Dr. Twyla Baker, Ph.D., Board Chair
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
Wayne L. Ducheneaux II
Executive Director
Cheyenne River Sioux
Wayne is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. He grew up on his parents’ cattle ranch on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. His work for his Tribe included running the Cheyenne River Motel, a tribal enterprise, serving two years as Tribal Administrative Officer, and serving the people of Cheyenne River as a District 4 Council Representative. He was selected for a two-year term as Vice-Chairman of the Tribe from 2012-2014. He is an alumnus of the Native Nation Rebuilders program from Cohort 3. Wayne started his employment with the Native Governance Center in January of 2016 as Executive Director.
Jessa Boyer
Executive Office & Events Coordinator
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
As executive office and events coordinator, Jessa supports Native Governance Center’s board of directors and executive director. Additionally, she manages all details related to the organization’s events. Jessa is an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and grew up on Lake Vermilion. She co-owns Insphyre Performance, a company specializing in event entertainment and performance art. Previously, she volunteered at the Chicago Avenue Fire Art Center, a nonprofit dedicated to art forms produced by heat, spark, and flame. She also did contract work enameling, welding, and fabricating public art pieces that can be found in various places around Minneapolis, including Bde Maka Ska. Jessa received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Entrepreneurship from Metropolitan State University in 2018.
Jayme Davis
Program Director
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
Jayme is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Before joining NGC, Jayme worked at the Turtle Mountain Community College in Belcourt, ND as the Tribal College Grant Program Director. Prior to her work at TMCC she worked for Senator Kent Conrad in Washington, DC as his Native American Affairs Liaison. Jayme has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Mary.
Apryl Deel-McKenzie
Program Manager
Diné
As program manager for Native Governance Center, Apryl supports the implementation of the organization’s Tribal Governance Support and Leadership Development programs. She is a citizen of the Diné Nation and has years of experience working with Indigenous communities on issues related to education and college access, including a position at Diné College. Prior to joining the Native Governance Center team, she completed her master’s degree in Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis with a concentration in American Indian/Alaska Native studies. While completing her degree, she also gained skills in the areas of social entrepreneurship, community development, and policy work. She is passionate about Indigenizing the future by reconnecting to our ancestral knowledge, teachings, values, and language.
Pearl Walker-Swaney
Program Manager
Standing Rock Sioux
Pearl supports the implementation of Tribal Governance Support and Leadership Development programs as one of the organization’s two program managers. She is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and has family from White Earth. Pearl grew up in the Bemidji area, and she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, in Indian Studies with minors in Chemistry and Ojibwe Language from Bemidji State University in 2011. Pearl went on to complete a Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in Health Management and Policy from the University of North Dakota in 2014. Before joining Native Governance Center, she was the INBRE Project Manager at North Dakota State University and worked with Tribal colleges to build research capacity. Pearl is also an alumna of the Native Nation Rebuilders program from Cohort 7.
Christopher Freeze
Development Director
As development director for Native Governance Center, Christopher is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive fund development strategy, bringing in support from foundations, individuals, and corporate partners. He was born in Massachusetts, grew up in Germany and the United Kingdom, and lived in Washington State, Indiana, and Montana, before moving to Minnesota. Christopher has at times been an opera singer, a wine industry executive, and an arts administrator: he was executive director of the Bozeman Symphony prior to joining Native Governance Center. He studied English at Cambridge University (MA) and is a graduate of Indiana University (MPA). Christopher enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling.
Lauren Kramer
External & Donor Relations Officer
Lauren has held a variety of roles at Native Governance Center and currently serves as External and Donor Relations Officer. She’s spent her career working in Indian Country as a fundraiser and communications professional. Lauren has previously worked for American Indian organizations in Minneapolis, northern Minnesota, and Texas. She received a Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies and a Graduate Portfolio in Nonprofit Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in May 2016. She graduated from St. Olaf College with a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, in American Studies and Biology in 2013. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys endurance cycling, camping, trying new recipes, and volunteering at the Cedar Cultural Center.
Danielle Gangelhoff
Finance & Operations Director
For almost two decades, Danielle Gangelhoff has been helping nonprofits achieve mission impact through everything from event planning to finance, operations, governance, organizational development, and program management. Prior to joining the Native Governance Center team, she developed and served as Director of the fiscal sponsorship program at Propel Nonprofits. Danielle is passionate about authenticity and creating space where people can be their whole and best selves. When not striving to make nonprofit finance accessible (and maybe even a little fun!), Danielle can be found working in her garden, cuddling her two pups, hiking around Minnesota, or globetrotting.
Lisa Giefer
Finance & Operations Manager
Lisa has a wide-ranging work background including stints in libraries, hotel guest services, human resources, and accounting. She worked for over a decade as Executive Assistant to the CFO at a large religious non-profit, and in Communications as webmaster, also assisting with editing and graphic design. Most recently, she worked for an environmental nonprofit supporting the programs and communications of an 8-person office.
Leadership Making a Difference
Meet Our Board of Directors
Native Governance Center Board of Directors, September 2018
Back row, l-r: Joe Kalt, Tracey Zephier, Twyla Baker, Cris Stainbrook. Front row, l-r: Tadd Johnson, Frank Ettawageshik, Rochelle Diver.
