Linnea Jackson, Board Chair

Linnea Jackson is a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe in Northern California. Ms. Jackson is also a descendant of the Yurok, Karuk, Tolowa, and Wiyot Tribes. She serves as the General Manager of the Hoopa Valley Public Utilities District (HVPUD). Its mission is to build a strong foundation of utility infrastructure, and ensure a framework for quality growth and expansion on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation and aboriginal territory. HVPUD manages the Tribe’s domestic and irrigation water systems, solid waste management, utility construction, broadband and energy initiatives. Under her guidance, the HVPUD continues to thrive, providing essential services while respecting and upholding the values and traditions of the Tribe. Linnea’s goal is to help the tribe meet its resiliency goals, help strengthen tribal sovereignty and help the region meet climate adaptation goals and to help protect the environment and cultural resources for generations to come.

Russel Zephier, Vice Chair

Russel Zephier is an attorney for the Oglala Sioux Tribe where he has worked for nearly 35 years. He advises all six committees of the Tribe, but has been primarily assigned to the Land and Natural Resources Committee. He has worked on more than 40 fee-to-trust applications, the Tribe’s Land Buy-Back Program as well as grazing codes. Mr. Zephier has served the Tribal government and its committees working with local, state, and county governments on issues such as easements, rights-of-way, and fee-to-trust. Zephier graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Law with a Juris Doctorate. He is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Bar and the State Bar of South Dakota.

Lea Zeise, Secretary/Treasurer

Lea Zeise belongs to Oneida Nation where she grows traditional corn varieties as a founding member of Ohelaku Among the Cornstalks, a community-run cooperative. She grew up on the Oneida reservation, attended tribal school and worked in various roles on the Oneida Nation’s organic farm, both as a farm worker and on the business side of the operation. She has extensive experience in outreach, involvement and leadership in a variety of community projects and events. Zeise supports Tribal Nation rebuilding in the areas of climate resilience, food sovereignty, water utilities, and lead testing in schools as the Assistant Director of the Office of Environmental Resource Management at United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. In 2016, she co-founded Braiding the Sacred, a grassroots movement to protect Indigenous corn and cultures. Zeise is a 2011 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Certificate in Sustainable Energy Engineering.

Randall Emm

Randall Emm is a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe in Western Nevada and was born and raised on the Walker River Paiute Indian Reservation. Emm served as Coordinator of Native Programs for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension program from 2006 to 2022. He is currently a self-employed farmer and rancher, who manages and operates an alfalfa/cattle enterprise on the Walker River Indian Reservation. Emm formerly managed the Tribe’s livestock and farm operations and worked as an economic planner for the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, as well as serving on numerous boards and commissions. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Management and Accounting) from the University of Nevada-Reno.

Electa Hare

Electa Hare is a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Ihanktonwan Dakota tribal communities. She is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research doctoral scholar in Agriculture and Rural Development at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law. She also serves as a technical assistance specialist for the Intertribal Agriculture Council, striving to bridge the gap between U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and services and Indigenous peoples. Hare, who was named to the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development 40 under 40 class of 2018, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Family Science at Cameron University in Oklahoma and a Master’s of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis.

Philomena Kebec

Philomena Kebec, J.D., belongs to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She currently serves as the Economic Development Coordinator for the Band, where she is focused on community empowerment through harm reduction and overdose prevention, tribal healthcare optimization, entrepreneurialism, access to capital and improving access to local and traditional foods. Philomena is an attorney and judge licensed to practice law in tribal and state courts. She has more than 15 years of experience providing legal and policy expertise to tribal nations and tribal citizens. Philomena is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth Masters in Tribal Government and Administration Program, teaching Indian law, and is a DrPH Student and Bloomberg Fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health focused on Addiction and Overdose.

Tobi Jeans Maracle

Tobi Jeans Maracle is from the Matachewan First Nation in Northern Ontario, Canada. She currently resides in Alaska where she is a PhD candidate in Natural Resources and Sustainability at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Maracle received a Masters of Environment and Sustainability from the University of Saskatchewan, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Geography from Memorial University in Newfoundland. She currently serves as a consultant working with tribal organizations to conduct client-specific research and analysis on policy, natural resource development, strategic planning, project management, infrastructure development, and business development. Maracle was formerly an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in the areas of human relations, tribal management and natural resources planning.

Amanda Montoya

Dr. Montoya is from the New Mexico Pueblos of Taos, Ohkay Owingeh, and Isleta. Since 2018, she has served as Executive Director of the Chamiza Foundation in Santa Fe, NM, a family foundation dedicated to supporting the state’s Pueblo Indian Tribes, ensuring the sustainability of Pueblo culture. Dr. Montoya’s previous positions include Community Development Planner for Taos Pueblo, American Indian Tourism Specialist for the New Mexico Tourism Department, and Program Manager for the Indigenous Design and Planning Institute at the University of New Mexico. She earned her Ph.D. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University as part of the Pueblo Ph.D. Cohort Program. She also holds an Associate of Applied Science in Geographical Information Technology from the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management from New Mexico State University, and a Master of Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning.

John Sirois

John Sirois is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation where he serves as the Traditional Territory Advisor asserting the rights and responsibilities on the Tribes’ off-reservation lands and allotments. A former chair of the Colville Business Council, Sirois has extensive experience with such important issues as fee-to-trust, rights-of-way, land management, natural resources, renewable energy, hydroelectric power and cultural preservation. John earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History at Dartmouth College and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Washington. He has served on numerous boards and commissions throughout his career. He was an integral part of the early development and success of ILTF, serving on the board for eight years (2006 to 2014), including three years as Board Chair. Sirois returned to the ILTF Board in 2022.

Samantha Skenandore

Samantha Skenandore is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and is an attorney at the law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP in the Madison, Wisconsin office where she is a member of Indian Law & Policy Team and the Real Estate Practice Group. Samantha is a former Associate Justice of the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Supreme Court.  She began her career in Indian land in the 1990s with the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Department of Heritage Preservation. Since 2005, Skenandore has represented Native nations, entities and tribal organizations in legal practice involving real estate, cultural resources preservation, government affairs, tribal code development, economic development, corporate transactions and litigation. Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a J.D. from the University of Denver School of Law.

Gabriel Sneezy

Gabriel Sneezy is the former National Director for the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians (OST), Office of Appraisal Services (OAS), from 2003 to 2006, where his responsibilities included providing executive direction for all 12 regional appraisal offices across Indian Country. He worked in partnership with federal agencies, state governments and tribal governments to direct and coordinate programs. He developed, implemented and monitored national program standards and procedures for all BIA appraisal offices. From 1999 to 2002, Sneezy was the National Chief Appraiser for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, DC. Sneezy, who has extensive knowledge of trust resource management, formerly served on The Appraisal Foundation’s government advisory board.

Hans-Dieter Klose

Hans-Dieter Klose is from Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona and has a long family history of land planning going back to his grandfather who helped draft some of the original land planning documents for Salt River. Mr. Klose currently owns a consulting business and advises on commercial development matters and leasing on Native American lands. He is a speaker and presenter for Native American Financial Officers Association, Leadership Education and Development program sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania/Wharton. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he has previously served as Director of Salt River’s Community Development Department and has consulted on American Indian trust property issues since 2005.

Randall Emm

Randall Emm is a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe in Western Nevada, and has lived his entire life on the Walker River Paiute Indian Reservation. Emm serves as Coordinator of Native Programs for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension program. He is also a self-employed farmer and rancher, who has managed and operated a large feeder operation and a custom foraging business, and owns a herd of registered Black Angus Cattle. Emm formerly managed the Tribe’s livestock and farm operations and worked as an economic planner for the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, as well as serving on numerous boards and commissions in Nevada. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Nevada-Reno.

Jason Hoffman

Jason Hoffman is an investment professional with more than two decades of experience spanning investment manager research, investment policy oversight, and presentation delivery. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations. Jason moved to Minnesota to attend the Carlson School of Management Twin Cities where he majored in Management Information Systems and Finance. His Career began in an institutional consulting firm where he spent a decade in a progressive career. At Wells Fargo Institutional Retirement & Trust, Jason served in a fiduciary product overbite role, helping to craft more rigorous policies, performance ongoing monitoring/reporting to ensure compliance, and delivering recommendations to a fiduciary oversight committee. Jason Currently works at Principle Financial Group as a Senior Investment Analytics Analyst and Registered Representative where he serves as an investment resource for Principal investment strategies to internal and external parties. Jason currently resides in Plymouth Minnesota where he lives with his wife and their cat. Outside of work, Jason has previously help a professional motorcycle racing license and is involved in many activities including hockey and more recently pickleball.

Diana L. Schutter

Diana Schutter recently retired from her role as principal manager and senior investment consultant for Berthel Schutter LLC, a registered investment advisory firm in St. Paul, Minn. that she co-founded in 1996, and later merged with Advanced Capital Group. Diana advised clients on matters of investment fiduciary structure, investment policy and strategy, investment manager due diligence and ongoing portfolio monitoring. Her client relationships included Native tribal governments, foundations, retirement plans and family trusts. From 1984-96 Diana served as Investment Manager, Pension Plan Trustee and Chair of the Investment Committee at West Publishing. From 1974-83 she was an investment manager with the Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund. Diana is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and is a member of the CFA Institute and Minnesota CFA Society.

Cris Stainbrook

In memorium: John Schweers

John Schweers served on the ILTF Investment Committee from 2012 until his passing in 2022 and was instrumental in helping guide the Foundation’s investment strategies. John was an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas and an associate professor at the University of St. Mary’s. In 2010, he retired as senior consultant after 12 years at DeMarche Associates, Inc., an investment consulting firm. Before that he served as managing director and chief operating officer of a Twin Cities–based regional investment consulting firm. Prior to entering the consulting profession, Schweers served as treasurer of multi–national corporations, The Trane Company and Donaldson Company. He was also assistant treasurer of a $3 billion global manufacturing company, American Standard, Inc., and cash manager and international subsidiary controller of a Fortune 100 company, Texas Instruments, Inc. John’s experience and professionalism was invaluable to ILTF during a key period of growth.

D'Arcy Bordeaux

D’Arcy Bordeaux (Sicangu Lakota) joined the Indian Land Tenure Foundation as its Accountant/Human Resources Director in 2003. In his role, Bordeaux provides accounting for all financial activities of the organization, provides human resource support, and oversees the Foundation’s information technology systems. Prior to joining ILTF, Bordeaux was general manager of the Rosebud Casino, where he oversaw day-to-day operations and accounting and designed the casino’s remodeling and expansion.  He was also the finance manager of Tribal Land Enterprise, an organization that acquires and manages land for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and has worked extensively in the banking industry. Bordeaux holds an associate’s degree in accounting from Haskell Indian Nations University.

Peter DeCarlo

Peter DeCarlo joined ILTF in 2025 as a Program Officer. Peter previously worked as a public historian at the Minnesota Historical Society where he collaborated with Native Nations to incorporate Indigenous narratives into many forms of programming. He has experience in research methodology, writing, community outreach, public programing, exhibit development, digital content creation, and place-based interpretation. Peter studied at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he earned bachelor’s degrees in creative writing and history, and a master’s degree in American history. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in natural resource management from North Dakota State University.

Alexandra Henrich

Alexandra Henrich joined ILTF early in 2020 as a Communications Officer. Using her creative talent and extensive software knowledge, Henrich’s primary focus at the Foundation is on print and digital design, website and social media content, and creative project management. Henrich studied at Bemidji State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Technology, Art and Design, with an emphasis in digital and exhibit design and a minor in visual arts. Prior to joining ILTF, Henrich worked in public education with special needs children and coached high school basketball.

Quentin Ikuta

Quentin Ikuta is the Improved Forest Management Project Manager for National Indian Carbon Coalition, an initiative of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) that provides education, training and technical assistance to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages on the development of carbon credit projects on tribal lands. Quentin has a background in remote sensing and geospatial analysis, silviculture, economics, and timber forestry as well as tribal collaboration relating to forest improvement projects. Prior to joining NICC, he was a professional forester with the USDA Forest Service on the Nantahala and Umatilla National Forests. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics and a master’s degree in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. Uniquely, Quentin grew up in the St. Croix river valley within a conservation community which focused on restoring ever-shrinking prairie grassland ecosystems. In the river valley, he grew to love rivers, forests, prairies, and the accompanying relationships that develop while actively stewarding native ecosystems. Quentin currently lives amongst the foothills of the Blue Mountains in Pendleton, Oregon. In his free time, Quentin enjoys cycling, trekking, fishing, hunting, cooking, and spending time with family & friends.

Grant McGinnis

Grant McGinnis joined ILTF in 2016 and serves as Communications Officer. He is responsible for communications strategy, creative development, copy writing and project management. McGinnis has worked as a journalist, broadcaster, marketing consultant and business owner. He has extensive marketing and communications experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, including the fields of education, healthcare, technology and business. Prior to joining ILTF, McGinnis led the communications efforts for a national nonprofit in Minneapolis. McGinnis studied at the University of North Dakota before graduating from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Political Science.

Josh Meisel

Josh Meisel (Standing Rock) joined ILTF in 2022 as Project Director for the GIS Program at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS. Meisel graduated from Haskell with a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science. He is currently a Doctoral candidate in the University of Kansas geography department where he previously received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Master Thesis of the Year award. His past research includes sea level rise, 3D animations, glacier and ice sheet modelling, historical geography, Indian boarding schools and Indian land mapping.

Nicole Olson

Nicole Olson joined ILTF in 2018 as a Executive Administrative Assistant and Grants Administrator professional. In this role Nicole provides general office administration and data management to the Foundation, as well as giving administrative support to the President. She works closely with Program team members on grant management activities and helps coordinate meetings of the Board of Directors. Olson has an extensive background in providing administrative support to business owners, executives and staff as well as healthcare clinicians in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

Caitlin Spence

Caitlin Spence (White Earth descendent) joined ILTF in 2023 as a Program Officer and has extensive experience working with Indigenous communities. She served as a public defender in Alaska representing Native Alaskans in criminal and civil cases and providing support for parents with children in state custody. A former Law Clerk in the Hennepin County Family Court (Minnesota), Spence was also a legal intern with the Wright County Public Defenders Office, Anishinabe Legal Services and the Indian Child Welfare Law Center. Spence is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Government from the College of St. Benedict.

Jake Stanton

Jake Stanton is the Reforestation Project Manager for the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC), an initiative of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) that works with Tribal Nations to create nature-based climate solution projects. In his role with NICC, Jake supports tribes to develop reforestation projects on their land that support tribal sovereignty, sequester carbon, and create meaningful community benefits. Prior to joining NICC, Jake was working as a consultant on a carbon project in Ghana where he was responsible for Monitoring & Evaluation of the project’s stakeholder engagement with local indigenous communities. Throughout his work, Jake is motivated by his conviction that indigenous land stewardship offers a way forward in light of the climate crisis. In 2020, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University where he double majored in Mathematical Physics and Africana Studies. Jake has stayed in Providence, Rhode Island since graduation and lives with his fiancé and his bichon-poodle, Teddy. In his free time, Jake loves to spend time outdoors in nature camping, biking, and running.

Bryan Van Stippen

Bryan Van Stippen (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin) is Program Director for the National Indian Carbon Coalition and provides education, training and technical assistance to tribes and Indian landowners who are interested in entering the carbon credit market. Van Stippen joined ILTF from the Ho-Chunk Nation where he served as a Tribal Attorney for the Department of Justice before transitioning to the Legislative Office. As a Legislative Attorney, he was responsible for land acquisition and other land issues, including fee-to-trust, leasing, right of ways, and easements. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Law (J.D.); the University of Tulsa College of Law (LL.M. in American Indian and Indigenous Law); and the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (S.J.D in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy).

Howard D. Valandra

Howard D. Valandra, a Sicangu Lakota, and an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has returned to Indian Land Tenure Foundation in 2025 to serve as Interim President to help guide the organization’s mission and assist in the search for a new President. Howard served as Vice President of Grants and Programs at ILTF from its inception in 2002 until 2009. Raised on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation, he is a graduate of the St. Francis Mission and the University of South Dakota. Valandra began his career in banking with Northwestern National Bank in Sioux Falls, SD, before returning home to support his family’s business ventures. He later served the Tribe as a Senior Accountant and was an Education Specialist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In 1983, Valandra launched a technology company on the Rosebud Reservation which grew to have locations across the country. After selling the business in 1995, Valandra transitioned into tribal land management as Executive Director of Tribal Land Enterprises at Rosebud. In 1999 he became a community liaison with the Northwest Area Foundation in St. Paul, which played a key role in the founding of ILTF. In 2010 Howard joined the Department of the Interior’s Office of Special Trustees for American Indians. Since 2019 he has served as a Senior Consultant for Jorja and Partners, LLC, where he works with tribes and organizations on strategic planning, land use and economic development.

Howard is a proud grandfather to Dylan (14) and Genevieve (20 months) and remains deeply committed to giving back to his community. He actively serves on several boards and committees, including the DOI Federal Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names.

2021 INTERN

Calico Ducheneaux is a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation and an undergraduate student at Stanford University in California. At ILTF, Calico did extensive research on the Indian Competency Commissions of the 1920s, and how these harmful policies still impact Indian trust lands today. She grew up on a ranch on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, and plans to attend law school with a goal of working on agricultural law and policy that can benefit Native farmers and ranchers.

PREVIOUS INTERNS

Summer 2016: Talia London, University of Massachussetts-Amherst. Natasha Myhal, University of Kansas.

Summer 2015:  Sophia Gutterman, University of Minnesota. Josh Isaacson, University of Minnesota.

Summer 2014:  Aileen Clarke, Macalester College. Christine Myers, Fort Lewis College. Gabriel Siert, Augsburg University. Ella Phillips, William Mitchell College of Law.

Summer 2013:  Maija Glasier-Lawson Maija California State University-Chico. Christine McCleave, Augsburg University. Agata Miszczyk Agata, University of Minnesota.

Summer 2012: John Marian, Montana State University. Charlie Thayer, Hamline University.

Fall 2011: Cecilia Knapp, William Mitchell College of Law.

Spring/Summer 2011: Jean Lam, Stanford University. Angela Richards, University of Minnesota-Morris. Julius Snell, Syracuse University.

Summer 2010: Gwendolyn Gillson, Gustavus Adolphus College.

Summer 2009: Melissa Lorentz. Minnesota State University-Mankato.

Summer 2008: Avery Armstrong, Cornell University. Broderick Dressen Carleton College. Adam Flood, Hamline University School of Law.

Summer 2007: John Reynolds, University of Minnesota. Laurie Smith Small-Waisted Bear.

Summer 2006: Melissa Buffalo, University of Minnesota. Lavette Holman, Heritage University. Leah (Lussier) Sixkiller, Harvard University. John Reynolds, University of Minnesota.

Summer 2005: Christina (Tina) Deschampe, Hamline University School of Law. John Reynolds, University of Minnesota.

INDIAN LANDS IN INDIAN HANDS