I have had the privilege of working many years in the business world and have been acknowledged for my work ethic – I would now like to work for you.
I strongly believe my education and experience will be conducive to the responsibilities and decisions that must be made as a member of the Tribal Council. I have honed my analytical and listening skills over my long legal career and am able to effectively communicate. I also have a deep understanding of contracts and negotiations – skills which will be critical to effectively moving forward with the current casino expansion and new service station projects as well as future projects I will encourage the Tribe to engage in.
Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Master’s Degree in Indigenous People’s Law
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After graduating from Bishop Union High School, I attended Porterville College.
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I later earned my B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine.
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I then completed one year of law school at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law.
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In 2019, I graduated from the University of Oklahoma, School of Law receiving my M.A. in Indigenous People’s Law.
30+ Years of Professional Experience
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I began my career in Contracts Administration in the aerospace industry at TRW, now known as Northrop Grumman. I particularly enjoyed supporting the satellite launch teams.
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After attending UCI and UCLA, I then went to work as a senior paralegal in the Law Department of Taco Bell Corp., a subsidiary of Yum Brands, Inc., for over 30 years. I specialized in Intellectual Property and Contracts and was responsible for reviewing multi-million-dollar contracts on a domestic and international level. I was also the legal liaison for the Taco Bell Foundation.
Tribal Leadership and Knowledge of Large Scale Economic Initiatives
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Working with Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA, now known as Americorps), tribal leaders of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, and city leaders, I gained valuable experience in community action planning.
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I currently serve as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Bishop Paiute Development Corporation (BPDC), which is charged with the sourcing, contracting, and development of economic projects of benefit to the Tribe.
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As a member of the BPDC Board of Directors, I assisted in sourcing and contracting with the vendors and contractors who are working on the casino expansion and new service station projects and participated in the design review of both projects, which have a combined budget of over $20 million.
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Current responsibilities also include overseeing the construction and fiscal management of the service station project. This has entailed multiple meetings per month with the BPDC regarding operations and the Tribal Council regarding the projects.
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If elected, I will work to secure the necessary resources and staffing to allow BPDC to further explore and secure economic projects on and off the reservation to bring further economic benefit to the Tribe.
