LAWTON, Okla – The Tribal Leadership Council Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipients of the Tribal Leadership Conference Awards.
Each year we have three categories where we select one person per category for an award. These individuals were selected for their outstanding leadership in Indian Country.
- The Lifetime Leadership Award was awarded to Rodney Youckton who serves as the Chief Community Relations Officer for the Chehalis Tribe.
- Lorilee Morsette received our Leader of Today Award. Lorilee is a Tribal Council Member for the Suquamish Tribe, Chief Operating Officer for Indigenized Energy, and a Board Member for the National Native American Human Resources Association (NNAHRA).
- The Leader of Tomorrow Award was awarded to Dr. Crystal Miller. Dr. Miller is a member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe. She is the CEO of Sovereignty First Native Consulting Firm and Deputy Senior Advisor at the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy.
The Lifetime Leadership Award recognizes a Tribal leader who has served their membership through many phases over the years, continuously adapting their leadership to the ever-changing environment of their nation. Fostering relationships with other governments and advocating for their inherent rights, they are leaders that left remarkable imprints for the future generations.
The Leader of Today exemplifies passion, organization, and action. They are thought leaders taking action to maintain sovereignty while creating change for the preservation of their culture and sustainability of their membership.
The Leader of Tomorrow Award recognizes the up-and-coming leaders. This leader has made an entrance to remember, and they have only begun their trail of servitude to create a better tomorrow.
“We are honored to be able recognize the achievements of Rodney Youckton, Council Member Morsette, and Dr. Miller for their outstanding leadership in Indian Country at the Tribal Leadership Conference,” said President Justin Barrett.
There are three new awards this year: the Leader in Economic Sovereignty Award, the President’s Community Impact Award, and the Chairman’s Circle of Impact Award. The award recipients for these are:
- Leader in Economic Sovereignty Award – Tonto Apache Tribe for the Apache Corners Project
- President’s Community Impact Award – ROI Promotions Presented to Liz Meyer
- Chairman’s Circle of Impact Award – AT&T Presented to Julio Figueroa
“We want to recognize the Apache Corners Project being developed by the Tonto Apache Tribe. This development underscores the importance that economic development has for rural tribes and communities,” said President Justin Barrett. “We want to thank ROI Promotions for their work with TLC as well as acknowledge their contributions to other organizations including NNAHRA and the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) who received laptops from ROI for their scholarship recipients.”
Julio Figueroa who serves as the Director of External & Legislative Affairs for Riverside, San Bernardino, and Inyo Counties as well as the California and Nevada Tribal Liaison for AT&T supports our communities and organizations. Through the work of AT&T, laptops have distributed to TLC, Tribal Colleges, and UNLV students to help bridge the digital and technical divide that Tribal communities face. In addition to that, they assist with labs on Tribal reservations.
“The TLC Foundation wants to thank AT&T for their support in our local communities and the broader Tribal community through their work with Native-led nonprofits. We truly appreciate their partnership,” said TLC Foundation Chairman Andrew “Dru” Alejandre.
About the Tribal Leadership Council
Formed in 2023, the Tribal Leadership Council (TLC) is a board-governed not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that proudly supports Tribal leaders and executives with continuing education and provides tools to better their organizations. The primary focus of the TLC is empowering leadership and promoting economic growth and prosperity for Tribal communities. Learn more here: www.TribalLeadershipCouncil.com
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