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GAO Makes First Appointments to Newly Created Tribal Advisory Council

WASHINGTON, DC (September 15, 2022) – Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), today announced the first appointments to GAO’s newly established Tribal Advisory Council, which will provide the congressional watchdog with insights and recommendations on matters affecting Tribal Nations and their citizens.

“The Tribal Advisory Council, which is being officially launched today, consists of tribal leaders and others who can provide GAO with valuable advice to help Congress oversee federal programs serving tribes, their citizens, and indigenous peoples,” Dodaro said. “Many highly qualified individuals expressed an interest in serving on the Council, and I’m very pleased to announce this first round of appointments. We look forward to their assistance in addressing the many challenges facing tribal communities.”

The newly appointed members whose two to three year terms begin September 2022 are listed below:

  • Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah
  • Tehassi tasi Hill, Chairman, Oneida Nation
  • John Lowery, Chairman, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
  • Sheila Carl, Tribal Council Member, Akiak Native Community
  • Myra Pickering, Second Member, Tribal Council, Otoe-Missouria Tribe
  • Corinne Sams, Member at Large, Board of Trustees, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
  • Kip Spotted Eagle, Councilman, Yankton Sioux Tribe
  • Elizabeth (Lisa) White Pipe, Bull Creek Tribal Representative, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
  • Diana Zirul, Tribal Council Treasurer, Kenaitze Indian Tribe
  • Sarah Curtis, CEO and President, Choctaw Global, LLC, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
  • Virginia “Ginger” Fuata, Consumer Board Member, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Native Hawaiian Communities
  • Rhonda Harjo, Attorney and former Deputy Chief Counsel (retired), U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians/Mvskoke Nation
  • Sarah Lukin, Chief Strategy Officer, Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
  • Kasie Nichols, Director, Office of Self-Governance, Citizen Potawatomi Nation
  • Christopher Adam Red, Auditor, Internal Audit Department, Southern Ute Indian Tribe
  • Lashawna Tso, Executive Director, Washington Office, Navajo Nation

GAO established the Tribal Advisory Council to help inform the agency’s future work and priorities in examining federal programs that serve tribal communities and indigenous peoples. For more information about the Council, please visit the Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council web page or contact Paige Gilbreath with the Natural Resources and Environment Team at (202) 512-3841. Other calls should be directed to Chuck Young in GAO’s Office of Public Affairs at (202) 512-4800.

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The Government Accountability Office, known as the investigative arm of Congress, is an independent, nonpartisan agency that exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities. GAO also works to improve the performance of the federal government and ensure its accountability to the American people. The agency examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO provides Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonideological, fair, and balanced. GAO’s commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability.

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