Treasurer are: Brittany Bailey Long (Incumbent) and Kallista Keah. Nominees for Grievance Committee are: Rachel Yeakley, Anastasia Stwyer, and Lloyd Cox. The Elections will be held on May 4th, 2024. Polls will be open from 10am CST until noon. The General Council Meeting of the Ottawa Tribe will be held right after the announcement of the voting results. Lunch will be provided between election and Meeting.

You may also vote absentee in-person at the Ottawa Tribal Office through May 3rd, 2024, 4pm. Ask for Stacy Adams. A photo ID and Tribal Membership/Citizenship Card is required. If the Tribal Card has a photo on it, this will satisfy both of these requirements.

Need an absentee ballot? Click the button below.

2024 Election Results

Second Chief: Beryl (Gene) Epperson

1st Councilman: Cody Hollenbeck

Secretary-Treasurer: Kallista Keah

Grievance Committee: Rachel Marie Yeakley

2024 Election Candidates

Jonathan Jacobs

2nd Chief Candidate

Boozhoo, indinawemaaganidog!

Hello, my relatives!

My name is Jonathan Jacobs (Gichi-Manidoo Anokii…Creator Works). I moved to Oklahoma from Pennsylvania a little over a decade ago with my wife and two daughters to be closer to our tribe and to learn as much as I could about our culture. Since then, I have become a proud graduate of Ottawa University, where I completed my undergraduate and graduate work, ultimately obtaining two Master’s degrees: one in Professional Counseling and the other in Addiction Counseling. Many of your already know me. For the past 2.5 years, I have faithfully served our tribe as the Director of Indian Child Welfare. It was during this time, that I had the privilege of meeting, defending, and reunifying many of our most vulnerable families. During my tenure as Director of ICW, I was elected president of the Northeast Tribes Child Protection Team, uniting the ICW workers of Northeast Oklahoma in our efforts to transform our community through the preservation of Native families and the protection of Native children. Until recently, I also served for a handful of years on the election committee and cemetery committee, am actively involved in learning our language, have participated in naming ceremonies and other traditional ceremonies, and am learning our arts.

Working in the Ottawa office, I also was given the opportunity to connect with our elders, get to know our amazing office staff, engage with the BIA on a variety of tasks/issues, and understand from an “insider’s” perspective the daily operation of our tribe, tribal businesses, and grants. This is perhaps one quality that sets me apart from other candidates running for office. I have been a tribal member far removed in distance from the tribe, struggling to figure out how to connect with my cultural and political identity. I have also been intimately acquainted with the daily workings of our tribe and have had the privilege of spending time with and learning from our elders. I’ve been on the “inside” as well as the “outside” and can understand some of the frustrations both “sides” feel. All of that said, as your potential Second Chief, there are a few things I would like you to know about me and my understanding of tribal leadership:

1. First and most importantly, I believe in servant-hearted leadership. As leaders, we do not hold positions for self-promotion, popularity, or love of power. Culturally educated tribal leaders understand we must prefer the well-being of the people over our own desires and that we never ask others to do something we would not do ourselves. By the same token, we also do not acceptprivileges or freedoms that we cannot make available to the rest of our people.

2. Our tribal government exists for the people and by the people. As a potential member of our Business Committee, I serve at the leisure of the general council. If at any time, I am not advocating for the needs, vision, and best interests of our people, then I must be removed from office.

3. I believe that as a Business Committee, we must welcome respectful disagreement and not be threatened by it. We must be secure in our personal identities and welcome challenges from fellow BC members as well as the general council. When someone raises a concern or wants change in a certain area, it should not be viewed as a personal attack. Rather, it is an opportunity to improve and grow. This makes us stronger as a tribe and ensures teamwork and accountability.

4. I do not believe our constitution in its present state adequately serves the needs of our tribe. Over 20 years ago, we drafted an updated version of the constitution, but it was never ratified. I suspect that even that updated version is now out of date. I believe we need a committee comprised of the general council that is focused on building upon the foundation laid by our ancestors to draft an updated constitution that takes into account our growth and modern technological advancements. This is an urgent need, as evidenced by the vastly different interpretations of how the tribe ought to abide by our constitution. This needs to be made a priority.

5. Transparency is critical – this is something we are growing in and can continue to grow in. I appreciate the response of our BC to the request of the tribe by making business committee meetings available on Zoom to other tribal members. I believe we can take it a step farther by limiting executive sessions to a much smaller portion of the overall BC meeting. My view is that there are only a handful of scenarios where executive session is necessary and that as leaders, while it may be uncomfortable at first, we can trust the general council with more information than we have been. As your future Second Chief, I am excited to search for ways to streamline our BC meetings so they can be efficient and focused primarily on hearing from and meeting the needs of our people.

6. As always, we need a concerted effort to expand our services to as many tribal members as possible. As a small tribe, this is a work in progress, but equality for all tribal members needs to be held as a primary goal…regardless of distance from tribal headquarters. In perhaps a small way, this is something I was working on in regard to expanding our school assistance program when I was employed by the Ottawa Tribe. 7. I do not believe that major financial investments should be made by the Business Committee without the feedback of the General Council and the oversight of an educated and proven financial advisor. Of course, it is not practical for this to apply to the daily operations of the tribe and our businesses. But proposals for new businesses, new buildings, large investments, and salaries for the BC should require feedback from General Council and not merely voted on by the BC. We need to develop a mechanism to put this in place.

8. The purpose of the BC is not to solve all the problems of the tribe, but to open the door for tribal members to develop solutions that come from the people and serve the needs of the people. I believe there are a host of untapped resources already present within our tribe that need to be accessed and utilized. It is an exciting time to be a member of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma! As I reflect upon the growth of our tribe and the expansion of our economic and political influence, I am inspired to build upon the foundation of our ancestors in such a way that honors them and that sets future generations up for success. Some of my most precious memories of the late Chief Cook were times when she accompanied me to the post office or sat down for lunch with me and told me about the early days of our reinstatement as a federal tribe. She spoke of elders pulling into a field with their cars and using 5-gallon buckets as chairs at our early general council meetings. I wonder if they dreamed about what we would become over the next 50 years. How tempting it must have been to despise the day of small beginnings.

Yet, here we are now, a tribe of over 3500, with several buildings, multiple businesses, a university, and educated and passionate tribal members. Gone are the days of a handful of tribal members gathering in a field with make-shift chairs. And yet their legacy compels us to embrace the discomfort that comes from growing pangs and to broaden our vision for who we are to become in the future. As we vote for our future leaders this year, let’s honor the foundation that has been laid by our ancestors, while opening ourselves up to the change that is required in order for us enter successfully into the next phase of

Ottawa history. United we stand, divided we Fall!

If you would like to ask me any questions, feel free to reach out:

(918)676-6575 myundone@gmail.com

Rachel Marie Yeakley

Grievance Candidate

Hello, everyone. My name is Rachel Marie Yeakley. I was named "Punjab odawgwe" (Little Face) by Chief Dawes. I am the great-great granddaughter of Chief Joseph Badger King, I am the great granddaughter of Charles F. King, and I am the granddaughter of Cleta Fay Daws. I am the daughter of Delinda Kay Harvey.

I am excited to announce that I am running for the position of Grievance Committee Member. I love our tribe, and I want to serve our tribe, and I feel that serving as a Grievance Committee Member would be an excellent way for me to do so. I feel that every grievance deserves the right to be fairly heard and acted upon.

I am 48 years old, and I have four children, who are the loves of my life. We enjoy attending our tribal pow-wows together. Two of my children are grown and two are school-age, so I have plenty of experience handling grievances.

I have excellent skills in the areas of computer usage, typing, filing, task prioritization, verbal and written communication, including telephone skills and etiquette. I can work with and empathize with all people. I have traveled to Santo Domingo and throughout the U.S. I have exceptional organizational skills, and I stay on task until my assignment is completed. My decision-making ability is professional, fair, and expedient. I have the ability to work under stress and pressure and deal calmly and professionally with multiple daily interruptions. My English language skills are excellent, both verbal and written.

I have a residence in Miami, and I am a full-time homemaker. I have a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from John Brown University, and I graduated from Van Buren High School in Van Buren, Arkansas, where my father lives, and we also spend time. In my free time, I enjoy swimming, reading, traveling, and playing board games.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Cody Hollenbeck

1st Councilman Candidate

My name is Cody Hollenbeck, I am a direct descendant of Chief Joseph Badger King, he was my Great-great-grandfather. After graduating from Grove High School in 1993, I joined the Army. Upon graduating Infantry Basic Training and Airborne School I was stationed at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. While serving in the Army, an opportunity arose to go to college, so I attended the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated in 1999 with a BA in History. After college, I was commissioned back into the US Army as a 2nd Lieutenant and upon completion of Infantry Officers Basic Course I was assigned to 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3 rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Georgia where I served as Rifle Platoon Leader and Company Executive Officer. I was sent in 2002 to the Military Intelligence Officers Advance Course at Ft. Huachuca and promoted to Captain. Upon completion of the course, October 2002, I was sent to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and was the Battalion Intelligence Officer for 1 st Battalion 5 th Special Forces Group (Airborne). There I served as the Intelligence Officer for the Battalion for the Invasion of Iraq OIF 1 as well as the Combine. Joint Special Operations Task Force Intelligence Officer. This Task Force contained elements from the 22 Special Air Service (SAS), the Australian Commandos, 3 rd Battalion 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and our own Green Berets from 1st Battalion 5 th Special Forces. After the Invasion of Iraq, I was assigned as a Military Advisor, for 16 months, to the 3 rd Battalion 3rd Brigade 2 nd Iraqi Army Division. This Kurdish Peshmerga Battalion as well as the Iraqi Army Division was involved the Battle of Mosul and was instrumental in defeating the Insurgency in Northern Iraq from Kirkuk, Mosul, Tal Afar, Hatra, and Qayyarah, in 2005 and 2006.

I retired from the Army honorably in 2007 and worked as a DOD Contractor training soldiers deploying to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. In 2014 my wife and I chose to return to Miami, Oklahoma to start our family. I worked for the state of Oklahoma Department of Human Services for 3 years and now sell Real Estate in North East Oklahoma. My time in the Army has given me the needed experience to help pull people together and work as a team. My life has been about service, I have served my country and would be honored to serve my Ottawa Tribal family on the Tribal Council as 1st Councilman.

Aanii, Waabagoniiqwe ndizhinikaaz (Hi, my name is Anastasia Stwyer). I’m currently attending Ottawa University where I am double majoring in psychology and biology. At Ottawa University, I have represented the tribe by accepting a mayoral proclamation for Native American Heritage Month and by founding OU’s first Native American Student Association. During my time at OU, I hope to help connect younger tribal members with both the cultural and governmental aspects of our tribe. In high school, I graduated with multiple college credits and a Culinary Arts degree. Culturally, I have been head lady at multiple powwows within Oklahoma, Missouri, and Michigan. I have also been teaching and assisting with language and culture classes since I was 12 years old. I have also been volunteering consistently within the tribe since I was 10 years old. I believe I would make a good addition to the grievance committee because of my continued dedication to the culture and community of our tribe. I would be happy to answer questions anyone has for me. You can email me at anastasia.stwyer@icloud.com or by messaging me on Facebook.

Thank you,

Anastasia Stwyer

Kallista Keah

Secretary/Treasurer Candidate

With sincere gratitude for this opportunity, I was nominated for the Secretary/Treasurer position that is up for election in May of this year. It would be an honor to use my experience and skills to serve the tribe in this role. I’d like to share about my work experience and how it could support this role, my family connection to the tribe, and vision working within this role.

Pertaining to the Treasurer side of this role, I’m able to offer 12 years of experience working in Finance roles, of which 4 years were in Banking and 8 years have been in Payroll/Accounting. During the 4 years of working in the banking industry, I worked for a large, nationwide bank as a Lead Teller. In that role, I supervised a small team of Tellers, handled compliance of audit operations and regulatory issues, trained new tellers, ensured adherence to policies and procedures, processed customer transactions, maintained a daily cash drawer of $20,000, and oversaw the daily balancing of the main vault which contained a standing cash hold of $300,000.

Within the 8 years that I’ve worked in the Finance field, 4 of those years I served in a Payroll Analyst role working for a large tech company. Within that role, I was the primary point of contact for all US and Canada banking related matters; placed stop payments and handled the reissuance of returned direct deposit payments and paper checks; solely responsible for processing high-level employee severance payments and their final paychecks; independently responsible for handling all of the Canada payroll operations; processed final paychecks for US and Canada employees; issued off-cycle payments; oversaw and maintained the paycheck garnishment information for all US and Canada employees; handled year-end audits and tasks related to creating and issuing W-2’s; responded to and resolved paycheck tax inquiries and issues for US and Canada employees; provided Tier 2 (escalated) level of support to employees experiencing pay or benefits issues; developed and implemented company wide process improvements; provided global timecard support which covered employees in 3 regions–EMEIA (European countries), APAC (Asian countries), and the Americas (Canada, US, Mexico, and South America); provided global technical timecard support; traveled to Singapore to train and take over the handling of the payroll processing of employees located in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Australia; collaborated daily with internal business partners in HR, Compliance, Legal, and Accounting; required to continually maintain knowledge of federal and state, wage, tax laws and statutes. The following 4 years, I honed in on performing end-to-end payroll processing and serving as a Payroll Administrator overseeing all of the payroll operations, as well as employee expense reimbursements. This includes ensuring all pay runs are processed accurately; handling all pay related tasks and issues; maintain all data file feeds that are set up between the HR system and outside vendors for the daily transfer of pay and benefits data; review and approve all employee expense reimbursement requests; assist with all compliance and regulatory audits; and work with vendors to resolve high level issues as they arise.

With these work experiences, I will be able to comfortably fulfill the Treasurer side of responsibilities that are outlined in our constitution. Those duties from our constitution are: oversee and authorize all monetary spend for the tribe; be in charge of all money and bank accounts of the tribe, including all expenses and expense reimbursements; partner with a CPA of the BIA to conduct a yearly audit; create an annual report of the tribe’s finances. Pertaining to the Secretary side of this role, I’m able to offer 4 years of Administrative experience. During that time, I supported a Director of Operations coordinating weekly meetings with staff; taking notes during those meetings; coordinated hotel, car rental, and luncheon logistics for all conferences; organized all travel arrangements; communicated official notices to employees; created and maintained file systems for official records; and oversaw all of the office operations. These experiences will allow me to fulfill the Secretary responsibilities for this role that are outlined in our constitution. Those duties are: attend Ottawa Council meetings when they occur, document all minutes of Business Committee and Ottawa Council meetings, maintain records of the tribe, maintain the list of all members of the tribe, issuing notices to the tribe of all meetings that will occur.

In addition to those professional experiences, I’ve continually served on booster club boards over the years of my son playing sports. Volunteering on those boards were exciting and fun times where I learned how to serve on a board and all the complexities that come with that. I’ve been a part of the tribe my entire life and was honored to be named Pezaunewa by the late former Chief, Charley Dawes. My family connection to the tribe is through my grandpa, Edward “Eddie” Keah, my father’s dad. He wasnwell known as a dancer in the tribe his entire life. I hold close to my heart all the childhood memories I have watching him setup camp at the Pow Wows and dance all night long. If I were to be elected into this position, it would be my hope to serve in a way that would make him proud as he was fiercely committed to the tribe. Our tribe has grown substantially over the years and appears to be working on adjusting to the larger number of members, multiple businesses, and natural growing pains that go along with those kinds of changes. I’m open to learning from our current leaders and lending all of the support and ideas that I can to help our tribe run more efficiently. Every person in the tribe has something that they can offer and I plan to continue encouraging every member to get involved with the tribe. I believe each of us deeply loves our tribe and we will overcome all challenges, working together towards goals that are geared for the betterment of the tribe, for years to come.

Mikal Scott-Werner

2nd Chief Candidate

Hello my name is Mikal Scott-Werner. I am running for 2nd Chief of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma. I am Married to Robert, and have two children. I live in Miami Oklahoma. I have served on the board and election committees for over 10 years.

I believe it is imperative to have someone available to be able to conduct tribal business in the event of sickness, or any untimely vacancy. I am currently serving as second councilmen and this is solely the reason I am running. Sadly with Chief Ethel Cook's passing I realized how important it was for someone to transition to her position. It has been challenging, but luckily the position was able to be filled by an experienced Second Chief. With time, and teamwork, our board was able to successfully navigate and continue tribal business and programs.

My current goals are to continue the momentum of being a completely independent sovereign nation. We are moving in a positive direction. Our current business developments includes adding a hotel to High Winds and a family fun center located by the Travel Plaza. The new restaurant Otter Cove has been successful and already established itself in our community. The Otter Stop was rebuilt in 2023. I am wanting to branch out and get in the manufacturing game. We have come so far and growing exponentially. The sky is the limit.

I will always love and protect our tribe. I promise to always hear your concerns. I have so many aspirations and ideas that I can't wait to share. I have learned so much, even in these last few months. Each and every Tribal member has something to bring to the table. It will take reaching out and working together to be successful.

Miigwech,

Mikal

Beryl "Gene" Epperson

2nd Chief Candidate

I am proud to have accepted the nomination to run for Second Chief for the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma. I have been a lifelong resident of Ottawa County. I am the Great-Grandson of the late Chief Joseph Badger King and the son of the late Claudean Epperson. I have been married for 50 years to Deborah "Bro" Epperson. I have two children, Aaron Epperson and Jennifer Hembree. I also have 7 Grandchildren and 6 Great-Grandchildren. I have been involved with the tribe for the majority of my life. My earliest memories are as a youngster helping my Mother accept donations at our cemetery during the Memorial Day weekend. I was elected to two terms as Secretary / Treasurer during the tenure of the late Chief Charlie Dawes and Chief Charles Todd. I have also served as tribal representative for Indian Health Services and for the Inter-Tribal Council.

I am a retired Registered Nurse of 32 years. I have held the position of an Administrator of a free-standing Psychiatric Stabilization Center. I was responsible for overseeing the daily workflow of staff which included Social Workers, Registered Nurses, Mental Health Techs, and accounting personnel. I was responsible for a multi-million dollar budget with monthly accountability to the executive board. I have held many varied positions during my career within Administration as a Supervisor and /or Manager of various psychiatric units. In my last position as a Nurse Manager, I was responsible for the daily functions of a 77-bed facility with over 100 staff. Overall duties consisted of staff hiring, education, training, evaluations, payroll, timekeeping, disciplinary actions, writing and/or revisions of policy and procedures and many Performance Improvement projects and regulatory compliance. During my long career, I had been appointed to many various hospital committees. I chaired many of these committees which required me, as a subject matter expert, to speak to the issues at hand.

If elected as your Second Chief, I will be a steward for the governing body of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma. I will work to maintain transparency between the tribal members and the Business Committee. I would like for the tribal programs to be able to serve all tribal members rather than those who live within a certain-mile radius. I am not running for personal gain, but rather for what I can do to have a positive outcome in promoting the tribe for generations to come.

Lloyd Cox

Grievance Candidate

Dear Ottawa Tribal Council Members,

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lloyd Cox, and I am asking for your vote for the Grievance Committee Position available for our Tribe. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself and my family. I was born to Lloyd and Davetta Cox of Fairland, Ok, where I have lived my entire life. My father was a Cherokee Citizen, and my mother was an Ottawa Tribal Citizen. I am married to my wife Lavina and together we have raised six children and are now enjoying sixgrandchildren.

I am a Heavy Equipment/Auto Mechanic by trade, but my passion is being a Firefighter. I have served on the Hickory Grove Fire Department since it started in 1989, and currently serve as their Fire Chief. My wife and I spend a lot of time giving to our community through volunteer programs such as serving as Court Appointed Special Advocate for Tribal Children, Church Leadership, Hickory Grove Cemetery President, and School Board of Education. We enjoy being involved in the community and doing what we can to have an influence on the better good, which is what led me to the desire to be involved in my Tribe. My desire is to see our tribe prosper and grow. We do this through transparency and honest and open communication.

I would be honored if you would extend your trust in me and give me your vote for Grievance Committee Member of the Ottawa tribe.

Anastasia Stwyer

Grievance Candidate

Orion Clint Henry

1st Councilman Candidate

Many greetings to my Adawe tribal family. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Orion Clint Henry. I was born here in Miami, but mainly grew up in Vinta. I’m a proud graduate class of ’01 Hornets.

After high school, I worked for the Inter Tribal Treatment Center. I was clerical and then progressed to the outreach prevention specialist. Which was a great experience , getting to go to the schools and fairs promoting better health to kids and adults alike. After a few years I decided to move to Idaho to be with my father.

Idaho had many great opportunities as I was able to get my CDL and work in construction and then later plumbing. Unfortunately , my dad’s health became an issue and I chose to help with him. After he returned to better health, I decided it was time to come back home and a good time to think about college at 26.

I did finally have the fortune of going to college at Ottawa University in 2009. I was majoring in psychology and theology. It was an amazing experience, but it was cut short with the expecting arrival of my beautiful daughter with Alexandra Speights.

After the arrival of my daughter, is when I began my career in Healthcare. I work at Integris in multiple roles, from supervisor to clerical. After 10 years I finally got my chance to work for NTHS, where most of you know me from if not elsewhere. I’m dedicated 100% to what I do, and am fortunate enough to have a blast doing it everyday helping all of our native nations.

That’s where my decision to finally run for the business council, after 10 years of the election committee. I’ve watched and learned a lot from that experience. I’ve met many of our members that have questions or suggestions alike that feel their voice isn’t heard. I know there’s many others that feel the same way. When I began with the election committee I was chose because I’m completely non-bias and will listen to all sides, no matter the disposition. Every side has the right to have their word voiced, with the right steps made.

I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I’m walking into for the most part but I have a good idea. I’m not saying the current board isn’t doing a good job to the best of their abilities, but sometimes a little bit of change can help point in the right direction. Lastly, I’m a proud father, dedicated healthcare worker, and hopefully with your support a new perspective for our tribal community. And to all of you, please always remember, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.”

Brittany Bailey Long

Secretary/Treasurer Candidate

My name is Brittany Bailey Long. I am a dedicated professional with a diverse background spanning community engagement, education, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. Raised in the Four States area, I grew up on a farm where I developed a strong work ethic early on, honing my skills in horse riding, cattle work, and agricultural practices. I still reside in the Four States area, on a small farm with my family, where we garden and raise goats. I am 14 years married to my husband and am a proud mother of two daughters who are in elementary school, where they are excelling academically.

I have attended both Crowder College and Ottawa University. Graduating from Crowder College as an Outstanding Graduate in 2008 with a degree in Art and Design, I furthered my education with a second Associate’s Degree in Education the following year, serving as President of the Crowder College Honors Society chapter during my time there. I am currently nearing completion of my degree in Human and Social Services from Ottawa University, demonstrating my commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth.

I am a staunch advocate for preserving Anishinaabe language and cultural traditions; both my daughters and I are involved in participating in and preserving Ottawa culture by being involved in programs such as the tribal language and culture classes, attending powwow, and going to Michigan for the annual Anishinaabe Language and Culture Camp. I continually volunteer my time with the Ottawa Tribe, engaging in various activities such as helping with tribal food basket programs, assisting the powwow committee, and helping with the cultural and language classes. I am also a member of the tribal quilting group.

In addition to my cultural advocacy, I have been deeply involved in local anti-human- trafficking efforts in recent years, volunteering with organizations like NightLight Missouri and the RISE Coalition. Through my volunteer work, I have developed valuable skills in handling sensitive information, demonstrating compassion, and advocating for vulnerable populations. In fall of 2023, I utilized these skills and experiences while representing the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma on a special panel at an MMIW/domestic violence awareness event at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. My professional journey also includes roles as Lead Wellness Coach for Village Education Tutors Foundation, where I played a pivotal role in establishing and launching the foundation’s online Wellness Program at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently, I am the owner of a successful small business where I stay busy making and selling my own Native beadwork. I have had the honor of serving as Secretary-Treasurer on the Business Committee since August 2023. While there, I am committed to doing all I can to ensure the security and prosperity of the Tribe and its businesses.

Some of my initiatives have included implementing security measures such as regular cybersecurity checkups and procuring strong password and file protection software. Currently, I am spearheading the development of an updated and expanded tribal website, with a hopeful launch in late Spring 2024. I have also reestablished the precedent of being available multiple times a week to meet with tribal members for regular viewing of business committee minutes, fostering continued progress towards transparency, accessibility, and accountability within our tribal community. Driven by a desire to make a positive impact in my community and beyond, I try to embody the values of hard work, dedication, compassion, and service. I am proud to be Ottawa, and am dedicated to serving the Ottawa Tribe in any capacity I am able. Through my diverse experiences and commitment, I try to inspire those around me and work to leave a lasting legacy of empowerment and advocacy for the next Seven Generations and beyond.