WEWIN - Founding Members

Susan Masten

Susan Masten, Vice President, for Union Bank of California's Native Market Division, is the immediate past Chairperson for the Yurok Tribe, resides in the heart of the scenic Redwood forested coast of Northern California. For 27 years, Susan Masten has advocated for the rights of Native People in her community and across the nation. Read more...

Veronica Homer

Rachel Joseph

Melanie Benjamin
Melanie Benjamin was born to George Staples and Frances Reynolds Staples in Siren, Wisconsin and raised with 11 siblings. She graduated with a degree from the Minneapolis Area Vocational Technical Institute in 1979, earned a degree in business administration from Bemidji State University in 1988, and studied tribal governance and natural resources at the University of Colorado Law School. Benjamin has a son, Clayton, and three grandchildren, Clayton Jr., Aubrey and Roxanne. Read more...

Ms. Patricia (Pat) Parker
Ms. Patricia (Pat) Parker, President and CEO of Native American Management Services, Inc., (NAMS) has worked with Indian communities and Federal and Tribal governments for over twenty-five years. Pat is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma where she began her career. After working in the Indian Health Service for 10 years, she started her own business in 1989. Read more...

Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Mankiller served for two years as the first female elected deputy chief and for ten years as first female principal chief of the 220,000 member Cherokee Nation. Her areas of expertise include community development, public relations, tribal governance, leadership, writing, and the conceptualization and development of an extensive array of projects ranging from basic infrastructure to programs for children and youth. Read more...

Nora McDowell
Fort Mojave Indian Tribal Chairperson, currently serving her 25 th year on the Fort Mojave Tribal Council, brings comprehensive knowledge and experience to her position and the Fort Mojave Tribal community. During her Council tenure, Ms. McDowell has worked extensively with tribal, county, state and federal governments and organizations to better serve the multi-faceted interests and needs of the tribe. Read more...



		Susan Masten Susan Masten, Vice President, for Union Bank of California's Native Market Division, is the immediate past Chairperson for the Yurok Tribe, resides in the heart of the scenic Redwood forested coast of Northern California. For 27 years, Susan Masten has advocated for the rights of Native People in her community and across the nation. Read more... Veronica Homer Rachel Joseph Melanie Benjamin Melanie Benjamin was born to George Staples and Frances Reynolds Staples in Siren, Wisconsin and raised with 11 siblings. She graduated with a degree from the Minneapolis Area Vocational Technical Institute in 1979, earned a degree in business administration from Bemidji State University in 1988, and studied tribal governance and natural resources at the University of Colorado Law School. Benjamin has a son, Clayton, and three grandchildren, Clayton Jr., Aubrey and Roxanne. Read more... Ms. Patricia (Pat) Parker Ms. Patricia (Pat) Parker, President and CEO of Native American Management Services, Inc., (NAMS) has worked with Indian communities and Federal and Tribal governments for over twenty-five years. Pat is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma where she began her career. After working in the Indian Health Service for 10 years, she started her own business in 1989. Read more... Wilma Mankiller Wilma Mankiller served for two years as the first female elected deputy chief and for ten years as first female principal chief of the 220,000 member Cherokee Nation. Her areas of expertise include community development, public relations, tribal governance, leadership, writing, and the conceptualization and development of an extensive array of projects ranging from basic infrastructure to programs for children and youth. Read more... Nora McDowell Fort Mojave Indian Tribal Chairperson, currently serving her 25 th year on the Fort Mojave Tribal Council, brings comprehensive knowledge and experience to her position and the Fort Mojave Tribal community. During her Council tenure, Ms. McDowell has worked extensively with tribal, county, state and federal governments and organizations to better serve the multi-faceted interests and needs of the tribe. Read more...