Meet Our Staff
Rusty Creed Brown
Lenape (Delaware Tribe of Indians)
Interim executive director
Direct Number: (202) 847-0035
E-mail: rbrown@niea.org
Rusty serves NIEA as its Deputy Director. He has also worked as NIEA’s Field Operations Associate and its Compliance Manager. As Deputy Director, Rusty oversees all NIEA’s administrative and operational functions. As Field Operations Associate, Rusty worked with communities on the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and ESSA’s tribal consultation requirements. As NIEA’s federal grant awards increased, Rusty became NIEA’s Compliance Manager. As Compliance Manager, he worked on updating all NIEA’s internal policies and procedures including its fiscal policy manual, procurement policies, and created NIEA’s grant lifecycle policy and procedure.
Rusty has spent his career working with tribal governments and in Native communities. After graduating from the University of Tulsa with a JD and MS, he worked for the Osage Nation as its Natural Resources Manager and developed the Osage Nation’s policies and statutes for its Child Support Services. Rusty served the Sac and Fox Nation as its Policy Analyst writing white papers and providing policy analysis to the Sac and Fox Business Committee. He also served as the Sac and Fox Nation’s Tribal Administrator. Rusty spent eight years working with Alaska Native communities on a variety of issues including education, subsistence hunting, and oil and gas leasing and regulations.
Rusty is active in his tribal community – the Delaware Tribe of Indians. He participates in cultural activities, he attends tribal meetings, and most recently he assisted in developing the Delaware food pantry. The Delaware food pantry opened in July of 2022 and serves the local community. He hopes to continue assisting the growth of the food pantry by starting a tribal garden and bee farm.
Brooke Niiyogaabawiikwe “Niiyo” Gonzalez
St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
Native Language Specialist
Brooke Niiyogaabawiikwe “Niiyo” Gonzalez (née Ammann) is a member of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. She has done PK-12 Ojibwe language medium curriculum development, K-12 Bureau of Indian Education Tribally Controlled Schools administration, Early Education planning and administration including Head Start, tribal education program administration, local, state, and federal advocacy for language revitalization, strategic planning, education budget and finance, language assessment, second language acquisition, bilingual education and biliteracy development, community language development, classroom level instruction for 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th grades, substitute teaching, adjunct faculty in Native American Studies and Ojibwe language, and professional development for Indigenous language medium classroom educators. All of this she has done in service to the revitalization of Native languages. She is excited to join the National Indian Education Association team as the Native Language Specialist.
Niiyo has spent a lifetime gaining knowledge in both Ojibwe and Western arenas. A panoply of expert Ojibwe elders spent time teaching her about the woodlands and waters of the Ceded territory in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. This has translated into her being a skilled hunter and gatherer of Ojibwe foods like wild rice and game, as well as a productive grower of her favorite Ojibwe heritage crops like corn and squash. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College, her master’s degree at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and is currently completing her doctoral studies at the University of Hawai‘i Hilo’s Ka Haka ‘Ula O Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.
SHanise ka’aikala
native hawaiian
Senior legislative Analyst
Direct Number: (202) 847-0041
E-mail: skaaikala@niea.org
As the Legislative Analyst, Shanise supports NIEA's legislative team by providing research, policy analysis, and promotion of Native Education initiatives at the federal level. Shanise brings three years of Capitol Hill experience on both the U.S Senate and House of Representatives where she handled energy, water, and issues impacting Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and Native Americans. Shanise earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Hawai'i in Hilo, Hawai’i.
Dezi Lynn
Diné Nation
Educator Initiative Manager
Direct Number: (202) 544-7290
E-Mail: DLynn@niea.org
Dezi Lynn is originally from Coppermine, Arizona and a member of the Diné Nation. Dezi started teaching Special Education in an elementary school in her hometown of Page, Arizona after graduating with her B.A. in Spanish/English Literature. This teaching position in a district serving a large population of Diné students motivated Dezi to obtain a Master of Education in Mild/Moderate Special Education focusing on Indigenous Epistemologies. After teaching in Arizona and Alaska, Dezi relocated to Utah and began teaching as an adjunct instructor at Utah Valley University in the English and History departments. She also obtained experience as a Project Manager with statewide educational technology implementations in Idaho and Utah. She is currently working on a doctoral degree at Fielding Graduate University focusing on reconciling the social injustices of the education system and empowering indigenous educators.
Dezi joins NIEA to support the Educator Initiative. In this role she will help lead our efforts to develop innovative strategies to recruit, train, and retain teachers to empower Native students. Dezi believes in the importance of having our epistemologies recognized and implemented for our children by the teachers that serve them. We also need those same epistemologies respected by the institutions that train and license these educators. Her work will encourage this in districts and institutions. She currently resides in Utah with her five children.
Nakina Mills
Oglala Sioux Tribe
NEFA Program & Policy Specialist
Direct Number: (202) 892 6935
E-Mail: NMills@niea.org
Nakina Mills is a proud tribal member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from Pine Ridge, S.D. Her Lakota name is Tate’ Cik’ala Win, which means Little Wind Woman. In her professional career, Nakina has worked in state/tribal child welfare, secondary/post-secondary education, as an elected official for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and as a patient advocate. She has always been an advocate that supports adequate resources to strengthen the future leaders in our communities no matter the adversities or challenges they have faced, ensuring that the next generations are equipped with tools to face hardships from the past while looking to make an impactful change for the future. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree from Creighton University and her Master’s Degree in Lakota Leadership & Management from Oglala Lakota College.
Nakina will work closely with the Program and Legislative team to implement culturally and developmentally appropriate standards in partnership with tribes. She will support the activities leading to college, career, and community-ready students at the tribe, national, and federal levels. She will assist with planning tribal education standards as promising practices to support the unique needs of native students. Nakina will collaborate and partner to help with resources to expand tribal education capacities within tribal communities. She will create professional development supports and maintain effective relationships with all those supporting tribal education in native communities.
WAQUIN PRESTON
Diné (Navajo Nation)
Tribal State Policy Director
Direct Number: (202) 847-0034
E-mail: wpreston@niea.org
As the Tribal State Policy Associate, Waquin provides support to Tribes and local Native student advocates as they collaborate with states on education policy. Waquin supports the NIEA legislative team by highlighting priority education issues for Tribes and local Native communities and providing policy analysis and research. Through his career Waquin has worked with Tribal Leaders, Native communities, and Federal and State officials on a variety of issues that impact Tribes. Most recently Waquin served as the Manager for the National Tribal Water and Wastewater Operator Training and Certification Program and advocated for policy issues on behalf of Tribes in Arizona at the national level. Previously Waquin worked as the Program Coordinator for the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. where he coordinated advocacy activities with the Arizona Indian Education Association and Tribal Education Directors. Waquin resides in Phoenix, Arizona, and travels home to the Navajo Nation often. Waquin holds a BS & MS in American Indian Studies from Arizona State University.
Theresa Plata
Comanche Nation
Tribal Communities in Schools(TCIS) Regional pROGRAM cOORDINATOR
Theresa Plata is the Tribal Communities in Schools Regional Program Coordinator at National Indian Education Association. Theresa is a proud member of the Comanche Nation and mother of a 17-year-old son named Henry. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Theresa now resides in Oklahoma City where is actively involved in her community and engaging in youth activities. Professionally, Theresa has over 30 years of experience in Social Work, Project Management, Child Welfare, Family Law and Event Planning. Theresa’s passion and motivation is to help teach native students their culture and heritage, saying “a child must know who they are in order to achieve all they can be.”
Raquel Ramos
Comanche Nation
Prevention Program Manager
Direct Number: (202) 847-0040
E-mail: rramos@niea.org
Mrs. Raquel Ramos, a member of the Comanche Nation as well as the great-great-granddaughter of Quanah Parker, last chief of the Comanche’s, is the Prevention Specialist for the Whole Child Initiative, a new department within the National Indian Education Association.
Mrs. Ramos has worked with tribal communities and native youth in the field of Prevention for almost a decade. She co-founded the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) Indigenous People’s Advisory Council (IPAC) and sits on the Steering Committee.
Through Raquel’s prevention work in native communities, she received the 2019 “Preventionist of the Year” award at the Heartland Alcohol Substance Abuse conference, the 2017 “National Exemplary Award for Innovative Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Practices, and Policies” in partnership with the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and the 2015 Oklahoma Drug and Alcohol Professional Counselors Association (ODAPCA) “Prevention Program of the Year Award.”
It is through innovative programs that focus on “Culture as Prevention” that Mrs. Ramos hopes to continue positively impacting the negative effects of substance use that often plagues Native communities while also working towards bridging the gap between education and prevention.
Donna Richey
Kiowa from Anadarko, Oklahoma
Tribal Community Programs Director
Direct Number: (202) 847-0037
E-Mail: DRichey@niea.org
Donna serves as the Tribal Communities In Schools (TCIS) Manager for NIEA. This initiative supports culturally relevant tribal capacity building to surround Native students with integrated supports to positively impact their success in school and life. TCIS is a licensed partnership with Communities In Schools. Donna holds a Master’s of Education from Oklahoma City University and brings over 27 years of education experience to her role at NIEA. She previously worked as a Site Coordinator and Tribal Services Director for Communities In Schools of Mid-America supporting NIEA’s Native Youth Community Project (NYCP) pilot program in Anadarko. Donna is passionate about holistic education for Native students, meeting physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs and skills. To maintain her own good medicine, she enjoys running, gardening, and yoga in our Earth gym and spending time with her family in the mountains or on a beach. Donna is married to Scott and they have three daughters, Lauren, Abbie, & Dori.
Helen Thomas, M.Ed.
Hunkpapa Lakota (Standing Rock Sioux Tribe)
Professional Learning Manager
Email: HThomas@niea.org
Helen is a Hunkpapa Lakota educator, professional learning expert, and citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe originally from North Dakota. As the Professional Learning Specialist, she oversees all professional development activities provided by NIEA, including virtual and in person trainings. She has experience as a classroom teacher, Native American student achievement specialist, and most recently served as the Professional Learning Coordinator for the Office of Indian Education at the Arizona Department of Education. Helen has a bachelor's degree in economics and public policy from Dartmouth College, a master's in Elementary Education from the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and a master's in Indigenous Education from the Center for Indian Education and School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University. She is passionate about creating learning opportunities that center the strengths of Native students and nations.
Julia Wakeford
Muscogee/ Yuchi
Federal Policy Director
Direct Number: (202) 597-5637
E-mail: JWakeford@niea.org
Most recently, Ms. Wakeford served as the Policy Lead for Cultural and Social Resources at the National Congress of American Indians. She has worked on issues including cultural and religious rights, language preservation, healthcare, education, Indian child and family welfare, agriculture, workforce development, and other social and economic related issues. She has focused her time on support for culturally relevant and grounded policy perspectives for Native families, children, and communities.
In her previous positions, Ms. Wakeford has served as technical advisor to the NIH Tribal Advisory Committee, the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee, and to Interior’s Tribal Budget Advisory Committee, Education Subcommittee. During the Pandemic, Ms. Wakeford worked to achieve an unprecedented amount of funding for Urban Health Clinics during the early months of COVID-19.
Growing up, Julia was raised in her Muscogee and Yuchi communities as a member of the Duck Creek Ceremonial Ground and Montesoma Indian Baptist Church. Ms. Wakeford holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Julia now lives in Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Wilson
Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians
Membership & Communications Manager
Direct Phone: 202-847-0036
Email: JWilson@niea.org
Jennifer Wilson is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, and resides in Reston, VA, with her fiancé and two children. Armed with a BA in History and a minor in Cherokee Studies, she takes pride in serving as the Membership & Communications Coordinator for the National Indian Education Association.
Jennifer is a resourceful professional with a background in coordinating creative projects across museums, educational institutions, and client-focused settings. In roles such as Community Program Coordinator and Executive Assistant at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Jennifer has demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, event coordination, and membership management. Skilled in social media and database management, she excels in driving community engagement and program participation.
DR. Casie WISE, Ed.D
Senior Program Director
Direct Number: (202) 847-0042
E-mail: cwise@niea.org
As the Senior Program Director, Dr. Casie Wise brings 20 years of classroom, leadership, and consulting experience to NIEA. Casie specializes in culture-based curriculum and pedagogy, professional development for educators, best practices in assessment, and educational research. Including twelve years of teaching middle and high school ELA in the United States and abroad, Casie has also served as a K-12 school support director, instructional coach, core advocate for Tennessee, literacy advisor, and education consultant. In her role at NIEA, Casie oversees NIEA’s programs including the Educator Initiative, Research & Evaluation, Tribal Education Capacity Building, and Culture & Language in our Schools. Casie’s scope of work also includes developing curriculum and instructional resources, cultivating partnerships with other education organizations, and providing professional development.
Casie resides in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband, who is a retired Navy veteran, and her son and daughter. Casie has a BSE in Secondary English Education from John Brown University in Arkansas, an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership both from the University of Memphis.