| Commission Members |
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| Appointed Membership: |
| Ms. Lucinda Hughes-Juan of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Chair Lucinda is an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Lucinda was appointed to the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs in 2003 and re-appointed to a second term in January 2005. Lucinda also currently serves on the Tucson Pima Womens’ Commission. As a full-time faculty member with the Tohono O’odham Community College, she teaches courses in business management and personal development. Lucinda has been teaching with the college since 2000. Prior to her full-time position at TOCC, Lucinda managed her own company for approximately 7 years; MLS Training and Consulting, which provided professional development consulting and training services to Native American organizations. In 1999 she added a video production component to her company which produced many training and educational videos for Native American Organizations and U.S. Government programs. Her previous work experience includes: CPS/Child Welfare Worker for Child Protective Services, Homeownership Counselor, Trainer and Program Manger under the Tribal housing programs. Her educational achievements include: A.A. Degree in Social work, a Bachelors degree in Business Management and an MBA in Global Business Management. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate. Her doctorate field of study is Business and Organization Management with a concentration on Leadership. Mr. Cedric Kuwaninvaya of the Hopi Tribe, Vice Chair Cedric was appointed to the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs Board in 2007 and was quickly elected by his peers as Vice-Chairman. Cedric is an enrolled member of the Hopi tribe and is from the village of Shipaulovi. He has served as a representative from his village to the Hopi Tribal Council. Ms. GinaMarie Scarpa – Member at Large, Secretary A graduate of Arizona State University College of Non-Profit Management, she has dedicated her life to working with non-profit youth organizations remembering the positive influences these organizations had in her life growing up in a housing project in East Boston. Her non-profit work started as a volunteer for numerous Phoenix based youth organizations and she worked her way up to become the Executive Director of the A.C. Green Youth Foundation, founded by NBA “Iron Man” A.C. Green. She was instrumental in bringing the “Abstinence” message to schools and youth organization throughout Phoenix and implementing the A.C. Green Phoenix Youth Camp, a free camp for youth across the valley, as well as managing a 12 person staff. After almost 9 years with the AC Green Youth Foundation she embarked on a new adventure. In 2002, she co-founded Pod Productions, creators of NABI/Native American Basketball Invitational and the NABI Foundation, with Mark West, Vice President of Player Programs/Phoenix Suns and Scott Podleski, former Sales Manager, AZ Rattlers. She openly contributes her success in life to AC Green & Mark West for being great mentors, and her parents, Carmine F. Scarpa and Mary Garcia- Scarpa for their unconditional love and encouragement. Her favorite quote is: “A winner is a loser who keeps getting up.” In her role, as Managing Partner for Pod Productions, she is directly responsible for sponsorship development, marketing, tournament organization & operations, public and community relations of the NABI Tournament. And, overseeing the NABI Foundation, a donor advised fund under the Arizona Community Foundation. Ms. Cora Maxx Phillips of the Navajo Nation Ms. Phillips currently serves as the Executive Staff Assistant to Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., working on issues ranging from government, education, uranium, environmental health, social services, housing and international issues. She also serves as President of the Tuba City Chapter Land Use Planning Committee. For the past 25 years, she has worked in the filed of Social Human Services, Executive Administration, Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Housing, Education and Health. Some of her professional work has been presented and published by the national American Psychological Association, Federal Department of Justice, National Coalition of Juvenile Justice and the International Symposium for Substance Abuse Treatment, National Symposium n American Indian Families. She holds membership in the National Congress of American Indians, American Civil Liberties Union, National Association of Female Executives and other organizations. Ms. Maxx-Phillips holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Political Science from Dine College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and Social Planning from Northern Arizona University and a Master in Social Work from Arizona State University. Mr. Paul Nosie Jr. of the San Carlos Apache Tribe Mr. Nosie has 28 years of experience in Law Enforcement and is the Administrator for the San Carlos Adult/Juvenile Rehabilitation & Detention Center. Mr. Nosie has served the San Carlos Apache Tribe as the Director for the Game & Fish Department and Tribal Prosecutor. Prior to this, Mr. Nosie was formerly employed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety where he worked as a Patrolman, a Narcotic Agent and a Liquor Agent. Mr. Nosie serves his community in a multitude of ways including Board Chairman for the San Carlos Injury Prevention Coalition, Board President of the Mt. Turnbull Sanitation Service, Member of the Apaches for Cultural Preservation Coalition and as a Member of the Arizona Tribal Justice & Rehabilitation Coalition. In addition, he also serves as a consultant on the Apache traditions and culture. Mr. Derreck Wheeler of the White Mountain Apache Tribe Mr. Wheeler is an enrolled member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. He is currently employed by his Tribe as the Energy Efficiency Coordinator in the Planning Department to manage the following programs: Weatherization Assistance Program, Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program, FEMA Hazardous Mitigation, and Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant. Other areas of interest include residential rehabilitation, biomass development, and grocery store construction. Mr. Wheeler holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in American Indian Studies and Public Administration from Arizona State University. In the future, he would like to return to pursue an advanced degree in public administration. Mr. Dave Castillo – Member at Large Mr. Castillo serves as the CEO for Native Home Capital (NHC). The organization was incorporated in 2005 and today is a not-for-profit, certified, Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) providing technical assistance and financial capital primarily for Tribal housing and community facilities. This appointment brings together Mr. Castillo’s experience in the private and non-profit sectors. Prior contributions to the field of Tribal development occurred through his work as Senior Deputy Director for Fannie Mae in Arizona, Economic Development Division Manager for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, as well as Community Development Director for the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and a Master in Business Administration from the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU. Mr. Castillo is of Nahua Indian descent. Mr. Billie Spurlin – Member at Large Mr. Spurlin is the Executive Director for the Salt River Financial Services Institution (SRFSI), a certified Native CDFI. Salt River Financial Services Institution provides opportunities for members of the Community to buy or improve their homes and start or expand their businesses. It also makes available financial education and coaching, credit counseling, technical support and other programs and services exclusively for Community members. Prior to this, Mr. Spurlin worked as a Consultant for Fidelity One Financial, Wholesale Account Executive for EquiFirst Corporation and Senior Mortgage Banker for Capital Mortgage Funding. He holds a Bachelors Degree from Eastern Michigan University. He is also a member of Phi Sigma Pi and the Golden Key National Honor Society. |
| Ex-Officio Membership: |
| On the behalf of The Honorable John Huppenthal, Superintendent of Public Instruction Debora Norris, Indian Education Specialist Ms. Norris is Director of the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education. Debora is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. She is a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives, having served for three terms from 1997-2002. She is one of the first two Native American women elected at the same time to serve in the Arizona Legislature in 1996 (the other one is Sally Gonzales from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe). She has a background in Education policy and legislation from having served on the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee for four years. Ms. Norris grew up in Sells, Arizona on the Tohono O’odham Nation. She graduated from Baboquivari High School in 1989. Four years later she graduated from of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California in 1993 with a B.A. in History and a minor Education. In 2006, Ms. Norris graduated with her Master’s in Education Administration from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Ms. Norris has worked with many Arizona Tribes, reservation school districts, and urban school districts with high Native American enrollment on public policy and education issues. In addition, she continues to work on Education issues in the Native American community and provides advocacy and technical assistance with NCLB, AZ LEARNS, AIMS, Title I, Title VII, and JOM. Ms. Norris is the first Director appointed under the Arizona Indian Education Act to implement A.R.S. 15-244, the state law that officially establishes the Office of Indian Education within the Arizona Department of Education. On the behalf of Interim Director Will Humble, Arizona Department of Health Services Michael Allison, Native American Liaison Mr. Allison joined the Arizona Department of Health Services in January of 2001. His main responsibility, as Native American Liaison, is to enhance effective working relationship between the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Native American health care community comprised of twenty-one tribal health departments, three urban Indian health programs, the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., three Indian Health Service Area Offices, and other agencies providing health services to the Arizona Native American community. He is a member of the Navajo Nation originally from Shiprock, New Mexico. His Navajo clans are Ta’chii’nii (red running into the water people) and Naakaaii Dine (the Mexican Navajo people). Mr. Allison earned his Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of New Mexico in 1974 and his Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Arizona in May 2003. He has thirty years of management work experience in small business development, tribal economic development, health care management, and public health. Former positions held by Michael include: Executive Director, Navajo Division of Economic Development; Executive Vice President, National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development; and Executive Director, Native American Community Health Center, Inc. Michael serves on the following state commission and boards: Ex-Officio Board Member, Arizona Commission on Indian Affairs; Member, Advisory Council on Indian Health Care. On the behalf of Director Sherry Henry, Arizona Office of Tourism Dawn Melvin, Native American Tourism Development Manager As the Native American Tourism Development Manager Ms. Melvin provides outreach to Tribes providing information on the agency’s expertise and programs. As the agency raises awareness of these opportunities and expands work with the Tribes, it gains a better understanding of the Tribal communities’ tourism development goals. The Arizona Office of Tourism created the position to guide its efforts to assist Arizona’s Native American communities in developing and promoting their tourism offerings. She also provides assistance to internal divisions to support the division’s work with Tribes. She is responsible for oversight of AOT’s Native American Tourism Advisory Committee and serves as a liaison to its members. Prior to this, Ms. Melvin previously worked at the Arizona State University on the West Campus, where she served as Senior Coordinator for Student Development and Native American Student Services Programs. Her academic achievements include a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and Tourism Management and a postgraduate certificate in Gerontology from Arizona State University in 1999. On the behalf of Director John Halikowski, Arizona Department of Transportation Misty Dayzie, Tribal Planner Ms. Dayzie is a Tribal Planner for the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Planning Division (ADOT-MPD). Misty has worked for ADOT from 2001-2005 as a scheduler and as a project manager. Prior to her current role as a Tribal Planner and Coordinator, she worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Ms. Dayzie is responsible for managing the establishment or update of long range transportation plans for Tribal Governments. She provides regional transportation planning support and coordination for the 22 Federally recognized Tribal Governments and communities across the state. She also functions as an in-house expert on tribal issues and is accountable to maintain compliance with federal and state laws, regulations and policies. Most recently, she has been assigned the leading role of recommending updates to current ADOT planning processes, procedures and policies to incorporate tribal consultation, cooperation and coordination with the Arizona Tribes. On behalf of Director Clarence Carter, Arizona Department of Economic Security |
Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs
Working for a greater understanding and improved relationships in the State of Arizona.