Experience

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  Alaska Native Justice Center

  • United States
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • 1 - 100 Employee

  • Chief Operating Officer

    • May 2023 - Present

  • Senior Legal and Policy Director

    • 2019 - May 2023

    Help set and direct ANJC’s legal and policy agenda to further ANJC’s mission of justice for Alaska Native people. Supervise legal and policy team. Provide leadership, strategic direction, and management for ANJC’s legal and policy activities. Create, manage, and implement a program of strategic policy advocacy to advance ANJC’s mission.

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  Tangirnaq Native Village (Woody Island Tribal Council)

  • Tribal Council President

    • 2021 - Present

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  Koniag, Inc.

  • Member of Board of Directors

    • 2015 - Present

    Koniag, Inc. is a regional Alaska Native corporation established by Congress in 1971 by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). ANCSA settled the aboriginal land claims of Alaska Native people by conveying land and capital to Native for-profit corporations representing Alaska's various geographic regions. Koniag was incorporated on June 23, 1972, to manage the land and assets on behalf of our 3,800 Alutiiq shareholders who originated from the Kodiak Archipelago. Koniag is governed by a Board of Directors elected by our shareholders.

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  Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska

  • Judge Pro Tem

    • 2021 - Present

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  Alutiiq Heritage Foundation (Alutiiq Museum)

  • Vice Chair Board of Directors

    • 2019 - 2023

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  German Marshall Fund

  • Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Berlin

  • Marshall Memorial Fellow

    • 2018 - 2019
    • Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Berlin

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  State of Alaska

  • Anchorage, Alaska Area

  • Assistant Attorney General ♦ Special Assistant ♦ Tribal Liaison

    • 2017 - 2019
    • Anchorage, Alaska Area

    Served as Special Assistant to the Attorney General on Alaska Native legal issues. As tribal liaison, represented the Department of Law in interactions with tribal officials and among state departments. Primary author of AG Opinion on the Status of Tribal Governments. Wrote successful $900,000 grant to Department of Justice to implement Civil Diversion Agreements. Consulted on policy proposals and managed workflow of various attorney working groups.

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  Southcentral Foundation

  • Anchorage, Alaska

  • General Counsel ♦ Business and Intergovernmental Affairs

    • 2015 - 2017
    • Anchorage, Alaska

    Responsibilities included business transactions; tribal self-governance under the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA); and intergovernmental affairs. Evaluated business entities and structures, negotiated and drafted operating agreements and ensured compliance with corporate formalities. Southcentral Foundation is an Alaska Native-owned, health care organization serving nearly 65,000 Native people living in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Valley and 55 rural villages in the Anchorage Service Unit. SCF employs more than 2,000 people in more than 80 programs.

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  Northern California Intertribal Court System

  • Hopland, California

  • Chief Judge

    • 2014 - 2015
    • Hopland, California

    Responsible for all judicial work and presided over matters for three active Tribal Courts.

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  Cleghorn Legal (Sole Proprietorship)

  • Northern California

  • Owner

    • 2012 - 2015
    • Northern California

    I provided responsive, high-quality legal services and served as General and Special Counsel to tribes, tribal corporations and enterprises. I took the time to get to know my clients and their specific needs, and built effective partnerships so that we could tackle legal issues together. Analyzed and negotiated economic development contracts, loan and finance documents. Advised on options for business entities and incorporated same. I regularly presented on tribal court and law enforcement development, tribal sovereignty, tribal jurisdiction and Public Law 280.

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  California Indian Legal Services

  • Sacramento, California

  • Directing Attorney

    • 2009 - 2012
    • Sacramento, California

    Directed legal and administrative operations of CILS field office in an area that included nearly 50 federally recognized and numerous non-federally recognized Indian tribes. Re-established the office’s community presence.Work included: drafting governance documents; tribal court and tribal law enforcement development; tribal civil and criminal jurisdiction; government-to-government relationships; self governance and 638 contracting; taxation; economic development and drafting contracts.Successfully represented Indian individuals and tribes in matters including: Indian Child Welfare Act proceedings; AIPRA estate planning for trust assets; protecting cultural resources and wrongful state taxation.

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  Transgender Law Center

  • Board Member

    • 2005 - 2011

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  Minami Tamaki

  • San Francisco, California

  • Attorney

    • 2007 - 2009
    • San Francisco, California

    Employment, civil rights and consumer law litigation.

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  ACLU

  • San Francisco, California

  • Temporary Staff Attorney

    • 2006 - 2007
    • San Francisco, California

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  Sonosky Chambers Sachse Miller & Munson LLP

  • Juneau, Alaska

  • Associate

    • 2006 - 2006
    • Juneau, Alaska

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  California Indian Legal Services

  • Oakland, California

  • Staff Attorney

    • 2004 - 2006
    • Oakland, California