CHAIRWOMAN HELEN DOHERTYEmail Helen
Helen Doherty, a member of the Cherokee Nation, is currently developing a consultant business since retiring after 40 years as a public school teacher. Her last assignment was at Bridges Community Day School where she worked with young people who had worn out their welcome in the traditional school system through expulsion, use of drugs, weapons violations, behind in credits, peer or family relations problems.
Helen has written numerous successful grants for education and recently founded the Kudos For Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the needs of children. She had the good fortune to be chosen as a Demonstration Site Teacher by the Cesar Chavez National Foundation, received the California Teachers Association Human and Civil Rights Award in 2003, The Los Angeles County Fair's "Hometown Hero" Award, NBC Channel 4 "Crystal Apple Award', CTA's State Level "Teacher In Politics" Award, The Constitutional Rights Foundation's "Teacher of Distinction" Award, and the Bob Mack "Democrat of the Year" award for grass roots effort. She has been actively involved in the Democratic Party for the past 30 years.
She completed her fifth term as Director of Region 16 for the California Democratic Party, which includes parts of Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County. Helen is very much looking forward to working with the Native American Caucus in its goal to visit all tribes in the state and expand the visibility and viability of the caucus to better meet the needs of our people who currently may be underserved.
Helen is committed to fighting for fair and equitable education for all of California's kids and seeing that our history books reflect the truth about our culture and the culture of other minorities. "I am blessed with an outstanding Board of Directors and committee chairs, and an awesome group of caucus members, and very much look forward to working with them and other caucuses, as together we help to create a better future for all people."
1ST VICE CHAIR MARY ANN ANDREASEmail Mary Ann
Mary Ann Martin Andreas is a member of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
She is known nationally as one of the most active Native Americans within the Democratic Party. Beginning as a Super Delegate to the 1996 Democratic National Convention, she has served as a delegate in every subsequent national convention. In 2008, she was a member of the National Convention Credentials Committee. A few years ago, she ran as a candidate for the 80th District in the California Assembly.
Mary Ann’s own people have elected her to two decades of service on the Morongo Tribal Council, including several terms as Tribal Chairwoman. Currently she is Vice Chairwoman.
The 38,000-acre Morongo Reservation is set at the foot of the San Gorgonio and San Jacinto Mountains overlooking Banning Pass along Interstate 10, near Palm Springs. Today, the Morongo Band has a sound and lasting source of funds that have carried the reservation’s infrastructure and social programs into the 21st century. Throughout Mary Ann’s career, she has advanced her tribe’s views and those of other Native Americans into the halls of local, state, and federal governments. Her work to hold firm on tribal sovereignty has also focused on economic development, housing, child welfare, health care, vocational training, education, transportation, water and land resources, and environmental protection.
She has served as a commissioner for the All Mission Indian Housing Authority, delegate to the San Bernardino County Board of Indian Health, and board member of the Malki Museum, which is dedicated to preserving the cultures and traditions of Southern California Indian tribes.
Along the way, she earned an associates degree in Business Management, followed by additional course work in psychology. At Harvard University, she studied the best practices of governance by completing a special program for government leaders at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Mary Ann helped lead the fights for two California ballot measures that firmly established the rights of tribal governments to offer gaming on their lands. The successful campaigns marked one of the most significant Native American political victories in contemporary politics nationwide.
Then, leaders of more than 50 California tribal governments elected Mary Ann to chair the committee that negotiated the resulting gaming agreements with the governor, a process that took several months.
In March 2009, Mary Ann was one of two persons to receive the 14th Annual National Indian Women’s Supporting Each Other Honor Award in Washington, D.C. A few of the many other awards Mary Ann has received in recognition of her leadership include: California Lieutenant Governor’s Woman of the Year, California Black Voice Foundation Woman of Achievement Award, honoree of the United National Indian Youth, Inc., National Indian Gaming Association Tribal Leader of the Year, Living Museum of California Indian Cultures American Indian Women of Distinction Award.
She remains a deeply committed activist on Indian issues and continues to work on behalf of tribal interests on state and national fronts.
2ND VICE CHAIR JOELY PROUDFIT, Ph.DEmail Joely
Dr. Joely De La Torre, currently serves as an Associate Professor of Public Administration at California State University, San Bernardino. Dr. De La Torre previously served as the Department Chair and Professor of the American Indian Studies Department at San Francisco State University, and is only the second person in the 35 year old department to receive tenure. Dr. De La Torre holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science with emphasis in Public Policy and American Indian Studies from Northern Arizona University and a B.A. in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Law from California State University, Long Beach. In addition to her academic positions, Dr. De La Torre also served as the Special Advisor to the Honorable Cruz M. Bustamante Lieutenant Governor of California for California Indian Sovereign Nations in 2002. Dr. De La Torre is also a lecturer of American Politics for the Department of Political Science at the University of San Diego.
Dr. De La Torre is a descendant of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians. Her maternal grandmothers are Lupe Grijalva Guerrero, Refugia Flores Grijalva Zuniga, Candelaria Flores and Juana Hapish and she is of the Ngeesikat clan. As the first member of her family to complete a high school diploma, Dr. De La Torre serves as a role model for Native youth and encourages self-determination through knowledge and education. Dr. De La Torre is one of only a few American Indians with a Ph.D. in Political Science and was the first recipient of the American Political Science Association Native Fellows Program.
Dr. De La Torre is extremely knowledgeable in the area of Tribal Gaming, American Indian Federal Law, Government and Policy, Power Studies and Political Development, California Indian Political and Contemporary Issues, Education, Mass Media, Tribal Telecommunications and Social Justice Issues. Her dissertation focused on Tribal gaming and was entitled, “Interpreting Power: The Power and Politics of Tribal Gaming in Southern California.” She has presented her research at numerous conferences and media forums. She has published numerous essays and articles, including "In the Trenches: A Critical Look at the Isolation of American Indian Political Practices in a Non-empirical Social Science," in the book Indigenizing the Academy, "Native American Gaming in California,” Congressional Quarterly Press, American Political History Series Native Americans, and "From Activism to Academics: The Evolution of American Indian Studies at San Francisco State 1968-2001," in Indigenous Nations Studies Journal. Dr. De La Torre is currently working on her forthcoming book, published by the University of Texas Press, on American Indian Political Power in the New Millennium.
Dr. De La Torre is the owner and founder of Naqmayam Communications, an independent, full service California Indian owned and operated public relations agency. Naqmayam Communications, aka Naqcom, promotes socially conscious marketing and consumer and cultural education.
Dr. De La Torre serves on numerous boards and committees, such as; Board Member of the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, Executive Director of the California Indian Professors Association, Advisory Board Members for Senate Bill 41, and Member of the National Congress of American Indians Telecommunications Committee. In addition, Dr. De La Torre is committed to serving the American Indian community in a number of capacities. She served as a highly visible campaign spokesperson, participating in numerous television ads for both the Proposition 1A – California Constitutional Amendment, Indian Self-Reliance Initiative, and the Proposition 5 – Indian Self-Reliance Initiative. Dr. De La Torre also serves as the Executive Producer for the upcoming documentary entitled, "I is not for Indian," which explores the controversy of how Native American curriculum is taught in our public schools. She has also participated in a number of media venues such as National Public Radio, Television and news specials on issues relating to Tribal gaming, social justice issues, American Indian political development, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation and California Indian issues. She has testified before state legislators on California Indian education issues and works side by side with tribal leaders and state legislators to implement new legislation to benefit California Indians.
Dr. De La Torre is the recipient of numerous accolades for her work and community service. She has received the California Teachers Association's Salute to Friends of Education Award, the Opportunities Unlimited, 2002 Award, in recognition of dedication and leadership by Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano and California Teachers Association, the John F. Kennedy, Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service, and recipient of the National Native American Bo Jack Humanitarian Award.
TREASURER ANDREW MASIELEmail Andrew
Andrew Masiel has devoted more than 25 years of his life to serving California tribal governments, accumulating extensive experience in tribal economic development and financing for tribal government projects. Mr. Masiel was first elected to the Pechanga Tribal Council in 1982 and served until 1986. He than served on the council from 1996 – 2000. In February 2009, Mr. Masiel was elected to the Pechanga Tribal Council in a Special Election.
Mr. Masiel has worked as Tribal Administrator to the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians, and the Pechanga Tribe. Andrew has also served as Business Manager of the Pala Indian Tribe, and Planning Director for the Reservation Transportation Authority (RTA), a consortium of 22 Southern California Tribes.
In 1998, Mr. Masiel co-founded and chaired the first Native American Caucus for the California State Democratic Party, the only organization of its kind in the nation. Andrew serves as the ad hoc chair of the caucus, and is a member of the California State Democratic Party Executive Board Finance Committee.
In 1987, Mr. Masiel was appointed by Governor George Deukmejian to the California Public Utilities Commission.
Andrew’s commitment to California Native Americans led him to serve the California Nations Indian Gaming Association as its elected treasurer. He has also chaired the IDRS’ Advisory Committee to the Youth Caucus, a program that instructs and empowers Indian youth in California to take an active role in monitoring California policy making. Masiel also served on the Board of Directors of California Indian Legal Services for eleven years, five of which were as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Masiel also served with the National Center for American Indians Enterprise Developer for 11 years. Mr. Masiel has also held appointments as the Tribal Representative for the Southern California Association of Governments and the Cal Trans Advisory Board. He is a regular speaker about tribal gaming, education, economic development, and social development at forums hosted by the UCLA School of Law, San Francisco State University, UC Riverside, San Diego State University and the University of Southern California.
Mr. Masiel earned a degree in Environmental Planning and Business Development from the University of California, Davis. Andrew and his wife, Gloria, have two grown children and live in Temecula, California. Their son, Andrew Masiel, Jr. recently earned his master’s degree and serves as Principal of the Pechanga School; their daughter, Myra Zamora, graduated from UC Berkeley, and is currently working on a Masters Degree from San Diego State, while working for Pechanga Cultural center.
RECORDING SECRETARY BETTY MCMILLIONEmail Betty
Betty is a mother of three children, a grandmother of 13 and a great grandmother of two. Betty's father was a union organizer during the 1930’s and fought for worker’s rights all of his life. Her mother was Jewish and a strong advocate for education and equality. From infancy, both parents, through example and teaching, instilled in Betty a strong drive for social justice and respect for all races, ethnic groups and religions.
After completing her education, and receiving her certification in Program Management from National University, Betty, started her career in Aerospace. She became the Boeing Program Manager for Kaiser Aerospace working on the 700 series aircraft. The last five years of her career as an Aerospace Executive was as the Proprietary Products Focused Factory Manager in Irvine California.
She started working in politics as a volunteer in the John F. Kennedy Campaign for President and again in the Robert F. Kennedy Campaign for President.
Betty served as Vice-Chair for the 65th Assembly District in 2006 and 2007 and was elected as the CA Democratic Party Executive Board Representative in 2006 from the Riverside County Democratic Party.
In 2005 Betty joined the Native American Caucus and was elected secretary in April 2006 at the California Democratic Party State Convention in San Diego. One of her primary responsiblities has been organizing the N.A.C. Women’s Issues Forum and she has worked on the 2006, 2007, 2008 and now the 2009 Forums. At the April 2009 CDP State Convention in Sacramento she was reelected as the N.A.C. Secretary.
Betty was elected as a Hillary Delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention which she attended. In October of 2008 she was nominated to serve as a member of the Electoral College and was an invited guest to the inauguration of President Obama in January 2009.
On July 14 2008, Betty was elected Chair of the Riverside County Democratic Central Committee, the highest position a volunteer can achieve in the Democratic Party in Riverside County.
PARLIAMENTARIAN MARY ELLEN EARLYEmail Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen Early has represented California as a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since 1988, and was elected to a sixth 4-year term in 2008. Mary Ellen has attended every Democratic National Convention since 1984, and has been a super delegate at each convention since 1992. Mary Ellen is a member of the Western States Caucus, and has served on the Executive Committee of the DNC Women’s Caucus.
In 2000, Mary Ellen served as convener for Vice President Al Gore’s nominating caucus in what was then the 24th Congressional District (now the 27th CD). This caucus helped to select delegates to the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.
An active member of the California Democratic Party Executive Board, Mary Ellen was an Assembly District Chair from 1986 to 1988, a Regional Director from 1988 to 1991, and has been a member of the Party’s Resolutions Committee since 1993. She is a co-editor of the California DNC Press Democrat, a quarterly newsletter published for the California Democratic Party. She is a member of the Women’s Caucus, the Vice-Chair of the Irish American Caucus, and is Parliamentarian for the Native American Caucus.
Mary Ellen has been active in the Los Angeles Democratic Party since 1985, and is currently Chair of the Community Outreach Committee, and a member of the Finance Committee. She is President of Action Democrats of the San Fernando Valley, and has worked on numerous political campaigns.
Mary Ellen received her BA in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she participates in the Governmental Affairs Advocacy Program, lobbying elected officials on issues of importance to the University of California in general, and UCLA specifically. In 1995, Mary Ellen was appointed as a public member to the California Board of Psychology by the State Senate, and served two four year terms.
A resident of Sherman Oaks for over 30 years, Mary Ellen is employed at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, where she works as an Information Systems Analyst.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE - CORRINA HICKSEmail Corrina
Corrina R. Garbani began her service to the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians in October 2006 when she was elected to the Pechanga Gaming Commission, the regulatory agency charged with protecting the integrity and assets of the Tribe's gaming operations.
As a Gaming Commissioner, Garbani worked with tribal, state, and federal regulators to ensure that Indian gaming is conducted honestly, competitively, and free of criminal and corruptive elements.
In February 2009, Garbani was elected to the Pechanga Tribal Council in a Special Election.
A tireless advocate for the California Native American community, Councilwoman Garbani has served Indian country for the last 15 years. She was a director with United American Indian Involvement, Inc., an urban Indian health program serving Los Angeles, where she oversaw the administration and operations of the Los Angeles American Indian Health Project and the Robert Sundance Workforce Development Program.
Before holding elected office at Pechanga, Garbani served on several boards on behalf of the American Indian community, including the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission, the Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board, the Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board Youth Council, the California Native American Democratic Caucus, the State of California Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committee, and the State of California Department of Social Services Tribal Advisory Group.
Councilwoman Garbani earned her Master of Public Administration from Cal State, Los Angeles, and earned her bachelor's from Loyola Marymount University.
POLITICAL DIRECTOR RON ANDRADEEmail Ron
Ron Andrade is a member of the La Jolla Indian Tribe located in the county of San Diego and previously served on the tribal council.
He is beginning his 10th year as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission. He served as the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians which is the largest and oldest tribal organization in the country. He has served as an specialist on Indian Affairs at the Department of Agriculture, Energy, Interior, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
JUDICIAL REVIEW - STEPHEN BOLINGER
Steve Bolinger is the son of a Native American from Pawhusa, Oklahoma, (Osage and Omaha) and, though he was born in Minneapolis, three weeks after his birth he and his mother moved to Tulsa, where he was raised. He is a member of the Osage Nation (#002430). His grandfather, Adelbert W. Bruce, and his maternal great-grandmother, Elsie F. Bruce, were both original allotted members of the Osage nation, allotment numbers 1006 and 1002 respectively. His great-grandmother was also an allotted member of the Omaha Nation.
