The 2016 Fall Finance & Tribal Economies Conference, hosted by the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) this week in Charlotte, NC, was a great success! Bryan Schuler, Matthew Bland and I had the opportunity to meet with other attendees to learn and discuss important issues and new opportunities within Indian Country.
The Catawba Indian Nation, the only federally recognized tribe located in the state of South Carolina, was the host tribe and started the opening session. Bill Harris, chief of the Catawba Indian Nation, began the ceremony by welcoming the attendees. Beckee Garris, Catawba Indian Nation Elder, led the opening prayer. It was a wonderful way to start the day!
The conference provided many learning and networking opportunities! I set up the Travois table (since I’m a “newbie,” I was at the table two hours before sessions started), and I had the pleasure of talking with attendees as they walked around to meet professionals from the accounting and financial industries.
I met so many people from different parts of the country — from California to Iowa. Our conversations ranged from where they live to how many kids they have. But one subject was always brought up — the need for housing. This experience gave me the opportunity to see how initial conversations about affordable housing spark ideas that can lead to solutions and improved housing in Native communities.
My time in Charlotte, NC, was filled with meaningful discussions, great food and amazing people. I would like to thank NAFOA’s conference planners for allowing us to participate and congratulate them on a successful conference!
See below for a few photos of my time there. Unfortunately, I missed the closing reception at the NASCAR Hall of fame, but Bryan attended and was able to win the #1 spot on the leaderboard! People who know Bryan would expect nothing less from him! 🙂
Did you go to the NAFOA conference? If so, email me and tell me your favorite part! Who knows, maybe it’ll spark an idea for our 2017 Conference!