Join us for a lively discussion to learn about strategies for developing new programs, expanding organizations, and state and federal resources to support these efforts. Our discussion will dive into successful models and explore topics including policy, regulatory impacts, relationship building, and Tribal sovereignty issues related to federal and state partnerships.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be equipped with knowledge of culturally-relevant practices to add to a program that’s mindful of Indigenous community strengths and traditions.
   
• Participants will understand methods of proper Indigenous community engagement, including the involvement of multiple stakeholders, to include community vision and involvement.
   
• Participants will visualize best practices for Indigenous program development by capturing elements of past and current programs.

Presenter Bios:

August Martin is Tlingit and a member of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA). He has 18 years’ experience as a VR Program Specialist at the Rehabilitation Services Administration, three years teaching at Western Washington University’s Capacity Building Project (Oyate’), and four years as a Project Director for the CCTHITA TVR Project. August has served as Co-Chair and Chair of the Alaska State and Tribal Consortium of Vocational Rehabilitation, served on the Statewide Independent Living Council, and served as a Region 10 representative on the Regional Continuing Education Program (RCEP).

Marie Parker Strahan (Marie) is a policy expert with exceptional experience at the national, state, local, and tribal government levels.  She worked in disability, employment, Social Security and vocational rehabilitation policy arenas for over 30 years.  Her current, very part-time consulting work is focused on legislative/regulatory analysis, guidance and advice to national non-profit organizations, individualized pro-bono guidance, and policy training for Federal programs and Tribal VR service systems regarding employment services and vocational rehabilitation. Marie served as the Senior Policy Advisor in the Office Employment Support Programs at the Social Security Administration prior to retiring from Federal service in 2013.  She also served as Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the Department of Labor in the Obama Administration and as the key Policy Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Disability and Income Security Programs at the Social Security Administration in the Clinton Administration. She began her career in Federal service with the Rehabilitation Services Administration and then at the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (now the Administration for Community Living). 

Marie is licensed to practice law in Kansas (admitted in 1987) and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.   She holds a law degree from the University of Kansas (1987), a Master's in Rehabilitation Administration from the University of San Francisco (1981), and a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education from Eastern Michigan University (1975).  She was a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CCRC) from 1983 to retirement. Prior to Federal service, Marie worked in direct services and leadership positions at the Tribal, State, and private community-based levels, working directly with clients in public, tribal, and private systems in Kansas and with the Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. On a personal note, Marie is a grandmother of five (5) and great-grandmother of four (4) nearly perfect young people. She hails from a large Appalachian family of eleven (11) – five of her siblings acquired or were born with very severe disabilities (TBI/epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, intellectual disability, and severe diabetes).  Marie has been (and is) a tireless advocate for children and adults with disabilities.    

Anthony Riley is an enrolled member of Pueblo of Laguna and (Acting) Chief, Division of Workforce Development (DWD) in the Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Indian Services (OIS). In this role, he has the responsibility to assist DOI BIA Assistant Secretary – Indian Services, OIS Deputy Bureau Director and manage OIS DWD’s Job Placement and Training (JPT) program, JPT Tiwahe demonstration program, and the Public Law 102-477 as amended, initiative. He is responsible for 52% of 574 Federally Recognized tribes who participate in PL477. In the last 4yrs, he has facilitated the transfer of approximately $1.8 billion in federal funds to tribes through Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) Title I contracts and Title IV Compacts.

Before joining the Department of the Interior, Mr. Riley served as Director of the Pueblo of Laguna Department of Education’s Partners for Success (P.L. 102-477) Program and U.S. Department of Education’s American Indian Vocational Rehabilitation (AIVR) for 10 years, and, prior to that, he worked with the Laguna Industries Inc. U.S. Army CECOM contractor and International Business Machine (IBM) in Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Science in Technology Education from the North Carolina State University in 1996. He attended the Bureau of Indian Education high school at Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also attended a prep school at Northfield Mount Hermon Preparatory School in Northfield, Massachusetts. He is a 3-time NCAA Division I All-American and 7 Atlantic Coast Conference Champions in Track, Field, and Cross Country. 5 times New England Prep School Track Association Division 1 Cross Country and Track Champion. 7-time New Mexico State Class AA Champion in Cross Country, Track, and Basketball.

In 2002, a 54-member team was voted on by nine Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) institutions (Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida State) for 50 th Golden Anniversary of the ACC. Mr. Riley was selected as one of the ACC's best cross-country runners (1992-1995 season) in the history of the league. In contrast, the ACC’s basketball’s 50th Anniversary list included players like Michael Jordan, UNC, Tim Dunkin, Wake Forest, Grant Hill, Duke, Ralph Sampson, Virginia, James Worthy, UNC, and many other great NBA players. He is a proud father of 3 daughters and 2 sons.

Jim Warne, Educator-Advocate-Filmmaker Jim Warne is a member of the Oglala Lakota. Jim earned a BS from Arizona State University and an MS from San Diego State University. Jim created continuing Education programs at SDSU Interwork Institute from 1993 to 2015. He has written over 50 million in grants and contracts for universities and Tribal Nations. Currently, Jim is the Community Engagement Director at the University of South Dakota Center for Disabilities, Oyáte Circle Sanford School of Medicine. Jim wrote several grants for USD, establishing the Oyáte Circle, a Native Disability Center. Jim is the President of Warrior Society Development, LLC. He consults for various government agencies, organizations, Tribal Nations, and academia, including the Arizona College of Medicine Sonoran Native Center. 

Jim is a Motivational Speaker, experience includes: Congressional Testimonies, Workforce Inclusion, Film Production, Actor/Stuntman, Professional Football, Youth Camps, Organizational Development including Higher Ed Administration. Jim’s WSD Productions Film Division produced “7th Generation,” an Award-Winning Documentary. His Emmy-nominated short film, “Oyáte un Itówapi - Pictures of my People,” was featured on Fox NFL Pregame Show, Thanksgiving 2020, and FOX “Voices” on MLK Day 2021. His new production is “Remember the Children” (2022). Jim’s wife, Jill, is on the Hoopa Tribal Council, and Ryan is Jim’s son.