Four experienced and noted Native leaders are joining the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development

January 19, 2018MESA, AZ – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (National Center) announced the addition of four new members to its Board of Directors. New members Charlie Galbraith, Lillian Sparks Robinson, Helvi Sandvik, and Burton W. Warrington will work with the current Board to oversee the planning and execution of National Center activities, including assisting American Indian, Alaska Native and Native-owned businesses with economic development initiatives and guidance, as well as developing the National Center’s signature event – the Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in Las Vegas. The new members will be officially installed at the National Center’s annual Board meeting on March 4th, prior to the start of RES. “The ongoing success of the National Center is dependent on the hard work and dedication of our fantastic Board of Directors,” said Chris James, President and CEO of the National Center. “Our new members bring years of professional experience to the Board, and will help our organization grow and thrive in the years ahead. I look forward to working with our new Board members to make a positive impact in Native communities and the economies they support. I encourage everyone to join us for the Reservation Economic Summit in March to meet these new members, and ultimately benefit from their expertise.”The new members of the Board of Directors are:

Charlie Galbraith. Charlie is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and partner in the Native American Practice Group at Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton LLP in Washington, DC. Prior to joining the firm, Charlie served in the Obama White House as Deputy Associate Counsel for Presidential Personnel and as Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs where he managed the relationship of the White House with all Tribal Governments and Native American people. Before working in the White House, Charlie served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, and as a Legislative Assistant for United States Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD). He also worked for then-Senator Barack Obama during his first campaign for President by organizing the Native American Domestic Policy Committee.

Lillian Sparks Robinson. Lillian is the CEO and Owner of Wopila Consulting, LLC, an American Indian and woman-owned small business that provides a wide range of specialized consulting and strategic development services to federal, state, and tribal government clients. She is based in Baltimore, MD. A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, in 2010 Lillian was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Commissioner for the Administration for Native Americans. In this role, she worked on programs and policy impacting Native languages and education, social development, and economic development for American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Prior to her service at ANA, Lillian served as the Executive Director of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA). Lillian has received numerous awards and recognition, including the “40 Under 40” from the National Center, as well as American Indian Woman of the Year, which is awarded at the Annual National Indian Women’s Honoring Luncheon.

Helvi Sandvik. Helvi is the President of Anchorage, AK-based Kidways, LLC., a management consulting firm focused on strategic planning, business development and execution, serving indigenous and non-indigenous clients across the US and abroad. Prior to establishing Kidways, LLC., for 17 years Helvi served as the President of NANA Development Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NANA Regional Corporation. Prior to joining NANA, she spent 12 years in leadership roles with the State of Alaska Department of Transportation. She currently is a director of the Alaska Air Group and its three subsidiaries:  Alaska Airlines, Horizon Airlines, and Virgin America. She is a past commissioner of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, former chair of the Seattle branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and former chair of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce. She has served as a Board member of the Native American Contractors Association, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, the Alaska Energy Authority, and United Way of Anchorage. She is a member of Native Village of Kiana.