BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Linda Arnold, in-house counsel for Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, practices in Safety & Health Law and Contracts Law. She is a member of the State Bar of Arizona, the National Native American Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Prior to beginning her legal career, Linda held management positions and as a human resources professional with APS. Originally from Shiprock, New Mexico on the Diné Nation, she has resided in the Valley for 16 years. She is active in civic organizations in Metro Phoenix.




IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Robert Roessel
Salt River Project
Navajo

Mr. Roessel is a Registered Professional Engineer with Salt River Project, which is the nation's third-largest public power utility and one of Arizona's largest water suppliers. He has been with SRP for approximately 25 years. His experience is broad and includes areas as pre-design activities, design, contract development and procurement, project engineering, project management, and management of such projects as transmission and distribution electrical power system facilities, hydro-betterment projects, and coal-fired environmental retro-fit projects. He is an active member of the Laveen Lions Club and is a professional member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Institute of Steel Construction. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of New Mexico.

Steve Geiogamah, is a career economic development manager working with Native American Communities and the City of Scottsdale. He has assisted with the development of various tribal enterprises and City economic vitality projects while working as a Senior Executive for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the City of Scottsdale. He has also served as a Board Member for the Greater Phoenix Multi-Cultural and Arts Foundation, Arizona Tourism Alliance, Arizona American Indian Tourism Association and as a member of the Tribal Advisory Committee for the Arizona Office of Tourism. He received a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Economics from Northern Arizona University and has a Master in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.   

Jason Meyers is director of marketing and public relations for ServiceOne, a leader in Arizona home warranty protection since 1990. He most recently served as director of public relations for Mindspace, a full-service agency in Tempe. Prior to that, he was director of marketing and public relations for Phoenix-based Desert Schools Federal Credit Union. Additional career highlights include a successful re-branding of the Heard Museum as the institution's director of marketing where he also received national media attention for launching the state’s first-ever FBI/Navajo collaborative training session to increase understanding of cultural issues in Indian Country. Meyers also spent 7 years as senior copy editor of creative services for The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com and KPNX-TV. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and can be seen on Arizona PBS/EIGHT (KAET-TV) as a host in support of fundraising programs.

TREASURER
Tim Jayne
Wells Fargo

Tim Jayne, is the Market President of the NE Metro Market with Wells Fargo. Tim brings 34 years of banking experience, beginning with First National Bank of Arizona, First Interstate Bank and Wells Fargo. A 50 year Arizona East Valley resident and past President Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a past President of Kiwanis Club of Aurora-Phoenix.

Paul is an attorney with the US Attorney’s Office and has been fighting to protect Arizona citizens for over 20 years. He has worked with the Legal Aid Farmworker Program, Arizona Department of Water Resources, attorney for the Arizona Corporation Commission. He was instrumental in drafting, implementing and defending rules designed to restructure Arizona’s electrical industry from monopoly to competitive mode. He was recruited by then-Attorney General Janet Napolitano to head the Public Advocacy Division at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office with responsibilities in enforcement of antitrust and consumer protection laws, and civil and criminal enforcement of environmental laws. In 2003, Governor Napolitano appointed Paul Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, the state agency that partners with Indian tribes to regulate Arizona’s 22 Indian Casinos. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Arizona, and a Georgetown University Law Center cum laude graduate. 

Jake Curtis
Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A.

Jake Curtis is a shareholder in the Phoenix law firm of Burch & Cracchiolo, P.A. Jake practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on Native American law. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his law degree with distinction from the University of Iowa College of Law. Following law school, Jake clerked for the Honorable Stanley Feldman at the Arizona Supreme Court. Jake is a member of the Navajo Nation and Ak-Chin Community Bar Associations and is also a member of the Heard Museum’s American Indian Advisory Committee.




Rick DeGraw
SCF Arizona

Rick DeGraw came to SCF Arizona in February 2006 to create and oversee the communications & Public Affairs Division, after spending 14 years as the director of marketing and communications for the Maricopa County Community Colleges.

DeGraw worked as a marketing consultant with SCF beginning in May 2004. A former Arizona Senate staff member, DeGraw founded his own business, Roots Development, where he provided political and public service consulting. He has participated in nearly 400 candidate or issue-oriented campaigns. DeGraw is also a former Arizona State University faculty member. He has a master's degree from Princeton University and a master's degree in social work from Rutgers University.




John Dossey
Cox Arizona



NOT PICTURED
Urban Giff
Gila River Indian Community  


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Paula Hale

Ramon Martinez is Director of Public Relations for Casino Arizona and the Talking Stick Resort where he administers a media and public relations team, serving as a liaison and spokesperson for Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) enterprises.  He has been instrumental in the development of the new Talking Stick Resort and other community enterprises.  He has worked on behalf of the Community in several capacities, serving as community relations assistant director, a member of SRPMIC tribal council, public relations manager and most recently as marketing manager, where he designed and implemented programs to attract new and repeat guest visits.


NOT PICTURED
Rueben Minkus


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Matt Ortega

Matt Ortega is a fifth-generation Arizonan and member of the Navajo Tribe.  He was born and raised in Holbrook, Arizona and graduated from Holbrook High School in 1986.

Matt received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University where he also served as Student Body President during the 1990-91 academic year.  He was the first student of Native American descent to be elected to that position at ASU.   Matt completed a graduate fellowship with the California State Senate and the California State University at Sacramento in 1992.

In his career as a government and public affairs professional, Matt has represented the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Gilbert and Valley Metro Transit.  He has spent the last decade working on behalf of public higher education as the Assistant Executive Director for the Arizona Board of Regents, the Director of Government Relations for the 10 Maricopa Community Colleges and as Director of Community Partnerships for radio station KJZZ, the local National Public Radio Station.