About Me

I come from a small rural community—Lupton, or Tsé Si Ani, Arizona—located in the heart of the Navajo Nation. Growing up without running water or electricity shaped my understanding of how critical policy and infrastructure are for tribal communities, and it instilled in me a lifelong commitment to advancing them.

From the very beginning of my career, I dedicated myself to serving tribal nations. My first opportunity came as the inaugural Congressional Intern for Congressman Raúl Grijalva through the Udall Internship for Native Students. That experience was formative—it impressed upon me that Indian Country needs advocates at every level of government, whether career staff, appointed officials, or elected leaders. No one understands tribal communities better than those who come from them.

After completing that internship, I returned to Pittsburgh to finish my graduate studies at the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, where I earned my Master’s in Public Policy and Management. Determined to continue in public service, I joined the Presidential Management Fellows Program and was placed at the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Foreign and Commercial Service. There, I quickly learned the importance—and the challenges—of being the only woman, the only person of color, and the only Native American in the room.

Following my time at Commerce, I was called to serve my own tribal government as a subject matter expert on trade, commerce, education, and transportation at the Navajo Nation Washington Office. Thereafter, I was honored to be appointed by the Obama Administration as the Assistant Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Native American Affairs. In that role, I represented Native small businesses across Indian Country, Alaska, and Hawaii—traveling extensively to provide guidance, training, and technical assistance on access to capital, capacity building, and federal contracting. Some of my most memorable moments in this role were traveling to the remote regions of the country including Alaska and Hawaii. In Alaska I visited the Village of Kalskag via float plane to visit the elders having lunch with Headstart attendees and seeing first hand the impact of federal contracting in these areas. Likewise in Hawaii visiting Hawaiian fishponds, known as loko iʻa restoration areas being supported by contracting dollars as well as the Pūʻā Foundation providing important resources for the  community. I am a staunch advocate of NHO, ANC and Tribal 8a programs for community benefits.

For the majority of my career, I have been a public servant and an advocate for tribal nations, their enterprises, and their people. In 2018, after more than 15 years in Washington, I felt called to return home to the Navajo Nation to serve as Chief of Staff for the Navajo Nation responsible for the day to day operations of the largest tribe in the country with over 2,000 permanent employees.

That decision to leave DC, while sometimes accompanied by a sense of “FOMO”—fear of missing out—led to yet another pivotal opportunity. During the Biden campaign, I was asked to lead tribal affairs. It was a moment I embraced wholeheartedly, despite the challenges of campaigning during a global pandemic. Together, we built record-breaking turnout and engagement in tribal communities. I am proud to have been part of that historic effort—proof that even in the face of adversity, we can rise to meet the hardest challenges.

Most recently from 2020 to 2024 I was on the President's National Infrastructure Advisory Council for the Biden Harris Administration. In this position I helped to develop policy proposals on critical infrastructure nationwide and had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the greatest minds in the country.

In my day to day job I am an entrepreneur and run several companies including a professional services firm, a solar development company and a local coffee shop. Being a job creator brings me great joy especially in our rural communities.

I reside in Flagstaff Arizona with my husband, who is a tribal attorney, and my 2 young sons.