Late summer and early fall brought us an impressive crowd of talented and experienced applicants for our myriad openings across all programs, almost doubling the size of our staff.

Our Tribal and Direct Services team welcomed two new hires, Crystal M. Miller (Walker River Paiute Tribe), who is now serving as the manager, and Sabestine Hernandez (Pascua Yaqui Tribe), our new Outreach Specialist. These two got to work immediately with facilitating sessions during our Remaking Tribal Constitutions Seminar (and organizing the event), trips to northern Arizona to work with the Hopi Tribe and up to Bismarck for the United Tribes Technical College's Annual Tribal Leaders Summit and Trade Show. Both Crystal and Sabestine are excited for the positive impact their work here at NNI will have on Native communities' development of self-governance and self-determination.

Our research team has also grown considerably with the work of Brittnee Johnston (Blackfeet) and Angelica L. Santiago-Gonzalez, who are both contributing their skills as Research Analysts. Britnee has conducted research on socioeconomic issues of intergenerational poverty, upward mobility through higher education, and maternal morbidity. She is currently working with Miriam Jorgensen on our project for Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM). Angelica's work focuses on Native youth policy and she is currently working on our project with the Commission on Native Children.

NNI's communications team of one person has doubled with the introduction of the Udall Center's first ever Communications and Marketing Lead, Craig Baker. Craig's extensive experience as a writer, editor, journalist and marketing professional will serve the UC well by helping us spread the word about our impact, for both NNI and the Environmental Policy Program.

The Udall Center team is a group of intellectual rockstars dedicated to public service and the pursuit of knowledge. It’s a thrill just to get the chance to work among them. I’m most excited about helping these policy experts reach a wider, more engaged audience of change-makers, advocates, and policy enthusiasts. This is work that deserves to be seen and I’m honored to have a hand in helping to make that happen.

–Craig Baker, Communications & Marketing Lead