Wiring the Rez: Innovative Strategies for Business Development via E-Commerce CLE Conference

February 1 – February 2, 2018

Indian Legal Program | Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law | Arizona State University

Speaker Biographies

Carl Artman

Carl Artman is an attorney who represents Indian tribes seeking new ways to develop their on-reservation and near-reservation economies. He is also a Faculty Associate with the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University who teaches a Washington, D.C. based Indian law class entitled Federal Advocacy for the Tribal Client, for the Indian Legal Program, after serving as Professor of Practice for the ASU Law’s Indian Legal Program from 2008-2010.

Carl Artman served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs under President George W. Bush. His office had jurisdiction over the Office of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education from 2007 to 2008. He served as the Associate Solicitor for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior from 2005 to 2007. An enrolled member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Artman has worked for his tribe as Director of Federal Affairs, Chief Legal Counsel, and as Chief Operating Officer of an Oneida Tribe-owned telecommunications venture.

Carl Artman served on the Board of Directors for the Library of Congress’s American Folk Life Center, Oneida Nation Electronics, Airadigm Communications, Inc., and the Personal Communications Industry Association. He served on the Board of the Presidential Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities. Professor Artman was the Chairman of the Tribal Management Advisory Committee and the Tribal Budget Advisory Committee during his tenure as Assistant Secretary. He served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nation’s Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination.

While at the Department of Interior, he served as a member of the Trust Executive Steering Committee, Climate Control Task Force Steering Committee and Fire Policy Council. He was a member of the Board of Governance for the National Indian Programs Training Center and an alternate for Board of Regents for the Haskell Indian Nations University. He served as a marketing editor for the Denver Journal of International Law Policy.

Mr. Artman received a BA from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri, an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, a Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis, and an LLM from University of Denver College of Law.

Derrick Beetso

Derrick Beetso is Senior Counsel at the National Congress of American Indians, focuses his work on land and natural resources matters. Prior to his work at NCAI, Derrick served as an Attorney-Advisor within the Office of the Solicitor’s Phoenix Field Office, and before that, Derrick served as Counselor to Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn under the Obama Administration. Derrick received his juris doctorate from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, along with a certificate in Indian Law in 2010. Derrick currently sits on the Indian Legal Program’s Advisory Council.

Geoffrey C. Blackwell

Geoff Blackwell joined AMERIND Risk, as the Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel in October 2015. He oversees AMERIND’s Finance, Information Technology, and Human Resources departments, as well as direct AMERIND’s legal efforts and strategic development and diversification endeavors.

Previously, Blackwell was a senior policy maker and Office Chief at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He established the FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy and, for over five years, directed FCC activities to incentivize the deployment of broadband and communications technologies across Indian country. Blackwell also led the FCC’s efforts to protect tribal sacred sites and cultural resources, ensure low income families on tribal lands have telephone and broadband services, and prioritize radio and television broadcasting media ownership opportunities for tribal nations. Regarding these efforts, Blackwell has testified before Congress on five occasions, and before dozens of tribal councils.

Prior to his most recent federal service, Blackwell worked for five years as the Director of Strategic Relations and Minority Business Development at Chickasaw Nation Industries (CNI), Inc., where he oversaw diversification among many companies owned by the Chickasaw Nation. While with CNI, Blackwell served on the boards of directors of Native Public Media, the National Small Business Association, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, and the Acoma Business Enterprises Board of the Pueblo of Acoma. Blackwell also chaired the Telecommunications Subcommittee of the National Congress of American Indians, and served as the indigenous representative from the United States on the international Indigenous Commission for Communications Technologies in the Americas.

Prior to his work with CNI, Blackwell worked his first tour of duty with the FCC, where, as a Senior Attorney and Liaison to tribal governments, he helped write the FCC’s foundational policies with respect to tribal nations, including the FCC’s seminal 2000 Tribal Policy Statement. He was the first enrolled tribal member to ever work at the FCC. Prior to his first period of service with the FCC, he worked in the Litigation Department of Hale and Dorr, LLP, (now Wilmer Hale) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Blackwell, an enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is also descended from the Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. Blackwell is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Steve Bodmer

Steve Bodmer is an enrolled member of the Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina, also known as the Edisto Indians. Steve practiced Indian law in the private practice setting in the Phoenix area until leaving to serve as General Counsel to a 1,200 member tribe in Central California. While in law school Steve worked in Washington, D.C. for Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota on the Senator’s Indian Affairs team and also worked for the Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice. Steve is a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

In his role as General Counsel, Steve provides legal counsel to the Pechanga Tribal Council, the Tribal Government and each of its departments. In addition to his responsibilities over Pechanga Tribal Government legal matters, Steve also oversees the legal affairs for the Pechanga Resort & Casino and provides legal counsel to the Pechanga Development Corporation. Among other areas of practice, Steve specializes in federal Indian law, gaming law, tribal governance, and tribal economic development. Steve is a founding executive board member of the Native American Bar Association of Arizona and is a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law. Steve is licensed to practice law in California, Arizona, and Washington, D.C.

Steve received his Juris Doctor from Arizona State University College of Law, where he also received the Indian Legal Program Certificate for his study of Federal Indian law.

Chris Bolton

Chris Bolton has served as Chief Information Officer at Gila River Gaming Enterprises, Inc. since August 2017. Chris has eleven years of gaming technical experience with ten years at the executive level. Chris has been in the technology section in some capacity since 1991. His previous positions include Vice President of Information Technology with Seminole Gaming (Hard Rock) in Miami Florida, Director Information Technology with Hooters Casino in Las Vegas Nevada, and Director of IT Operations with Las Vegas Sands (Venetian).

Chris has worked in multiple gaming jurisdictions such as Las Vegas, Reno, California, Florida, Atlantic City, and Arizona. Chris has also worked with publicly owned casinos, privately owned casinos, and Native American owned casinos. Russell “Russ” A. Brien

Russell A. Brien (Iowa) established Brien Law, LLC in 2009 and is a former partner in the corporate finance group of a national law firm. His practice primarily involves working as special counsel to tribes and as outside general counsel to tribal business enterprises on a variety of issues, with an emphasis on economic development, governance, gaming, finance, taxation, and doing business in Indian country. Russ frequently speaks on a variety of topics including federal Indian law, tribal economic development, gaming, Indian lands issues, estate planning in Indian country, protection of tribal records, ethics for tribal leaders, negotiation, and tribal constitutions and bylaws. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at the University of Kansas School of Law, teaching the Indian Gaming and Economic Development and Indigenous Nations courses in the law school’s Tribal Lawyer Certificate Program. Russ, the Past President of the Kansas Bar Association Indian Law Section,

is listed in the Best Lawyers in America for Native American Law and Securitization and Structured Finance Law.

Russ graduated from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1992. During his time in Ann Arbor, Russ was an active member of the Native American Law Students Association, serving as President during the 1991-1992 academic year. Russ earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Kansas in 1989, where he was recognized as a Summerfield Scholar.

Tedd Buelow

Tedd Buelow is one of two national Native American Coordinators for USDA Rural Development. Tedd returned to USDA from the Treasury Department in November of 2005. While at Treasury he worked for the CDFI Fund as an analyst with the Native American programs. Prior to that, he was a desk officer, serving the Northwest Region for USDA Rural Development’s Community Development Programs. Tedd began his federal career as a volunteer with the U.S. Peace Corps in the Eastern High Atlas National Park in Morocco. He and his wife live in Colorado where they are raising their two sons.

Chairman Jonodev Chaudhuri

Jonodev Osceola Chaudhuri (Muscogee (Creek)) was nominated by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate in April, 2015. Prior to this, Chairman Chaudhuri was appointed to the Commission by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, and served brief turns as Vice Chair and Associate Commissioner before being designated as Acting NIGC Chairman by the President in October 2013.

As the sixth presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed Chair, Chairman Chaudhuri brings to the NIGC extensive policy, legal, and judicial experience and a lifelong commitment to serving the Native American community. His varied experiences each stem from his understanding of the connection between the development of strong governmental institutions and Native American self- determination.

Before joining the NIGC, Chairman Chaudhuri was Senior Counselor to the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs where he provided guidance and assistance on a wide range of national policy issues including Indian gaming, economic development, energy, Alaskan affairs, and tribal recognition.

Chairman Chaudhuri has practiced law for more than 15 years, primarily in private practice representing tribal nations and commercial entities. Additionally, Chairman Chaudhuri served as a judge on five different tribal courts, including serving as Chief Justice of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Supreme Court, the highest court of the fourth largest tribe in the Nation. Chairman Chaudhuri’s professional background also includes service as a community organizer, adjunct professor, public defender, legal services director, and author.

Originally from Tempe, Arizona, but very much tied to his family roots in Oklahoma, Chairman Chaudhuri graduated in 1993 with a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1999. Chairman Chaudhuri’s volunteer and lifetime service has been spent on many issues regarding underrepresented communities.

Dr. Gavin Clarkson

Dr. Gavin Clarkson is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development – Indian Affairs within the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, a supervisory position for the Offices of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Indian Gaming, and Self-Governance from June – December 2017. Gavin Clarkson recently filed documents with the Federal Election Commission to seek the Republican nomination for New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District seat, along the U.S.-Mexico border. Dr. Gavin Clarkson, a citizen of The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Dr. Clarkson was previously an associate professor in the Finance Department of College of Business at New Mexico State University and the Chief Economist for the Ft. Sill Apache Tribe. Dr. Clarkson holds both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Rice University, a doctorate from the Harvard Business School in Technology and Operations Management, and is a cum laude graduate of the Harvard Law School, where he was the managing editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology and president of the Native American Law Students Association. An enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Dr. Clarkson has consulted, written, and published extensively on tribal sovereignty, tribal finance, tribal economic development, and tribal asset management, and was also a contributing author for the current edition of Felix Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law, providing material on tribal finance, tribal corporations, economic development, and intellectual property. His research and Congressional testimony on tribal access to the capital markets helped lead to the inclusion of $2B of Tribal Economic Development Bonds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Dr. Clarkson holds the Series 7, Series 24, and Series 66 Securities licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

The Financial Times had named Dr. Clarkson the nation’s “leading scholar in tribal finance,” and pointed out that he has been repeatedly cited by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and USA Today on tribal finance and other Indian law matters.

Dr. Clarkson is a great supporter of Native students in higher education. He is a lifetime member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and served as chairman of the AISES Foundation from 2005 to 2009. He has also been a member of the Indian Law Section of the Federal Bar Association, the Licensing Executives Society, the Native American Finance Officers Association, and the State Bar of Texas.

Robert N. Clinton

Robert N. Clinton currently serves as the Foundation Professor of Law at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and as an Affiliated Faculty member of the ASU American Indian Studies Program. He is also a Faculty Fellow in the Center for Law Science & Innovation. He is also an Affiliated Faculty member of the ASU Center on the Future of War.

Professor Clinton was born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan metropolitan area. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan where he received a B.A. in political science and attended the University of Chicago Law School, receiving his J.D. After private practice in Chicago with the law firm then known as Devoe, Shadur and Krupp, he joined the faculty of the University of Iowa College of Law in 1973, where he taught until 2000. While at the University of Iowa College of Law, Professor Clinton served as the Wiley B. Rutledge Professor of Law and as a founder and an Affiliated Faculty Member of the American Indian and Native Studies Program of the University of Iowa College of

Liberal Arts. For the 2001-2003 academic years, Professor Clinton was appointed the Barry Goldwater Chair of American Institutions at Arizona State University.

Professor Clinton has visited as a scholar or teacher at the law schools of the University of Michigan, Arizona State University, Cornell University, University of San Diego and the Faculty of Law of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Additionally, he has taught in the Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indian and Native Alaskan Students sponsored by the American Law Center, Inc.

Professor Clinton serves as Chief Justice of the Hopi Appellate Court and the Winnebago Supreme Court; as a Justice for the Colorado River Indian Tribes Court of Appeal and the Hualapai Court of Appeals; and as a Judge pro tem for the San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians Tribal Court. He also served for twenty years as a Justice of the Cheyenne River Sioux Court of Appeals. He has also served as a temporary judge or arbitrator for other tribes and has acted as an expert witness or consultant in Indian law, copyright, and cyber law cases.

Professor Clinton teaches and writes about federal Indian law, tribal law, Native American history, constitutional law, federal courts, cyberspace law, copyrights, and civil procedure. His publications include numerous articles on federal Indian law and policy, constitutional law, and federal jurisdiction. He is the co-author of casebooks on Indian law and federal courts, The Handbook of Federal Indian Law (1982 ed.), multiple editions of American Indian Law: Native Nations and the Federal System, Colonial and American Indian Treaties (a collection on CD-ROM), and over 25 major articles on federal Indian law, American constitutional law and history, and federal courts, most of which are available under the Research Menu on this website.

A recent study found that Robert Clinton was the Indian law scholar most cited by the United States Supreme Court. Professor Clinton earned a J.D., University of Chicago Law School (1971) and a B.A., University of Michigan (1968).

J.D. Colbert

Mr. Colbert (Muscogee-Creek/Chickasaw) is the nation’s most recognized and foremost expert on matters related to commercial banking and Indian tribes. Since 1987 he has assisted Indian tribes in starting or acquiring various types of banks and financial institutions. Mr. Colbert recently announced his campaign to seek the Democratic nomination to represent the 3rd Congressional District in Texas.

During his 30+ year career, Mr. Colbert has served as president/CEO of three different banks; a board member of five banks; Founding Executive Director of the North American Native Bankers Association (an association of Native-owned banks in the US and Canada). He has assisted over a dozen Indian tribes in acquiring or starting commercial banks.

Mr. Colbert served a White House appointment to the Board of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund at the U.S. Treasury and he has actively assisted many Indian tribes and Native groups to start Community Development Financial Institutions.

Colbert has managed over $22 billion under the US Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (a/k/a the Bank Bailout Bill) and was a board member of a $13 billion pension fund and formerly served as Deputy Assistant Secretary – Bureau of Indian Affairs for Economic Development where his duties included overseeing the $3 billion Indian Trust Fund and the BIA Loan Guaranty Fund.

Mr. Colbert began his career as a Bank Examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. As such, he was the first Native American federal bank examiner in the history of the U.S. bank regulation system. Mr. Colbert is active in legal, regulatory and policy formulation in the areas of banking, community development, economic development and Federal-Indian policy. He is a widely published author of op-ed pieces on subject matters related to banking as well as issues in Indian Country.

Mr. Colbert holds an undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Oklahoma as well as master’s degrees from both Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University.

Michael Connor

Michael Connor is Partner with WilmerHale, and his practice focuses on natural resources, energy development, environmental compliance and Native American law. He provides strategic advice, counseling, legal and legislative support to businesses, tribes and other entities, helping them navigate complex policies, statutes, regulations and treaties associated with the use, conservation, and protection of natural resources.

Mr. Connor previously served as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of the Interior, addressing some of the most complex natural resource issues facing federal agencies across the nation. With more than two decades of government experience, Mr. Connor is well equipped to provide clients with strategic advice regarding regulatory, public policy and legislative matters related to natural resources and Federal Indian law. He advises clients seeking to initiate projects and activities involving the use, development, or conservation of public lands, water resources, the outer-continental shelf and federal infrastructure, to effectively address the statutes and regulatory requirements managed by federal, state and local agencies. Mr. Connor earned a reputation in government as an authority on water resources law and policy, and is a trusted source for legal advice and policy support regarding water resource use and sustainable development.

Additionally, Mr. Connor supports Native American tribes seeking to gain legal recognition of long- standing rights, assess opportunities for the sustainable use of their land and water resources, develop projects to provide services and economic development opportunities, and protect their interests in government proceedings that could affect their rights and interests.

Before joining WilmerHale, Mr. Connor held an array of positions within the federal government, including high-level positions in the Obama Administration. As noted, he served as Deputy Secretary of the US Department of the Interior from 2014-2017, as well as Commissioner of the US Bureau of Reclamation from 2009-2014, leading efforts to develop strategies, build coalitions and implement actions to carry out President Obama's energy, natural resources, conservation, climate change and Native American policies. He previously served as counsel to the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which included managing the Water and Power Subcommittee. In this position, he developed, negotiated and enacted legislation involving water resources, energy, and Native American issues. Mr. Connor also served as director of the Indian Water Rights Office at the Department of the Interior. Mr. Connor earned his J.D. University of Colorado School of Law (1993).

Emily Donnellan

Emily Donnellan is an Assistant Professor and the Public Services Librarian at Concordia University School of Law in Boise, Idaho. Professor Donnellan has taught courses in Advanced Legal Research, and Law School Success Skills. She grew up on the Puyallup Reservation in Tacoma, Washington.

Professor Donnellan holds a J.D. from the University of South Dakota where she served as Treasurer and Pro-Bono Liaison for the Native American Law Student Association. She has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Washington and a BA from Portland State University. Her most recent law review article was published in the American Indian Law Journal and is entitled No Connection: The Issue of Internet on the Reservation.

Skip Durocher

Mr. Durocher is a partner with Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Practicing in the area of complex civil litigation and regulatory affairs, Skip has represented tribal and non-tribal clients in cases involving commercial and financial issues for 30 years. Skip has a particular emphasis in the area of Indian and gaming law. He represents Indian tribes and tribal entities ears in federal, state and tribal courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings, in a wide variety of subject matters, and has also represented tribal gaming commissions and other entities in background investigations and commission hearings. Skip is recognized on a national basis by Chambers in the field of Native American law, and also in Best Lawyers in America©. Skip is a partner in Dorsey’s Trial Department and Regulatory Affairs Department. He is the co-Chair of Dorsey’s Indian Law Practice Group as well as its E-Discovery Practice Group. Skip is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education seminars involving topics relating to Indian law, insurance law and electronic discovery. He is a 1986 honors graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Lael Echo-Hawk

Lael Echo-Hawk is of Counsel with Hobbs, Straus, Dean and Walker, LLP, and General Counsel for the National Indian Cannabis Coalition.

Raised in the Interior of Alaska, Lael Echo-Hawk is a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and adopted granddaughter to Katie John of the Upper Ahtna Athabascan people of Mentasta Lake. Lael has served as tribal reservation attorney, legislative director for the Native American Contractors Association and as Counselor to the Chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Now in private practice, Lael represents tribes and tribal organizations on many issues including gaming, economic development, and assists tribes with developing governmental infrastructure. She provides advice and strategic policy analysis on national tribal legislative and regulatory proposals having tribal implications and represents tribes before administrative agencies. Lael is a Past-President of both the National Native American Bar Association and the Northwest Indian Bar Association. She is 2013 recipient of NCAIED “40 Under 40” and is currently based in Washington, D.C.

Lael is active in community service, with an emphasis on civil rights, diversity training and enhancing achievement opportunities for persons of color. She is an instructor in continuing legal education classes

at local higher education institutions. She is a published author of numerous papers and presentations on complex legal issues, and has been recognized as a “Rising Star: Young Women Who Make a Difference” in their profession.

Lael earned her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law (2003) and a B.A. from University of Washington (2000).

Patty Ferguson-Bohnee

Patty Ferguson Bohnee is the Faculty Director of the Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and Clinical Professor Law of the Indian Legal Clinic.

Ms. Ferguson-Bohnee has substantial experience in Indian law, election law and policy matters, voting rights, and status clarification of tribes. She has testified before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Louisiana State Legislature regarding tribal recognition, and has successfully assisted four Louisiana tribes in obtaining state recognition. Professor Ferguson-Bohnee has represented tribal clients in administrative, state, federal, and tribal courts, as well as before state and local governing bodies and proposed revisions to the Real Estate Disclosure Reports to include tribal provisions. She has assisted in complex voting rights litigation on behalf of tribes, and she has drafted state legislative and congressional testimony on behalf of tribes with respect to voting rights’ issues.

Before joining the College in 2008, Professor Ferguson-Bohnee clerked for Judge Betty Binns Fletcher of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and was an associate in the Indian Law and Tribal Relations Practice Group at Sacks Tierney P.A. in Phoenix. As a Fulbright Scholar to France, she researched French colonial relations with Louisiana Indians in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Professor Ferguson-Bohnee, a member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian tribe, serves as the Native Vote Election Protection Coordinator for the State of Arizona. Professor Ferguson-Bohnee received her B.A., Stanford University in 1997 and her J.D. from Columbia University School of Law in 2001.

Doug Fine

Doug Fine is a regenerative hemp farmer, goat herder and bestselling author, as well as a research collaborator with the University of Hawaii hemp seed development project. He markets a farm-to-table hemp product he helped grow, and is lead consultant for the first federally permitted Native American hemp project (the Confederated Colville Tribes). He finds helping re-launch humanity’s longest-utilized plant easy compared to homeschooling his (human) kids and outsmarting his (goat) kids. Willie Nelson calls his 2014 book, Hemp Bound, a must-read for anyone entering the industry, and “a blueprint for the America of the future.” He has reported for NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Wired and has testified before the United Nations on cannabis policy. Info, journalism, newsletter, bookings: dougfine.com. Social Media: @organiccowboy Info: dougfine.com.

Richard Fulkerson

Richard Fulkerson brings over twenty-five years of regulatory and financial experience. Before affiliating with the firm as a Regulatory/Financial Consultant, Richard served as the Colorado State Bank Commissioner for twelve years. Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, he had been the Director of Examinations for the Division of Banking. During his tenure with the Division, assets held by state-chartered banks and trust companies increased from $12 billion to over $40 billion. Richard’s previous regulatory experience includes nine years with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka as a Supervisory Agent, and subsequently Assistant Regional Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision in Kansas City. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President and Controller of a $200 million financial institution.

Richard is an expert in bank regulation. He has negotiated numerous corrective and enforcement actions, testified as a fact witness in criminal and civil cases, issued interpretive regulatory opinions, drafted regulations, and testified on legislative amendments. Richard has taught director training seminars, and made frequent presentations to industry groups on banking issues.

Richard holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Chadron State College. He is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.

Charles Galbraith

Charles Galbraith is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and he is a Partner, with Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton LLP in Washington, DC. He focuses his practice on litigation and Native American Affairs. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Galbraith served as the White House Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement in Washington, D.C. where he managed the relationship of the White House with 566 Tribal Governments and Native American people. Mr. Galbraith also analyzed and formulated political and policy recommendations for The President, Executive Branch Agencies, and Senior White House Officials on matters affecting tribal governments and Native American people including budgets, legislation, executive orders, appointments, Tribal law enforcement, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Federal Emergency disaster declarations, sacred sites and historic preservation, and economic development. He planned and led the annual White House Tribal Nations conferences which included The President, 566 invited Tribal leaders, cabinet secretaries, members of Congress and dozens of senior government officials. Mr. Galbraith previously served as a Deputy Associate Counsel for Presidential Personnel in the White House where he conducted interviews, background investigations and political vetting of individuals under consideration for presidential appointments. His work included making recommendations to Senior White House staff and preparing for the Senate confirmation process.

Before working for the White House, Mr. Galbraith served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, where he successfully investigated and prosecuted a wide array of federal offenses in the areas of white collar crime, immigration, narcotics, firearms and mail, wire and bank fraud. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Galbraith had multiple jury trials, numerous hearings in federal court and also briefed appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Prior to serving as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Galbraith was the legislative assistant for Judiciary and Indian Affairs to United States Senator Tim Johnson in his Washington, D.C. Senate Office. He also worked for

then-Senator Barack Obama during his first campaign for President by organizing the Native American Domestic Policy Committee, which comprised a nationwide group of tribal leaders and activists. Mr. Galbraith was listed in the 2017 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Native American Law and he was also ranked Nationally as “Up and Coming” for Native American Law in 2017 by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. He was recognized as a 2017 Washington D.C. “Rising Star” for Native American Law by Super Lawyers magazine. Mr. Galbraith was named a 2017 “Rising Star” by Law360 and one of three nationally recognized lawyers for Native American Law under 40 to watch. The Washington Business Journalhonored Mr. Galbraith as a part of its “40 under 40” class of 2017. He was listed as one of Washington’s 2015 “Trending 40 Lawyers Under 40” by Legal Bisnow. Mr. Galbraith is a recipient of the Native American Bar Association Award for Excellence in Government Service in 2012 and was recognized as one of “40 Native Americans Under 40” by American Indian Enterprise Development in 2011. At the Department of Justice, he was recognized by the FBI, Department of Education and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency for excellence in criminal prosecutions.

Mr. Galbraith earned his J.D. from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, (2006) and a B.A., Political Science University of Chicago, B.A., (2002)

Greg Guedel, Ph.D.

Greg Guedel has been Of Counsel with Hobbs Straus Dean & Walker LLP in the Oklahoma office since 2016 after serving the interests of tribal governments and communities in the Pacific Northwest for more than 20 years. His legal practice focuses on assisting tribal governments, businesses, and communities with economic development, strengthening institutions, complex construction projects, and dispute resolution. Greg is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Native American Concerns and served as Chair for nine years.

For his research on Native American political economy, in 2016 Greg received the first Ph.D. ever awarded in the 100+ year history of the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies. His doctoral research on tribal economic development has been published by the American Indian Law Review and the American Indian Law Journal, and he is the author of the book Strategies and Methods for Tribal Economic Development – Creating Sustainable Prosperity in Native American Communities. His academic and legal research on Indigenous economic development has been published and cited by leading media sources including The Economist, Bloomberg Business Week, Newsweek, National Public Radio, and numerous international television and multimedia services.

Greg actively supports veterans’ rights and programs, and from 1994-2002 served as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Judge Advocate General’s Corps with the 2nd Armored Division, 4th Infantry Division, and 81st Infantry Brigade. Greg, his wife Christina, and their son Thomas enjoy hiking and outdoor sports, bird watching, and spending time with their family.

Patrick Irvine

Patrick Irvine is the Director at Fennemore Craig P.C. in Phoenix, AZ. Mr. Irvine practices in litigation and business law, with special expertise in taxation, Indian law, appeals, and arbitration/mediation. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Irvine served as a judge on Division One of the Arizona Court of Appeals for over nine years, including two years as Vice Chief Judge. Before his appointment to the Court, Mr. Irvine was an attorney in the office of the Arizona Attorney General, serving as Solicitor General and Chief Counsel of the Tax Section. While at the Attorney General’s Office he represented and advised state agencies regarding all areas of taxation, worked with the Arizona Legislature in developing tax legislation, and chaired the Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law Enforcement Team. He has briefed and argued numerous cases at all levels of the state and federal courts, including a successful argument before the U.S. Supreme Court concerning Indian law and taxation. He represented the Arizona Governor and Department of Gaming in the negotiation and drafting of the current Tribal-State Gaming Compacts. Mr. Irvine also worked in the tax department of an international accounting firm and as an Assistant General Counsel to the Gila River Indian Community.

Mr. Irvine earned his LL.M., Taxation, University of San Diego, in 1984, a J.D., Arizona State University in 1980, and a B.S., Arizona State University in 1977.

Honors include Phoenix College Alumni Hall of Fame, Best Lawyers in America®, Appellate Practice; Native American Law; Tax Law, 2015, Recipient, Jim Jones Distinguished Service Award, Conference of Western Attorneys General, Recipient, Distinguished Public Lawyer Award, State Bar of Arizona, Recipient, U.S. Supreme Court Best Brief Award, National Association of Attorneys General, and Recipient, Counselor of the Year Award, Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

Chris James

Chris James has served as the President and CEO of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development since January of 2017. He is responsible for guiding the organization in its day-to-day operations and implementing its long term strategic initiatives and vision. Prior to joining the National Center, Chris was an Associate Administrator at the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA), worked in Native American Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and managed the Sequoyah Fund – an enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

From 2011 -16, Chris served as Associate Administrator at SBA, where he was a Senior Executive Service (SES) appointee of President Barack Obama overseeing both the Office of Field Operations, Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Office of Native American Affairs. His extensive portfolio included Native American outreach, program management, and tribal consultation.

While at SBA, Chris’s responsibilities included representing the SBA at White House events and in state, local, and congressional affairs, as well as serving as a liaison to domestic and international corporate partners and stakeholders. He also established and oversaw SBA’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. As the head of the Office of Field Operations, he managed a workforce of over 800 people with an annual operating budget of over $200 million, and worked on programs and services that affected all 50 states and every U.S. territory. He was also the officer on record for Tribal Consultation, and worked with the White House and senior cabinet officials to craft best practices for accomplishing economic development in Native American communities.

Among his accomplishments at SBA was the creation of Startup in a Day, which worked with cities and Native American communities to create streamlined platforms to allow entrepreneurs to apply for all relevant business permits in an expedited manner. Over 100 communities took a public pledge agreeing to simplify the business formation requirements for entrepreneurs in their areas. He was also the agency lead on the SupplierPay program, which encouraged private companies to quickly reimburse their suppliers. Nearly fifty Fortune 500 companies took the pledge.

While at the U.S. Department of the Treasury from 2009-11, Chris acted as liaison between the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, Native American tribal governments, and other federal government agencies and approved over $120 million dollars in funding to deserving applicants. In part thanks to his leadership, the number of certified Native CDFIs increased by 30%, and the Native American CDFI Assistance Program saw an increase in applicants.

During his time working in the federal government, Chris was an active member of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, the White House Rural Council, White House Community Solutions Task Force, and the White House Interagency Group on Insular Affairs.

Prior to coming to Washington, DC, Chris was the Associate Director for the Cherokee, NC-based Sequoyah Fund. While there, he was responsible for the daily operations of the fund, which is a Native American CDFI and an enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He has a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and a Master of Entrepreneurship from Western North Carolina University.

Mr. James is originally from Cherokee, North Carolina – home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians – and is of Cherokee descent. His family has owned small businesses on the Qualla Boundary for more than 50 years. Chris, who is based in the Phoenix metro area, is married and has three school-aged children.

Brendan V. Johnson

Brendan Johnson is Partner with Robins Kaplan LLP, and Co-Chair, American Indian Law and Policy Group; Co-Chair, Government and Internal Investigations Group.

Former United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota Brendan Johnson excels at finding creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems. An aggressive advocate, Mr. Johnson has spent his career trying cases, deposing hostile witnesses, and cross-examining experts. His courtroom advocacy led Shared Hope International, an organization dedicated to abolishing human trafficking, to describe Mr. Johnson as a “force of determination, initiative and skill…” Together, his unique background and skill set power his ability to guide clients to solutions that serve not only their legal interest, but also to safeguard their reputation in high stakes litigation.

Mr. Johnson’s experience comes from his time at the Department of Justice as well as his political and public advocacy work. While serving as the United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota, Mr. Johnson was selected by the Attorney General of the United States to chair the Department of Justice’s Native American Issues Subcommittee and to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. He was also a member of the Justice Department’s Terrorism/National Security and Cybercrime Subcommittees. In addition, he was named one of the nation’s top 40 political rising stars under the age of 40 by the Washington Post, and Campaigns and Election listed him as one of the 500 most influential people in politics. Chambers USA lists Mr. Johnson nationally as an “Up and Coming” attorney, and Indian Country Today named him to their “Hot List” of attorneys.

Mr. Johnson has also received numerous awards for his advocacy. These include the University of South Dakota’s Women in Law Attorney of the Year Award, the South Dakota Violence Against Women Prosecutor of the Year Award and, following his successful argument in the case of United States v. Jungers in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Shared Hope’s 2014 Pathbreaker Award. When summarizing the impact of Mr. Johnson’s career with the Justice Department, former Attorney General Holder stated that, “As a lawyer and as a leader, Brendan has set a standard of excellence that will not soon be surpassed. Particularly with regard to public safety challenges on tribal lands, he has served as a key advisor to senior Justice Department officials.-including me.”

Winona LaDuke

Winona LaDuke is an internationally renowned activist working on issues of sustainable development renewable energy and food systems. She lives and works on the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota, and is a two time vice- presidential candidate with Ralph Nader for the Green Party.

As Program Director of the Honor the Earth, she works nationally and internationally on the issues of climate change, renewable energy, and environmental justice with Indigenous communities. And in her own community, she is the founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, one of the largest reservation based non-profit organizations in the country, and a leader in the issues of culturally based sustainable development strategies, renewable energy and food systems. In this work, she also continues national and international work to protect Indigenous plants and heritage foods from patenting and genetic engineering.

In 2007, LaDuke was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, recognizing her leadership and community commitment. In 1994, LaDuke was nominated by Time magazine as one of America’s fifty most promising leaders under forty years of age. She has been awarded the Thomas Merton Award in 1996, Ms. Woman of the Year (with the Indigo Girls in l997), and the Reebok Human Rights Award, with which in part she began the White Earth Land Recovery Project. The White Earth Land Recovery Project has won many awards - including the prestigious 2003 International Slow Food Award for Biodiversity, recognizing the organization’s work to protect wild rice from patenting and genetic engineering.

A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, she has written extensively on Native American and environmental issues. She is a former board member of Greenpeace USA and is presently an advisory board member for the Trust for Public Lands Native Lands Program as well as a board member of the Christensen Fund. The Author of five books, including Recovering the Sacred, All our Relations and a novel Last Standing Woman, she is widely recognized for her work on environmental and human rights issues.

Governor Stephen Roe Lewis

Stephen Roe Lewis is the Governor of the Gila River Indian Community. Governor Lewis was raised in Sacaton, “Gu-u-Ki”, on the Gila River Indian Community. His parents are Rodney and Willardene Lewis. His paternal grandparents are the late Rev. Roe Blaine and Sally Lewis. His maternal grandparents are the late Willard and Catherine Pratt.

Governor Lewis is proud to have attended school from kindergarten to 8th grade on the Gila River Indian Community. Governor Lewis graduated from Arizona State University with

a Bachelor of Science and pursued graduate studies at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Governor Lewis has long been an advocate for Native American issues nationally. In the area of Indian Education, Mr. Lewis was selected to serve as a Board member for the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), and Delegate to the White House Conference on Indian Education. Governor Lewis has served the Community as a Gaming Commissioner for the Gila River Gaming Commission, as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gila River Telecommunications, Inc., and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gila River Healthcare Corporation.

Governor Lewis was the first Native film curator for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and was an Associate Producer for the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed TBS six-part feature documentary, “The Native Americans.” Governor Lewis has worked on numerous political campaigns and organizing projects throughout Indian Country including Native voter organizing and Native voter protection in 2002 and selected as an Arizona delegate and Co-Chairing the Native American Caucus for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Currently Governor Lewis serves on the Board of Directors for the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the Executive Board for the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and the Board of Trustee for the Heard Museum of Phoenix.

Kate C. Lowenhar-Fisher

Kate is a leading Nevada gaming attorney who counsels many of the world’s premier gaming companies on regulatory issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, reorganizations and financings, and compliance. She has extensive experience advising clients on issues related to Internet gaming, sports betting, pari-mutuel wagering, social gaming, fantasy sports, liquor licensing, sweepstakes, contests, and promotions. She regularly represents individuals and businesses before regulatory agencies, including the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission. Because of her knowledge and her cutting-edge gaming practice, she has been sought after by major media outlets including Yahoo! Finance, ESPN and Bloomberg to comment on current gaming issues. She is the youngest ranked lawyer in Nevada by Chambers USA for Gaming & Licensing. She is listed as an AV® Preeminent™ Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in Mountain States Super Lawyers and Nevada Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite”.

Kate is a member of the International Association of Gaming Advisors and the International Masters of Gaming Law. She received her B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University and her J.D. from Emory University School of Law. Prior to joining Dickinson Wright, Kate was a shareholder in the Gaming Group at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. Kate is licensed to practice law in Nevada and California. She sits on the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada, Grant a Gift Autism Foundation, and Nevada PEP.

Keith C. Miller

Keith Miller is the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Law at Drake Law School, and has been teaching their since 1979. Prior to that he was an Attorney, Lathrop, Koontz & Norquest- Kansas City, MO and a Visiting Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin. Professor Miller’s areas of expertise are Torts, Product’s Liability, Gaming Law, Worker’s Compensation. Miller is also a Visiting Professor of the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law teaching Sports Betting & Fantasy Sports and Gaming Law.

Selected publications include The Law of Gambling and Regulated Gaming (co-author) (2d ed., Carolina Academic Press, 2016), The Utility and Limits of Self-Exclusion Programs, 6 UNLV Gaming Law Journal (2015), How Should the Past Inform the Future? Reviewing Regulating Internet Gaming: Challenges and Opportunities, 5 UNLV Gaming Law Journal 49 (2014), Ethics Across the Gaming Industry (co-author), Casino Lawyer, Summer 2013, and The Internet Gambling Genie and the Challenges States Face, 17 Journal of Internet Law 1 (2013).

Professor Miller has served as Vice-President for the Educator Members of the International Masters of Gaming Law, and Vice-Chair of the Gaming Law Committee for the ABA Business Law Section. Keith Miller earned an LL.M. from University of Michigan, a J.D and B.A from University of Missouri- Kansas City, and, and was Editor in Chief UMKC Law Review.

Robert J. Miller

Robert Miller is a Professor of Law and the Faculty Director of the Rosette LLP American Indian Economic Development Program, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Navajo Nation Council of Economic Advisors; Justice, Grand Ronde Tribe Court of Appeals; Citizen Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.

Robert Miller’s areas of expertise are civil procedure, federal Indian law, American Indians and international law, American Indian economic development and Native American natural resources. An enrolled citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, he is the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals for the Grand Ronde Tribe and sits as a judge for other tribes.

Before joining the College of Law in 2013, Professor Miller was on the faculty of Lewis & Clark Law School. Prior to his career in academia, he practiced Indian law with Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, and worked for the Stoel Rives law firm. Following graduation from law school, he clerked for Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Professor Miller’s published works include articles, books and book chapters on a wide array of federal Indian law issues and civil procedure, and he speaks regularly on Indian law issues across the U.S. and in other countries. He is the author of Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and Manifest Destiny (2006), and Reservation “Capitalism:” Economic Development in Indian Country (2012), and he co-authored Discovering Indigenous Lands: The Doctrine of Discovery in the English Colonies (Oxford University Press 2010). Miller’s blog on Indian affairs was noted by the wallstreetjournal.com and a poll of leading Indian blogs, and will be archived by the Library of Congress. He also has worked as a consultant with the American Philosophical Society since 2006 on tribal language and archival issues. He was elected to the American Law Institute in 2012 and to the American Philosophical Society in 2014.

Miller earned a B.S. Eastern Oregon University, 1988 and a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School, magna cum laude in 1991.

Craig Nolte

Craig Nolte is a Regional Manager for Community Development with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and assists the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’s Center for Indian Country Development (CICD). Craig also advises financial institutions on community investment opportunities, and helps facilitate community and economic development in both rural and urban areas throughout his four-state territory.

Craig is currently working closely with the CICD to promote community and economic development in Indian Country throughout the country and has held both small and large workshops. Craig’s areas of expertise include homeownership, access to capital, workforce development and healthy communities, and collaborates with a variety of entities, such as Indian tribes, foundations, government agencies, universities, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations.

Prior to joining the Federal Reserve, Craig served as a Compliance Examiner with the Office of Thrift Supervision, and a board member of a credit union. Craig holds an M.B.A. from City University, a B.A. degree in Finance from Seattle Pacific University, and holds examination certification for both the OCC and the Federal Reserve System.

Lawrence S. Roberts

Mr. Roberts is Counsel with Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton LLP. Mr. Roberts draws upon his over 20 years of experience in federal Indian law to assist Tribes in reaching solutions on Federal Indian law matters administratively or in the courts. Mr. Roberts’ experience is in the agencies Tribes engage with most often, including: the Department of the Interior, the National Indian Gaming Commission, the Department of Justice and the EPA. His work with the Department of the Interior was in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, including leading Indian Affairs from the previous Assistant Secretary’s departure at the end of 2015 through January 20, 2017. During his tenure in Indian Affairs, Mr. Roberts also served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs’ portfolio is broad and includes: the restoration of tribal homelands; energy and economic development; fostering tribal self-determination and self-governance; Indian gaming; the Indian Child Welfare Act; law enforcement; transportation; natural resources; leasing and rights-of-way; reservation boundaries; and treaty rights protection. .

Prior to his appointment to Interior, Mr. Roberts served as the General Counsel of the National Indian Gaming Commission. In serving as the chief legal officer, he advised the Chairwoman and Commissioners on all matters before the Commission, including: litigation, enforcement actions, Commission decisions, and the adoption of Commission rules and policies.

Mr. Roberts began his legal career as a trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice. His work within the Indian Resources Section included litigation concerning tribal reserved treaty rights, reservation boundaries, tribal water quality standards, fee-to-trust acquisitions, tribal land claims and other matters implicating tribal rights. Mr. Roberts’ work with EPA was in the Office of General Counsel, where he provided legal advice regarding the implementation of federal environmental programs in Indian country.

A citizen of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Mr. Roberts is a recipient of numerous awards including the National Congress of American Indians’ Governmental Leadership Award (2017), the Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Alternative Dispute Resolution, the Department of Justice Meritorious Award, the Department of Justice Special Commendation for Outstanding Service, and the University of Wisconsin Indigenous Law Students Association Alumnus of the Year.

Robert Rosette

Robert Rosette is a Partner of Rosette, LLP. He formed Rosette, LLP to exclusively represent Indian Tribal Governments in all facets of federal Indian law, including finance, commercial transactions, economic development, gaming and litigation.

Having obtained a Masters of Business Administration in finance, Mr. Rosette maintains a unique and keen understanding of financial transactions, which is evidenced by over $4 Billion in economic development and governmental infrastructure projects for over 30 tribes in eight States. Mr. Rosette has raised such capital through various forms of financing, including direct bank loans, taxable and tax exempt bond financing, venture capital, development loans, and bridge financing for his Tribal clients.

Mr. Rosette’s extensive experience also includes all areas of gaming for both brick and mortar and Internet gambling ventures. Mr. Rosette has successfully negotiated dozens of gaming compacts and has overseen the development, management and financing of tribal casinos in several states throughout the country. Mr. Rosette works tirelessly to restore Indian lands and take land into trust for gaming purposes, and has done so for Tribes such as the Picayune Rancheria and the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, both located in the State of California. Mr. Rosette has been involved with Internet gaming issues pursuant to the IGRA since 1997. He has represented Indian tribes with the successful launch of internet gaming websites for Class II bingo and poker.

Mr. Rosette has extensive federal lobbying experience. He frequently drafts tribal constitutions, ordinances and policies, and has negotiated thousands of business agreements between tribal governments and private corporations for economic development projects. He earned his J.D. in 1996 from Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law along with an Indian Law Certificate, an M.B.A. in 1996 from Arizona State University College of Business and a B.A. in 1993 from University of New Mexico in Political Science/American Civilizations.

Joe Sarcinella

Joe Sarcinella is the Chief Operations Officer and General Counsel for Native American Financial Services Association. Joe has dedicated his professional life to serving Indian Country, diligently working to better the lives of Native peoples. He joined NAFSA after completing a 4-year term serving as the Senior Advisor & Liaison for Native American Affairs for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. While in that role, Joe was the lead official monitoring Department of Defense and Military compliance with all applicable federal laws, treaties and executive orders relating to government-to-government relationships with Tribes and Native Hawaiians.

Joe started his professional career in non-profit tribal youth programming later transitioning into law and public policy. He has provided professional services to colleges and educational institutions, The National Congress of American Indians, 6 tribal governments, the federal government and numerous private individuals and groups. Joe’s professional portfolio has included gaming, taxation & finance, government contracting, transportation, sacred sites/landscapes & cultural resources, Human Rights, environment and natural resources and energy.

Originally from California (Placer County/Ventura County), Joe played division 1 college football on full scholarship for Boise State University & later Sacramento State earning a double major in International Business and Political Science. Joe earned academic fellowships for both graduate school and law school graduating with both an MS and JD from Arizona State University and with a legal certification in Indian law from ASU’s Indian Legal Program. Joe has a rich cultural heritage, his paternal grandparents were first generation Americans from France and Italy, his maternal grandfather was mixed Native & Scottish from the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee and his maternal grandmother was Hunkpapa Lakota & Assiniboine from the Wood Mountain Indian Reserve in Canada and British. He is married to the respected Indian Country advocate and CEO Clara Lee Pratte from the Navajo Nation and is the proud father of Joseph Robert Tabloka.

Katherine “Kate” Spilde, Ph.D.

Katherine Spilde, Ph.D. MBA, is an Associate Professor in the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University (SDSU), where she serves as Endowed Chair of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming. In her role as Sycuan Chair, Dr. Spilde is responsible for developing and managing the nation’s first four-year degree program in tribal casino operations management.

Previously, she was the Executive Director for the Center for California Native Nations at the University of California at Riverside (UCR), and a Sr. Research Associate at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. Prior to her appointment at Harvard, she was the Director of Research for the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and Staffed the Indian Gaming Subcommittee for the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) that produced a comprehensive study of national gambling policy during the Clinton Administration.

Douglas J. Sylvester

Douglas Sylvester was named Dean of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University College of Law in March 2012. He served as Interim Dean for 10 months. Previously, he was Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development, and was responsible for building an environment that fosters faculty scholarship, organizing speaker series, mentoring junior faculty, and seeking innovative ways to increase the faculty’s visibility.

Dean Sylvester has published, taught and lectured on issues of intellectual property law and commercialization, international law, emerging technologies and privacy. In 2006, he taught Nanotechnology and the Law, the first time such a course was offered in the country by full-time law faculty.

Prior to joining the College faculty, Dean Sylvester was a Bigelow Fellow and Lecturer-in-Law at the University of Chicago, a Lecturer-in-Law at Northwestern University, and an attorney in the Global e-

Commerce Practice Group at Baker & McKenzie in Chicago, and he clerked for U.S. District Judge C. Clyde Atkins in Florida. Doug Sylvester earned an LL.M., New York University Law School (1995, c. 1998), a J.D., University of Buffalo School of Law (1994) and a B.A., University of Toronto (1991).

John Tahsuda III

John Tahsuda III was named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs by Secretary Ryan Zinke in September 2017. He was previously a Principal at Navigators Global, where he led the tribal affairs practice. He was also Vice President at Navigators LLC. The tribal affairs practice provided Indian clients with advocacy and counsel on a range of tribal affairs policy issues at the state and federal level, including gaming, tax initiatives, tobacco sales, land-into-trust issues, health care, economic development, energy policy, federal recognition, and self-governance. He also served as policy advisor for the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association. Prior to Navigators, Mr. Tahsuda was Senior Legal Counsel for Senator Ben Night Horse Campbell and Staff Director for Senator John McCain when they Chaired the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and was engaged in private practice providing legal and legislative consulting services to Tribes. Most recently, he was staff director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. In this capacity, Mr. Tahsuda was responsible for federal policy and legislation affecting gaming, federal recognition, self-governance, and Indian health care. Prior to joining the committee, Mr. Tahsuda was engaged in private practice, providing legal advice and legislative consulting to Indian tribes and tribal organizations. From 1999 through 2000, Mr. Tahsuda was General Counsel and Legislative Director of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA). Prior to joining NIGA, Mr. Tahsuda was the acting General Counsel for the Oneida Indian Nation of New York where his responsibilities included overseeing the legal needs of the nation and its business enterprises.

From 1997 through 2001, Mr. Tahsuda served as an adjunct professor of law at Cornell Law School and taught courses on federal Indian law, policy and history. He is a Member of Tribal Board of Advisors at TFA Capital Partners. He received a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School and a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma State University.

Hilary C. Tompkins

Hilary C. Tompkins has expansive experience representing chief executives in the public sector at the tribal, state, and federal level. From 2009 to 2017, she served in the presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed position of Solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) – the agency responsible for the management and conservation of public lands, natural and wildlife resource programs, and the trustee for Native American tribes.

A proud member of the Navajo Nation, she is the first Native American to serve as Solicitor. In that role, she led over 300 attorneys in 16 offices nationwide and acquired significant experience in onshore and offshore energy development (conventional and renewable), the administration of federal water projects, conservation and wildlife legal requirements, and public land law. Clients included the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation.

Hilary is also a leader in federal Indian law in tribal self-determination and economic development, including Indian gaming and protection of tribal jurisdictional interests and treaty rights. At DOI, she set legal policy for the department, managed its position in litigation including cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and developed legal opinions to advance its objectives. Her accomplishments include development

of legal reforms following Deepwater Horizon, the successful defense of the first renewables on public lands, and the historic settlement of the largest class action lawsuit in U.S. history – the Cobell tribal trust litigation.

Before serving as DOI Solicitor, Hilary was counsel to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (2003-08), acting as his chief legal advisor and a key negotiator on Indian gaming compacts. She was also a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York. She began her legal career as an Honors Program Trial Attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she handled civil prosecutions in environmental cases nationwide.

Dale White

Dale White is a member of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and is currently serving as General Counsel for his Tribe. Prior to that, Mr. White served as General Counsel for Tarbell Management Group (2010-16), General Counsel for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (2006—10); and General Counsel for the Mohegan Tribe of Indians in Connecticut (1999-2006). For much of his career, Mr. White practiced federal Indian law in the State of Colorado as an associate and partner in the Fredericks, Pelcyger, Hester and White firm (1983-89; 1991-99) and in his own firm, Whiteing, Thompson & White (1989-1990). In private practice, he litigated a number of cases in federal court, including arguing eight cases in the U.S. Courts of Appeal; and in 1988 he had the distinction of successfully arguing an Indian law case in the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the first member of an Iroquois tribe to appear in the Supreme Court. After graduating from Cornell Law School, Mr. White worked in the U.S. Department of Justice in the Indian Resources Section (1979-83) where he litigated a number of cases on behalf of tribes; and in 1989-90 served as Special Assistant to the Associate Solicitor, US Department of Interior.

Mr. White has been a frequent speaker at Indian law conferences including the Federal Bar, American Bar Association and NITA. He is an Advisor on the American Law Institute’s current Restatement Third, The Law of the American Indians; and taught Indian law as an Adjunct Professor at his alma mater, Cornell Law School and at the University of Connecticut School Of Law (2000-03).