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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
Native professionals continue advancing into leadership roles across industries, from financial technology and legal services to housing development and clean energy. This month's People on the Move highlights experienced leaders bringing both cultural grounding and professional expertise to organizations serving Indigenous communities and beyond.
Plus, the Bush Foundation recognized five Native leaders as 2025 Bush Fellows, providing up to $150,000 each for self-designed leadership development plans focused on strengthening Indigenous communities and sovereignty. Here’s the roundup.
HIRES + PROMOTIONS
Travillian hired Amber Buker as chief research officer. Buker, an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, brings extensive experience in financial technology and banking innovation to the role. She previously served as founder and CEO of Totem Technologies and as executive director of business development at Percapita. Buker has worked as a technology advisory board member at Chesapeake Bank and served as director of insights at Alloy Labs Alliance. She holds a Juris Doctor in intellectual property law from Lewis & Clark Law School and has certification in FinTech Law and Policy. Buker also hosted the Breaking Banks Fintech Podcast and has experience in arts administration and legal practice.
Kaplan Kirsch LLP announced the addition of Samuel Kohn as a partner in its San Francisco office. Kohn, a member of the Apsáalooke Nation (Crow Tribe of Montana), served as senior counselor to the assistant secretary – Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Biden administration. He brings nearly 15 years of experience representing Indian tribes, Alaska Natives, and tribal consortia on governance, land use, infrastructure, and federal engagement issues. Kohn has extensive litigation and transactional experience in Indian law and policy, including expertise in self-governance, cultural preservation, Indian gaming, and fee-to-trust matters.
Umpqua Bank has hired Brett McLane as senior vice president and relationship manager for its Native American Banking practice. McLane brings more than 20 years of commercial banking experience, including a decade focused on serving Native American tribes. Based in Reno, Nevada, he previously managed over $1.2 billion in loan commitments and more than $400 million in deposit balances at a major national bank. His expertise includes commercial lending, SBA and USDA government-backed loans, and managing financial services for tribal entities including casinos. The hire supports Umpqua Bank's expansion of specialized banking services for tribal nations, including its recent launch of the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program and multi-year philanthropy initiative for Native American communities.
The Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program appointed Dr. Michele Yatchmeneff as chief operating officer. An ANSEP alumnus and Unangax̂ from King Cove and False Pass, Yatchmeneff is the only Alaska Native with a doctoral degree in engineering education. She previously served as ANSEP's assistant director before becoming the University of Alaska Anchorage's executive director of Alaska Native Education and Outreach in 2021. Yatchmeneff earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Alaska Anchorage, becoming the first Alaska Native woman to teach in the university's College of Engineering before earning her doctorate from Purdue University. She received the NSF CAREER Award for her work on Alaska Native belonging in high school math and science classrooms.
The Indigenous Journalists Association hired Shirley LaCourse Jaramillo as its first fund development director. LaCourse Jaramillo, who is Oglala Lakota, Oneida, Yakama and Umatilla, brings nearly 35 years of experience with 25 years focused on strengthening nonprofits through program administration, organizational management and grants development. She has fundraising experience across corporate, government and foundation grantmaking systems. LaCourse Jaramillo said joining IJA honors her father Richard's legacy as a founding member of the former Native American Press Association/Native American Journalists Association.
Afognak Native Corporation appointed Daniel "Dan" M. Corbett as chief executive officer. Corbett previously served as CEO of Valiant Integrated Services, where he generated over $2 billion in new business growth within 18 months. He also held leadership roles at PAE and Lockheed Martin, including serving as vice president and general manager of PAE's Global Stability and Development business unit, where he led a $1 billion portfolio with over 9,000 employees worldwide. Corbett holds a bachelor's degree in finance from Siena College and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He assumes the CEO role as Greg Hambright retires.
The Great Plains Housing Initiative appointed Desmond Bruguier as executive director and expanded its team with key hires James "JC" Crawford and Amanda Standing Bear. Bruguier, an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes and U.S. Navy veteran, brings experience in project finance, energy development, and economic strategy for tribes. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance from CUNY Baruch and an MBA from the University of Colorado-Boulder. Crawford, a member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, serves as director of business development and previously was a partner at CBJ Producers, LLC. Standing Bear, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, serves as operations manager and previously worked as a business advisor for Black Hills Community Loan Fund. The Great Plains Housing Initiative is a Native-led social enterprise founded in 2024 to increase housing opportunities for Native people through innovative development and financing strategies.
APPOINTMENTS
Potawatomi Ventures announced a board leadership transition with Crystal Deschinny appointed as chairwoman of its board of directors, replacing Tom Boelter who stepped down after five years of service. Deschinny brings a background in finance and a commitment to supporting future generations of the tribe. M'ko Daniels was named vice chairman. Boelter will continue serving on the board until his term concludes in November 2025. Potawatomi Ventures, which focuses on nurturing new paths to shared prosperity for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, said the leadership transition marks a new chapter in its continued evolution. CEO Kip Ritchie praised Boelter's guidance since 2017 and expressed confidence in the new leadership's expertise and vision.
KUDOS
The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy honored Quarles & Brady partner Pilar Thomas with its 2025 Legacy Award. Thomas leads the firm's Indian Law & Policy team and specializes in Indian law, economic development and renewable energy. She previously served as acting director of the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy and as deputy solicitor for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior. The Legacy Award recognizes leaders whose dedication has transformed what's possible for Tribal Nations in clean energy development. The Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy is an Indigenous-led nonprofit that supports Native American tribes' efforts to transition from extractive energy systems to clean and regenerative energy futures.
FIVE NATIVE LEADERS NAMED 2025 BUSH FELLOWS
(L-R): Little, Hale, Pourier, Rogers, Truer (Courtesy photos)
The Bush Foundation announced its 2025 Bush Fellows, individuals whose vision and leadership are shaping communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. The Bush Foundation announced 29 fellows for 2025, with the Bush Fellowship providing up to $150,000 to support self-designed leadership development plans for leaders working on issues from affordable housing to Indigenous justice.
Among the fellows are five Native leaders who will use their fellowships to strengthen Indigenous communities and sovereignty: Lori Pourier of the Oglala Lakota Nation will explore socially responsible investment strategies that align with Native values to ensure sustained resources for artists, building on her 25 years as president and CEO of First Peoples Fund. Leya Hale, a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and Dine Nations, will strengthen her Dakota language skills, expand her filmmaking abilities and build a global network of Indigenous creatives as an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer. John Little of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will grow his leadership, fundraising and organizational design skills to ensure Native students have access to education in South Dakota. Curtis Rogers of the White Earth Nation will deepen his legal and policy knowledge to advance land reclamation, build resilient leadership systems and elevate traditional practices as core elements of Tribal sovereignty. Megan Treuer of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe will reduce her judicial caseload to focus on personal renewal, deepen her Ojibwe fluency and document the history and future of Anishinabe justice traditions.
If you have news of new hires, appointments or special recognition, please share them with [email protected].
