Indianz.Com > COVID-19 > National Indian Health Board (NIHB)
Posted: August 11, 2022
A.C. Locklear. Photo courtesy National Indian Health Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Indian Health Board Announces A.C. Locklear as New Federal Relations Director
WASHINGTON, DC – August 10, 2022—The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is pleased to announce the promotion of A.C. Locklear, JD (Lumbee), to the position of Federal Relations Director – an inaugural position within NIHB.
As a key member of the NIHB Government Relations team, Locklear will lead NIHB’s federal, budget and regulatory policy priorities, including developing and advancing Tribal health and public health policy priorities to the Administration and the Agencies of the Federal Government, leading budget formation, analysis, and advocacy work and bolstering Tribal leader participation in consultation and Tribal Advisory Committees. In his new role, Locklear also has leadership and oversight over NIHB’s regulatory policy analysis and advocacy, particularly in the complex maze of federal Medicare/Medicaid policy. As Federal Relations Director, Locklear will have an increased focus on cultivating partnerships with federal agencies and Tribal partners. As NIHB celebrates its 50th Anniversary, expanding and enhancing Federal Relations will position NIHB to serve Tribal governments and communities better.
Expanding NIHB’s Federal Relations presence is a critical step to advancing NIHB’s Tribal health and public health priorities as established by Tribal leaders and enacted by the NIHB Board of Directors. “A.C. Locklear is a valued NIHB team player who has proven himself an indispensable policy professional. He is keyed into the space of protecting Tribal sovereignty and boldly standing on the Federal Trust responsibility for American Indian and Alaska Native Tribal health and public health. We are excited the inaugural position of Federal Relations Director is now filled with the ideal candidate. We are so excited about the quality and depth of work A.C. will bring to our team of Tribal health policy warriors,” explained NIHB Chief Executive Officer Stacy A. Bohlen.
Joining NIHB’s Policy Center as a Policy Analyst in April 2021, Locklear has overseen a broad portfolio of policy and legislative areas, including Tribal Public Health Infrastructure, Health Information Technology Modernization, and Behavioral Health. Additionally, Locklear has frequently drafted testimony to support Tribal leaders during Consultation sessions and Congressional testimony. Locklear has also led and expanded NIHB’s Federal Relations work and support of Tribal Advisory Committees. Locklear explained, “I’m excited to help grow NIHB’s ability to support Tribal leaders through technical assistance, capacity building, and budget and policy analysis to improve the lives and well-being of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the country.”
“As a key leader of the Government Affairs team, Locklear will help oversee the expansion of NIHB’s Government Relations work. Locklear will play a critical role in leading NIHB’s advocacy efforts toward the federal government’s fulfillment of its treaty and trust obligation for Indian health,” explained Dr. Aaron Payment NIHB Director of Government Relations.
Locklear is originally from Pembroke, NC, and is a citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Locklear is a two-time graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a BA in American Studies with a concentration in American Indian and Indigenous Studies in 2013. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2016. Before NIHB, Locklear served as a Program Manager with the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute.
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Established by the Tribes to advocate as the united voice of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, NIHB seeks to reinforce Tribal sovereignty, strengthen Tribal health systems, secure resources, and build capacity to achieve the highest level of health and well-being for our People.
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