Following a rigorous search, NAFOA, founded as the Native American Finance Officers Association, has named Cory M. Blankenship (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) as its new Executive Director. He will officially assume the role on September 30, 2024.

“NAFOA has been instrumental in shaping my career as a tribal finance professional,” shared Blankenship. “Serving NAFOA and its member tribes as its Executive Director is truly an honor and privilege.”

Blankenship brings over 17 years of experience in tribal finance, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors to NAFOA. His career reflects a strong dedication to serving both his Tribe and Indian Country. Most recently, Blankenship served as Community Investment Officer at the Dogwood Health Trust concentrating on fostering economic opportunities tied to social determinants of health. Prior to that, he was the Secretary of the Treasury for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) for six years, overseeing financial operations, directing investments, and spearheading economic diversification initiatives.

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement section 139E of the Internal Revenue Code, created by the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014 (Act). Additionally, Treasury announced it will hold Tribal consultations on the proposed rule on November 18, 19, and 20, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET.

These rules incorporate a historic level of pre-Tribal consultation and Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee feedback and support Tribal self-determination and self-governance in the implementation of the Act. To learn more about the proposed rule, please see Treasury’s Press Release, the Tribal Consultation and Federal Feedback Summary, the Dear Tribal Leader Letter, and a Fact Sheet.

Treasury is accepting written comments received by December 17, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Alaska Time. Please submit written comments at tribal.consult@treasury.gov.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury Register for One or More of the Consultation

Join our General Session panel “Closing the Deal: How Great Leaders Get Jobs Done” on Tuesday, September 24.

Becoming a successful leader is equal parts celebrating wins and recovering from losses. Icons of Indian Country will join for a fireside chat to discuss the ups and downs their tribes have faced, their strategy for creating success, and perhaps more importantly, dealing with challenges.

Speakers:

• Rodney Butler, Chairman, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation
• Melanie Benjamin, Secretary, NAFOA Board of Directors
• Kirk Francis, Chief, Penobscot Indian Nation
• Mark Macarro, Chairman, Pechanga Band of Indians

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Register for the Conference

The NAFOA Institute Career Basics is a free online career readiness and personal finance program designed for Native American youth and young professionals ages 18-27. The program provides opportunities for participants to improve career readiness, and personal finance skills, and advance their understanding of issues impacting tribal economies.

Career Basics is designed to be most helpful for:

• Undergraduate students in their Junior and Senior years;
• Recent college graduates;
• Early career professionals (0-2 years experience);
• Young professionals looking to pivot careers.

What You’ll Learn:

• Crafting your personal narrative
• Creating a budget and introduction to personal finance
• Creating a resume and cover letter
• Interview preparation
• Intro to career pathways in economics and finance
• And more!

Enroll for Free

The Director of Operations will exercise professional and technical leadership in developing, formulating, and executing Soboba Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) business plans for existing and future Tribal Enterprises. The Director of Operations will plan, organize, manage, and review the activities of the Planning and Economic Development functions of the SEDC and provide strategic leadership, direction, and resource management to these functions.

Learn More & Apply at nafoa.org/jobs