10th Annual "To Bridge A Gap" Conference

Lt. Governor Jefferson Keel

Jefferson Keel, lieutenant governor of the Chickasaw Nation, and president of the National Congress of American Indians, is totally committed to the service of Indian people. Lt. Gov. Keel has consistently proven himself as an effective leader and a strong advocate for Indian people working tirelessly on their behalf.

 

He is a retired US Army officer with over 20 years of active duty service. His service included combat duty as an infantryman in Viet Nam where he earned numerous awards and decorations including two Bronze Stars with "V" device for valor and two Purple Hearts.

 

Lt. Governor Keel has a Masters Degree from Troy State University, and believes in educating, training, and equipping our people to be successful.

 

Lt. Governor Jefferson Keel (cont.)

He serves on several national boards and committees and is often called upon to provide testimony to Congress in order to assist tribes and organizations on a variety of actions and initiatives.

 

Janie Hipp, Senior Advisor to the Secretary

Janie Simms Hipp, J.D., LL.M. currently serves as senior advisor for Tribal Affairs to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. She is also director of the new USDA Office of Tribal Relations within the Office of the Secretary. She is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

 

View Janie Simms Hipp's Resume

 

Diane J. Humetewa

Ms. Humetewa is a lawyer with the law firm of Squire, Sanders and Dempsey. She was the immediate past Arizona United States attorney. She was the first Native American female in U.S. history to be appointed to that position where she presided over one of the largest U.S. attorney offices with one of the highest caseloads in the nation.

 

Ms. Humetewa's legal career includes working as an assistant U.S. attorney, prosecuting a wide variety of federal crimes, including violent crimes in Indian Country, Native American cultural crimes and archeological resource crimes. As a result of her work with ARPA and NAGPRA, Ms. Humetewa conducted training for the U.S. Department of Justice for federal and tribal agencies responsible for protecting

 

Diane J. Humetewa (cont.)

and investigating cultural resources. In 2001, Ms. Humetewa was promoted to senior litigation counsel/tribal liaison, responsible for fostering relationships between the office and Arizona's Indian tribes while managing a caseload. She held that position until she was confirmed as U.S. attorney.

 

Ms. Humetewa has also served as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, counsel to the deputy attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department, as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Guideline Commission's Native American Advisory Committee and as an appellate court judge for the Hopi Tribe. She is a presidentially-appointed member of the board of directors for the Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation and a board member for The Nature

 

Diane J. Humetewa (cont.)

Conservancy in Arizona.

 

Ms. Humetewa received her undergraduate and law degrees from Arizona State University. She is a member of the Hopi tribe.

Elizabeth Agpaoa

Elizabeth Agpaoa is the regional forester for the U.S. Forest Service's Southern Region based in Atlanta, Ga. She is responsible for 3,100 employees, an annual budget exceeding $400 million, 14 national forests and two managed areas, which encompass more than 13.3 million acres in 13 states and Puerto Rico, stretching from Oklahoma to Virginia to Florida.

 

Agpaoa began her Forest Service career in 1979 on the Willamette National Forest in Eugene, Ore., as a wildlife biologist. In 1988 she moved to the Pacific Northwest Regional Office as National Environmental Policy Act specialist. In 1991, she was selected as the district ranger for the Galice Ranger District on the Siskiyou National Forest in southwest Oregon. Later, in 1996, she was named the Siskiyou National Forest's corporate

 

Elizabeth Agpaoa (cont.)

information planning mitigation staff officer.

 

In 1997 she was selected forest supervisor on the Cibola National Forest in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. In 2004, Agpaoa was selected chief of staff to chief Dale Bosworth in the agency's national office located in Washington, D.C.

 

During her career, Agpaoa's leadership has influenced many tough challenges facing the agency, from downsizing the workforce to transforming business practices. She possess extensive experience in policy analysis, particularly with wildfires, land claims and water rights and has worked on assignment with the undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on tribal land claim

 

Elizabeth Agpaoa (cont.)

issues and pending legislation.

 

Agpaoa earned her bachelor's degree in wildlife management and a master's degree in natural resource management from Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. She was recognized in 1997 with a USDA award for her part in management and union partnership at the Siskiyou National Forest.

 

Agpaoa and her husband Dan Crittenden, who is a Forest Service employee, have two grown sons.

Valerie Hauser

Valerie Hauser is the director of the Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. Valerie joined the ACHP staff in 1989 as a historic preservation specialist, reviewing federal agency projects and programs. She also served as the ACHP Army Affairs coordinator.

 

As ONAA director, Valerie advises ACHP leadership on policy matters and historic preservation issues affecting Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs). ONAA provides technical expertise to federal agencies regarding tribal and Native Hawaiian consultation and training to tribes and NHOs regarding their rights in the Section 106 review process. Valerie also chairs the Interagency Working Group on Indian Affairs.