NACA School Governing Council

NACA’s governing council members offer several areas of expertise, knowledge and skills. They are committed to NACA and our vision for learning and student success in all aspects of their lives. Our governing board members also serve as role models for our students and believe in giving back to the community.

Mark Thompson, Acoma Pueblo
Mark Thompson is from the Pueblo of Acoma and a veteran of the US Army. Mr. Thompson holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Mexico, and has 30 years of extensive experience in manufacturing, construction, and business development.

Mr. Thompson successfully completed multi-million dollar economic development projects that include infrastructure, housing, schools, and commercial development projects in New Mexico and Arizona. In addition to serving on the NACA Governing Council, Mr. Thompson has also served on the Board of Directors for Acoma Business Enterprises which includes Sky City Casino, the Grants Cibola County School Board (the second largest employer in Cibola County). Mr. Thompson served the Pueblo of Acoma as the First Lieutenant Governor from 2008 through 2010, and most recently appointed and served on Governor Richardson’s Task Force on Tribal Economic Development and Budget Balancing (Revenue Measures) Task Force.

Nadina Gene, Audit & Consulting Senior Accountant, REDW.

Jenny Dumas, Nordhaus Law Firm
Ms. Dumas specializes in litigation and transactional work concerning federal and state water rights, tribal water projects, breach of trust duties, and sovereign immunity, as well as client support for projects involving land acquisition, tribal courts, and intergovernmental disputes. She is a graduate from the University of New Mexico School of Law (J.D. 2002) (summa cum laude, West Book Award for Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship, Lexis Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, Clinical Honors, Order of the Coif). Ms. Dumas is Abenaki.

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Tiffany S. Lee, Ph.D, Native American Studies, University of New Mexico
Tiffany Lee is Diné and Lakota from Crystal, New Mexico. She is a former high school social studies teacher, language arts teacher, and volleyball coach at schools on the Navajo Nation and at the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS). She has worked with and learned from several unique Indigenous educational programs, such as the Community-Based Education Model at SFIS and the Tribal Resource Institute in Business, Engineering, and Science (TRIBES). Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico where she teaches courses related to Indigenous education, language loss and revitalization, and research issues in Native Studies.

Michael Canfield, President, Valliant Enterprises, Inc.
Mr. Canfield has an extensive background in the area of business and community involvement. Mr. Canfield founded First American Office Products, Inc, in 1989 and purchased Valliant Printing Company and merged both companies in 1993 forming Valliant Enterprises, Inc. He was raised and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is a member from Laguna Pueblo. Mr Canfield presently serves on the board for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and has served as a board member for the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the St. Pius X High School Foundation, as a representative on the NM State Workforce Development Board, and is presently an active board member on the New Mexico Youth Commission. His dedication to Native American communities and education will strengthen the NACA community and connect NACA students to many opportunities throughout New Mexico.

If you would like to review the minutes for the 2010 – 2011 school year please contact Rebekah Tarin at (505) 266-0992 or tarin@nacaschool.org