The NAFOA Leadership Awards recognize the achievements of tribal leaders, tribal executives, advocates, and financial transactions driving economic progress within Indian Country. The 17th Annual Leadership Awards were presented at the 42nd Annual Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.

Government Economic Empowerment
NAFOA awards Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota the Government Economic Empowerment Award for his exceptional dedication to tribal relations.

Education Program of the Year
NAFOA’s Education Program of the Year Award honors a creative and effective education program that furthers knowledge and understanding of business and economic development. This year’s recipient is the Turtle Mountain Community Schools (Belcourt School District #7) and their innovative Learning Loss Program.

Government Impact Deal of the Year
NAFOA awards the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin (LCO) the Government Impact Deal of the Year for their groundbreaking financing of a new healthcare and outpatient clinic.

Business Impact Deal of the Year
The Business Impact Deal of the Year Award acknowledges initiatives driving significant economic growth for tribes and Indian Country. This year’s recipient is the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, recognized for their shared acquisition of the Major League Soccer franchise, San Diego FC, alongside entrepreneur Mohamed Mansour.

Honorary Leadership Award
NAFOA presents Dawson Her Many Horses, Managing Director and Head of Native American Banking at Wells Fargo, with an Honorary Leadership Award for his longstanding commitment to advancing tribal economic development.

Executive of the Year
NAFOA annually honors tribal leaders who demonstrate exemplary leadership and financial planning that benefits Indian Country. Misty Secena, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, is this year’s recipient of the 2024 Executive of the Year Award for her role as the Tribe’s Chief Financial Officer.

Tribal Leader of the Year
NAFOA’s Tribal Leader of the Year Award celebrates leaders with exceptional foresight and resolve in advancing their tribal nations. This year, Nickolaus D. Lewis (Juts-kadim’) of the Lummi Nation Tribe in Washington State is honored with this distinction.

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The Social Security Administration (SSA) invites you to join the monthly FREE virtual training series focused on policy topics important to Tribal communities. This information will assist Tribal Benefit Coordinators, Navigators, Social Workers, and other stakeholders who provide support to tribal members. Each two-hour training session will include a Q&A discussion with SSA experts.

In the May session, we will focus on the various ways to help someone apply for benefits or appeal a decision. We will discuss the difference between being an authorized representative versus having power of attorney. We will explain the role and responsibilities of a Representative Payee and discuss what forms to complete to disclose information on behalf of a claimant. We will share tips and resources for anyone assisting others and learn what a claimant must do to appoint a qualified individual to represent them in doing business with Social Security.

Source: Social Security Administration Register for Tuesday, May 21st at 10:00am ET

Register for Wednesday, May 22nd at 1:30pm ET

After breaking ground in August 2023, Cherokee Nation Businesses is nearing completion of a major expansion of its Cherokee Film Studios in Owasso, Oklahoma, just north of Tulsa.

By providing new jobs and creating a platform to tell the Cherokee story, Cherokee Films has emerged as a major component of the Cherokee Nation’s business strategy, which also includes gaming and hospitality and Cherokee Federal, an outsourcing service to the federal government. The studio expansion is adding a second soundstage to the Owasso Campus.

“Osiyo, Voices of the Cherokee People,” the Cherokee Film Commission’s documentary series, is being distributed by more than 250 PBS member stations as well as on FNX, an all-Native programming network. The series, says host Jennifer Loren, the commission’s senior director, brings “authentic Cherokee stories into the living rooms of millions of people, many of whom have likely only known inaccurate accounts of Cherokee history. It is really incredible to see our series become nationally syndicated.”

Source: Site Selection magazine, May 2024 Continue Reading

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) is currently considering potential disclosures regarding infrastructure assets, with more detail about the project here. In this survey, we would like to get your feedback, as a user of government financial reports, about which of these disclosures would have a meaningful effect (more than “nice to know”) on your analyses for making decisions or assessing accountability.

The survey addresses disclosures related to infrastructure assets as well as capital assets more broadly. The survey asks for your feedback on five separate groups of disclosures:

• Significant accounting policies
• Capital asset balances and maintenance expense
• Condition assessments of infrastructure assets reported using the modified approach
• Separation of information regarding capital assets, including infrastructure assets
• Impairment of capital assets

For each group of disclosures, you will be asked to identify which disclosures have a meaningful effect on your analyses for making decisions or assessing accountability and to assign the weight of importance to each identified disclosure.

We expect the survey to take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete. If you cannot complete it in one sitting, please save your progress so that you can return to the survey.

Source: Governmental Accounting Standards Board Take the Survey

The Account Manager is responsible for carrying out core accounting functions for the Accounting and Finance Department in the Financial Services Division of the primary government.

This position serves under the direction of the Executive Director of Finance of the Financial Services Division. It requires the ability to interface with various members of the Division, tribal leadership, the accounting team, and all operational divisions of the primary government. The successful candidate must possess the ability to work and maintain the highest degree of confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of the work.

Learn More & Apply at nafoa.org/jobs