- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Economic Development
Tribal Business News presents our latest People on the Move roundup, featuring notable hirings, appointments, and recognitions across Indian Country.
This month's edition highlights leadership changes at federal agencies, tribal enterprises, and financial institutions, along with special recognition for Native American women making significant contributions to their communities and industries.
HIRES + PROMOTIONS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development named Heidi Frechette as general deputy assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing, effective March 17. Frechette has 30 years of experience in policy, grant programs and legislative affairs. She has served in PIH's Office of Native American Programs since 2012, most recently as deputy assistant secretary since 2016. Previously, as senior counsel to the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, she drafted and managed passage of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act. Frechette is Menominee and Brothertown from Wisconsin and earned her law degree and master's in public affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Red Cliff Chippewa Housing Authority hired Cheryl Cloud as their executive director. Cloud leaves the CEO position at Wisconsin Native Loan Fund, where she led the organization to double its portfolio and increase deployment by 30% during her two-year tenure, as well as initiating participation loans in capital stacks that financed multimillion-dollar community development projects. A retired civil servant with tenure at the BIA and HUD, she has more than 25 years in housing and community development. A Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa tribal member, Cloud holds a business degree from Northland College and has owned and operated a construction company with her husband for 15 years.
Indian Land Tenure Foundation appointed Howard D. Valandra as interim president. He replaces Cris Stainbrook, who retired in January after 23 years as president. Valandra, a Sicangu Lakota and enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, served as vice president of grants and programs at ILTF from its inception in 2002 until 2009. A national search is being conducted for a new president of the foundation, which facilitates the return of land to Indian ownership and management.
The National American Indian Housing Council hired Karly Toledo as its new membership and communications coordinator. Toledo, a Diné Asdzáán and member of the Navajo Nation, is a narrative and culture change strategist with experience in intergovernmental affairs, storytelling and multiracial coalition building. She previously served as special assistant for the Office of Indian Energy Policy & Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy and participated in the Native American Political Leadership Program at The George Washington University. Toledo has a bachelor's degree in government and a minor in economics from Smith College.
KeyBank Institutional Advisors has appointed Justin Lepscier to its Native American investment team. Based in Shawano, Wisconsin, he will advance institutional investment management services for Tribal Nations clients while collaborating with KeyBank's Native American Financial Services group. Previously, Lepscier served as director of Tribal Administration at FS Advisory Group and finance manager for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. He currently serves on the board of trustees for College of Menominee Nation and formerly chaired Menominee Tribal Enterprises.
The National Congress of American Indians named Mary Parker as director of communications. Parker, a Cherokee Nation citizen, joins NCAI after more than six years at the National Indian Gaming Commission, where she served as public affairs manager and spokesperson. At NIGC, she led public affairs initiatives, oversaw media relations and managed the agency's brand identity. Parker holds a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma and is a doctoral candidate at Sam Houston State University, focusing on digital equity and Native American education. In 2020, she was named to the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development's "40 Under 40" list.
Seneca Gaming Corporation has named Cynthia Liu as chief marketing officer. Liu will lead strategic marketing initiatives for the corporation's three gaming properties in New York state and Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course. She brings more than 20 years of experience, most recently serving as vice president of global brand management for Travel + Leisure Co. Liu previously held global marketing positions with Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. She earned her MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from University of Southern California.
APPOINTMENTS
Northwest Power and Conservation Council welcomed Chuck Sams as a new Oregon member. Appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed by the Oregon Senate, Sams began his role March 3. A Pendleton resident who grew up on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, he is Cayuse and Walla Walla and an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Sams previously served on the Council in 2021 before becoming National Parks Service director until January 2025. Margaret Hoffmann, a Bend resident who most recently worked as Oregon state director for USDA Rural Development, was also appointed to the Council.
Eastern Shawnee Companies appointed Josh Johnston and Chris Tayrien to its board of directors. Both are enrolled members of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. Johnston, a private banker at MidFirst Bank in Tulsa, specializes in financial solutions for high net-worth clients and previously served on the tribe's Election Board. Tayrien brings over 25 years of business leadership experience, having scaled two companies to over $10 million in annual revenue. Eastern Shawnee Companies is a board-governed holding company representing tribally owned small businesses providing professional services.
KUDOS
Tribal Tech, LLC owner and chairwoman Victoria Vasques, a member of the San Pasqual Band of Diegueño Mission Indians, has been named to the 2025 Inc. Female Founders 500 list. The recognition celebrates women entrepreneurs who revolutionize industries with bold leadership. Founded in 2010, Tribal Tech is a Native American, woman-owned small business providing professional services to federal, state, local, tribal and private sector clients. The company focuses on advancing health, education, security and well-being of Native American communities nationwide.
Erie County Commission on the Status of Women has honored Dr. Lori V. Quigley and Tina Abrams, both enrolled Seneca tribe members, as part of the Trailblazing Women of WNY Monument Project. Quigley, currently a professor and department chair at Niagara University, has served in various educational leadership roles including provost and university president. She was the first Native American woman in New York to hold these positions. Abrams, first elected to the Seneca Nation Council in 2001, became the legislative body's first female co-chair in 2012. She also serves as Northeast Region vice president of the National Congress of American Indians. The awards were presented at the Buffalo History Museum on March 4 as part of Women's History Month celebrations.
If you have news of new hires, appointments or special recognition, please share them with [email protected].
