Our Team

The people who work here at the Alliance have some things in common.  We’re a group of humans who don’t think of our jobs as work. We share the values of the tribal communities we come from and those we serve. We believe that clean energy has the literal and figurative power to sustain the vitality and vibrance of our communities while, at the same time, protecting and preserving the earth for the generations that come after us.  And we all believe in the premise of Etuaptmumk – a Mi’kmaw word meaning “two-eyed seeing”.  


Our founder’s ancestors knew that their survival was dependent on developing symbiotic relationships with colonists.  In that same spirit, we believe that a just transition is only possible if we work together as human beings, applying the best of Indigenous knowledge with Western technology to mitigate poverty, diminish climate change, and develop sustainable economies with the regenerative power of clean energy.

Executive
Team

Chéri Smith

Mi'kmaq Descendant President & Chief Executive Officer Founder
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Cynthia "Sofy" Pacheco

Taino Descendant
Chief Financial and Compliance Officer
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Onna LeBeau

UmoNhoN Tribe of Nebraska
Chief Impact Officer Managing Director, Indigenous Power & Light Fund
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Dr. Ramon Sanchez PhD

Mayo, Yaqui
Chief Knowledge & Innovation Officer
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Administration & Organizational Development

Sierra Flanigan

Director of Organizational Development
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Nabeela Jalill

Zulu, Xhosa
Executive Assistant
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Adrianna Vargas

Navajo, Huastec, Chicimecas
Executive Assistant
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Taryn Reynolds, THRP II

Osage Nation
Human Resources Advisor
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Maha Malik

Staff Accountant
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Tribal Engagement

Matt Dannenberg

Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Head of Tribal Affairs
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Ramon Marquez

Kickapoo, Kumiai/Paipai
Director of Tribal Engagement
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Celeste Kimimila Terry

Oglala Lakota
Preferred Provider Program Coordinator & Tribal Liaison
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Leigha Bradford

Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians
Tribal Community Resource Engagement Specialist
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Technical Assistance & Project Development

Shaun Tsabetsaye

Zuni Pueblo
Head of Tribal Technical Assistance and Project Development
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Jennifer Hershman

Director of Project Implementation
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Bill Saporito

Director of Tribal Utility Development
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David Karabelnikoff

Knik Tribe
Aleut and Athabaskan Alaska Program Manager
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Warren Hammond

Senior Advisor for Project Development
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Policy & Government Relations

Wendolyn Holland

Sr. Advisor, Policy, Tax & Government Relations
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Crystal Miller

Walker River Paiute Tribe
Deputy to Senior Advisor of Policy, Tax & Federal Government Relations
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Caleb Seeling

Tribal Grants Program Manager
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Claudio Kamaalewa Winchester Clini

Kanaka Māoli
Policy Analyst
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Stephen Lezak

 
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Remington Schneider

Policy Analyst
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Tribal Clean Energy
Finance​

Todd Halvorsen

Sr. Advisor, Energy Finance & Structuring
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Landon Jennings

Financial Analyst
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Education & Workforce Development

Angela Lucas

Miami Nation Descendant
Program Manager, Tribal Energy Leadership Fellowship
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Events & Information Resources​

Nicole Lourette

Director of Events & Programming
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Mona Thiasz

Cherokee Nation
Coordinator, Events & Programming
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Jessica Langlois

Mi'kmaq Descendant
Director of Information Resources
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Philanthropic Development​

Caliopy Glaros

Indigenous Ikarian Director of Development
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Gwen Torres

Pangasinense, Ilokano, and Tagalog
Development Associate
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Communications & Storytelling​

Kathleen Van Gorden

Sr. Advisor, Communications
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Paul Lynch

Filmmaker/ Producer

Board of
Directors

David Lent​

Bishop Paiute
Indian Dispute Resolution Services​

Bob Blake

Red Lake Ojibwe​
Executive Director of Native Sun​

Chéri Smith

Mi'kmaq Descendant President & Chief Executive Officer Founder

Advisory
Council

Under Construction

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