Administration
Barbara Poley, Executive Director
Barbara, Hopi/Laguna, is a member of the Bear Clan from the village of Bacavi. Barbara serves as the Executive Director of The Hopi Foundation, a non-profit corporation established by local Hopi people to promote self sufficiency, proactive community participation in their own destiny, self reliance and local self determination. Prior to her work with The Hopi Foundation, she served as Staff Assistant to the Office of the Chairman of the Hopi Tribe. Other positions include management positions with the Hopi Tribe Department of Education, Loololma’s Plaza, a private business, and Native Americans for Community Action, an urban nonprofit human service agency. She has urban, rural and reservation grassroots community experience as well as professional experience with communities of color. She holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Education. Her experience with The Hopi Foundation has been in developing an effective organization to become a model for other native organizations and seeking to provide strategies and advocacy for Native Americans in philanthropy. Barbara Poley held the Vice-President position in Native Americans in Philanthropy, a national organization, served as Board President of the Hopi Tribe Education Endowment Fund, and board member of the national Women and Philanthropy organization, the Museum of Northern Arizona and AZ Grantmakers Forum. She is a 2005 Ford Foundation Leadership for A Changing World recipient and a 2006 Louis T. Delgado Distinguished Grantmaker Award recipient from Native Americans in Philanthropy.
Monica Nuvamsa, Associate Director/Director of Programs
Monica, Hopi/Acoma/Havasupai, is a member of the Water Clan from the Village of Songoopavi. She received her Bachelor’s in Psychology and American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona in 1997. Monica currently serves as the Associate Director/Director of Programs for The Hopi Foundation. She works directly with the Foundation’s community projects including the Hopi Leadership Program, KUYI Hopi Radio, HOPI Substance Abuse Prevention Center, Natwani Coalition, Three Mesas Productions, Hopi Language Program, and the Center for Prevention and Resolution of Violence. Monica’s early career experiences include developing and managing the Hopi Tribe’s Domestic Violence Program. She served both as an advocate and project coordinator until she was appointed by former Hopi Tribal Chairman, Wayne Taylor, Jr., to serve in the role of the Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison to both state and federal governments. After serving nearly six years in the tribal government, her career moved toward higher education at The University of Arizona and tribal public policy training at The Morris K. Udall Foundation for Excellence in Environmental Studies and Public Policy. Monica has served on the board for the Hopi Education Endowment Fund since 2004.
Angie Harris, Executive Administrative Manager
Angie Harris, Hopi, is a member of the Eagle Clan from the Village of Mishongnovi. Hired by The Hopi Foundation in August 1995 as the organizational Bookkeeper, she has been with the Foundation for thirteen years. She currently serves as the Executive Administrative Manager overseeing all financial activities, i.e., grants received, budget development, payroll processing, account receivables and payables. Previous work experience includes serving as the Finance Manager with the Hopi Arts & Crafts Cooperative Guild for thirteen years, and worked as a sales clerk and bookkeeper for four years. She also was a Bank Teller with Valley National Bank for two years in Tucson, AZ.Professionally, Angie, has been working in the financial field for the past thirty years.
Rowena Dickerson, Public Relations Coordinator
Rowena Dickerson, Dine’, is from the northern part of the Navajo Nation, White Cone, Arizona. Having worked on a contract basis with The Hopi Foundation off and on for the past three years assisting with various projects and then as a program assistant, she was hired in July 2008 as the HF Public Relations Coordinator. Previous work experience includes positions such as Public Relations Director at the Santa Fe, NM Wheelwright Museum, Director of Guest Services in several Four Star hotel properties, as well as freelance writer and fundraising/event coordinator. One of her on-going interests has been in the development of leadership and management capabilities particularly for women and Native American peoples. Having been involved in the making of The Hopi Foundation’s bench mark leadership program as a member of the leadership development team was like a dream come true.
Hopi Language Program
Leland Dennis, Language Program Coordinator
Leland Dennis, Hopi, is a member of the Sun-Forehead Clan from the Village of Supawlovi. Leland comes to The Hopi Foundation with an Associate of Arts degree in computer graphics and museum studies. He is the coordinator for both the Hopi Language Program and Natwani Coalition. A recent project of Natwani Coalition had been the curation and venue coordination of the Hopi Agricultural Photo Exhibit. The photo exhibit consists of approximately thirty framed photographs, agricultural in nature, dating from 1890 to1970. Currently, Leland is involved with the creation of Hopi History segments for KUYI, Hopi Radio. The process involves writing and translating English text into Hopi, finding male and female voices to record and lastly producing the final piece for airing on KUYI 88.1 FM. The segments educate the Hopi public about Hopi history, and other segments on How Hopis tell time and the Hopi calendar teach and reinforce Hopi language skills. Previous work experience has been with the Hopi Tribe and its Cultural Preservation Office as an administrative assistant and the Museum of Northern Arizona, as a coordinator of the museum’s summer outdoor educational events in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Hopi Leadership Program
Laurel Sekakuku, Program Associate/Leadership Program Coordinator
Laurel Sekakuku, Hopi, is a member of the Sun Clan from the Village of Kykotsmovi. Some of her previous work experience includes working with Native American communities in the areas of economic development, building and infrastructure, environmental quality issues and residential property management. After completing The Hopi Foundation's inaugural 2006-2007 Hopi Leadership Program, Laurel's interest in nonprofit organizations and working for the Hopi community grew. In May 2008, Laurel was hired as Program Associate and Coordinator for The Hopi Foundation's Hopi Leadership Program. In addition to coordinating the leadership program, she also oversees the HOPI Substance Abuse Prevention Program and Three Mesas Productions.
Hopi Substance Abuse Program
Kevin Nash, Program Manager
Kevin Nash, Hopi, is a member of the Tobacco Clan from the Village of Sichomovi. Kevin joins the HOPI Substance Abuse Prevention Center staff as the Program Manager. Prior to joining The Hopi Foundation, Kevin served as an Elderly Coordinator where he was able to meet and learn about community strengths and weaknesses. Learning the dynamics of how the cycle of various activities affects all members of the communities inspired him to apply as the Program Manager. All members of the community have value and contribute in their own way; keeping on the positive side of life is a daily chore each of us should happily accept. Kevin also served as a Facilitator for Positive Leadership Practices; in this role he coached management and supervisory employees on problem solving techniques and improving communication skills. Kevin currently holds the position of Vice President for the Hopi Alliance Against Substance Abuse (HAASA) and is a member of the Hopi Assisted Living Facility Task Team. He has a passion to give back to the community through his experience, strength and hope. Kevin is a Desert Storm/Gulf War Veteran and served as a U.S. Marine. More recently, Kevin has been selected to participate in the 2010-2011 Hopi Leadership Program.
Racheal Po vatah, Mentor
Racheal, Hopi/Tewa, is a member of the Roadrunner Clan of Sichomovi Village in the community of Polacca, AZ. As a mother of four children, she has three sons, one daughter and is a grandmother to four grandsons and one granddaughter. Racheal has been a part of the HOPI Substance Abuse Prevention Center since its inception. As a Mentor she provides mentoring service to individuals who may have substance abuse issues. Prevention education and awareness presentations are also an important part of the work the Center offers. This sharing of information is conducted throughout all the Hopi communities by way of village organizations, meetings, and tribal departments. Racheal and other HSAPC staff are often asked to do outreach presentations of their work to organizations both on and off the reservation. Some of her previous work experience includes operating heavy equipment on road construction projects as well as a Head Start school bus driver. Racheal is an alumnus of The Hopi Foundation's inaugural 2006-2007 Hopi Leadership Program, she was one of thirteen Hopi participants selected to participate in this first class.
Tyler Tawahongva, Mentor
Richard Davis, Station Manager
Maria Garcia, Production Assistant
Maria Garcia, Hopi, is Sand/Snake Clan from the Village of Walpi located at First Mesa. Maria started working at KUYI, Hopi Radio Station in late August of 2005. Currently, She is the Production Assistant responsible for majority of the Public Service Announcement (PSA) recordings, along with the editing and mix down of sound pieces of a finished PSA. Maria is also a teacher for the Hopi High School radio class students. Every Tuesday the students come to the radio station and KUYI staff teach them radio production work as well as on-air techniques. On Thursdays the students conduct their own live remote radio show at the high school. As the students conduct their interviews, Maria plays the recorded music at the radio station between interview breaks. Recently a new task Maria is responsible for is organizing KUYI volunteer meetings. At the first meeting “tieline” training was offered to volunteers which is to set up and utilize special radio equipment to conduct live remote programs from different venues. For Maria it is exciting to be able to teach that information to volunteers in the hopes that KUYI will have more trained volunteers to help with live remote programming.
Davis Maho, Operations Assistant
Davis Reuben Maho is originally from Northern Arizona from the town of Kayenta. Currently, Davis is Serves as Operations Assistant with KUYI 88.1 FM Hopi Radio, a program of The Hopi Foundation. His current experience with KUYI, Hopi Radio has allowed him the opportunity to add to his already great love of learn more knowledge of his love of music and radio broadcasting while serving the community at the same time. Davis has additional interests pursuing his skills as a talented Kachina doll carver and artist reflecting on Hopi and pop culture which he continues to enjoy on his time off as well as hanging out with friends, listening to music and watching movies.
Macadio Namoki, Development and Marketing Coordinator
Macadio Namoki is from the Village of Mishungnovi; however, he was born and raised in the Village of Walpi. This past July the Foundation’s KUYI Hopi Radio hired Macadio to fill the newly developed position of Development and Marketing Coordinator. Prior to joining KUYI Hopi Radio staff, Macadio was employed at the Hopi Cultural Center a division of the Hopi Tribe’s Economic Development Corporation where he served as Human Resource/Payroll Administrator, he was also a Security Officer at Casino Arizona, a Salt River-Pima Maricopa Enterprise and served as an Aviation Boatswains Mate Handler in the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Macadio has attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona where he studied Pre-Nursing and Native American Studies. Macadio’s core expertise includes working with youth programs, security, finance/payroll, human resource and customer service.
Center for the Prevention and Resolution of Violence
Marge Pellegrino, Owl and Panther Coordinator
Marge Pellegrino grew up in the small community of Tuckahoe, NY and received her AA from Westchester Community College and BA from Marist College. She continues to further her education in writing and bookmaking classes in Tucson. She facilitates writing and expressive arts workshops. She taps her passion for words and expression with her background in psychology and human relations training in the corporate world to bring a fresh approach. Marge's children¹s books My Grandma's the Mayor, Too Nice and I Don't Have An Uncle Phil Anymore, published by the American Psychological Association¹s Magination Press, echo the theme of self-discovery and community. Her new novel, Journey of Dreams, published by Frances Lincoln books follows a Guatemalan family's flight to safety during the Sanctuary era. Marge is an award-winning writer, on the roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and a writer in residence working with students in several Native American communities as well as schools and libraries across Arizona. Since 1999 Marge has been the coordinator for The Hopi Foundation's Owl & Panther: Writing from the Darkness Project. This special creative writing and leadership program is for at-risk children affected by torture, traumatic dislocation, and refugee status. Participants experience a wide variety of opportunities to explore themselves and the world around them. In the process, they build community. In 2006 Writing Out of the Darkness: An Anthology of Poetry by Refugees in Transition was published with writings from group participants and volunteers. In 2007 Owl & Panther youth participated in Columbia University Teacher's College's Comic Book Project, chosen for publication and film.
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