Miriam Jorgenson
Miriam Jorgensen is Associate Director for Research for the Native Nations Institute for Research, Management, and Policy (NNI) at the University of Arizona and Research Director at the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. During the past fifteen years, she has worked primarily on issues of governance and economic development in Indian Country, with a particular concentration on the ways individual tribes’ social and cultural characteristics affect development.
Keynote SpeakerTex Hall
Tex Hall, "Ihbudah Hishi" ("Red Tipped Arrow"), is nationally recognized as a two-term President of the National Congress of American Indians and twice elected chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Nation. Currently, Tex is the Chairman and CEO of the Inter-Tribal Economic Alliance (ITEA), a national coalition of Indian tribes, Alaska Native Corporations and Native Hawaiian communities formed in 2001 to create Indian jobs and Indian businesses and fight poverty on Native lands.
10 Things Councils Need to Know About Boards (and Vice Versa)The working relationships between councils and boards can be very rewarding and lead to great progress in our communities. They can also be frustrating and filled with challenging power struggles. During this workshop, we’ll offer ten keys for better communication and collaboration.
- The importance of the governing documents
- Tips for defusing heated disagreements
- Developing strategies for working toward common goals
What Are You Worth?
Compensation for board and council members can be a complicated issue. Regulations regarding which costs may come from the indirect cost pool, which benefits are taxable and others, change constantly. You’ll leave this workshop with a better understanding of these and other compensation issues.
- Fringe benefits
- Taxable income
- Documentation and indirect costs
With the prices of all goods and services going up and sources of funding and revenue not keeping pace, we are faced with the challenge of providing the quality services our communities deserve, but with fewer resources. This workshop offers practical advice and step-by-step actions that you can take to do more with less.
- Improving effectiveness and efficiency
- Utilizing staff input
- Identifying drains on your budget
Parliamentary Procedures for Accountability
Many boards and councils use Robert’s Rules of Order to run their meetings. Are they using them to their full potential? During this workshop, we’ll delve into the procedures that will not only keep your meetings on target, but also provide a framework for board members to hold each other and their executives accountable.
- Reporting
- Directives
- Action Items
Negotiation Skills
Hopefully, your board or council works very well together on most issues, but chances are that there are a few topics that cause more discussion than others. Why not look at those issues as opportunities to improve the working relationships of your board or council? This workshop will provide practical advice for addressing those tough issues and negotiating agreements.
- Negotiating with dominant board members
- Improving your ability to articulate your position
- Knowing when to stand firm and when to give a little
10 Keys to Asserting the Power of Boards and Councils
Many factors impact the way that a board or council operates and the relative power that they have. But there are some important steps that you can take as individual members and as a group to assert the power inherent in your board or council. Attend this workshop and learn ten simple keys for strength and effective action.
- Governing documents
- Staff accountability
- Reporting
Board or Council Self-Evaluation
Is your organization operating efficiently
and staying on track to reach
your long-term goals? Are there things
you could be doing to improve the way
that your board or council works? Attend
this workshop for a constructive
checklist approach to evaluating the
effectiveness of your board or council,
along with tips for improvement.
- Keeping strategic goals at the forefront
- Tips for negotiating personality differences on the board or council
- Institutionalizing best practices
As a board or council member, it’s your duty to understand and make decisions about important financial issues. This workshop will cover the most important fiduciary duties of the board/council and answer your questions about difficulties and challenges that may arise.
- Due diligence
- Financial reporting and accountability
- Red flags