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Native American Advisory Board
Established in 1994 by the Arizona Board of Regents, the Native American Advisory Board (NAAB) provides strategic counsel to the President of Northern Arizona University on matters concerning Native American and Indigenous Peoples. The Board enhances the visibility, credibility, and effectiveness of ongoing programs, while serving as a catalyst and coordinating body for new initiatives that promote the welfare, academic success, and cultural strength of Native and Indigenous communities. NAAB also plays a key oversight role—monitoring progress of institutional goals, advising on policy and resource allocation, and fostering meaningful partnerships with tribal nations. Its membership includes tribal leaders, Indigenous professionals, and alumni whose expertise helps shape NAU’s commitment to Indigenous student success and its broader responsibilities to Tribal sovereignty, cultural heritage, and equitable inclusion.
Lena Fowler is serving her second term on the Coconino County Board of Supervisors for District 5. In this capacity, Supervisor Fowler is also serving as Chairwoman of the Board. Lena is a founding member of the Tuba City Concerned Citizens, Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation and served as President of the Association for Indian Self-Determination in Healthcare where she helped organize healthcare contractors to implement P.L. 91-638 on the Navajo Nation. Lena is Diné from the Navajo Nation.
Jamie Fullmer is founder, Chairman and CEO of Blue Stone Strategy Group, which provides business and advisory services to tribal leaders, tribal enterprises and corporate entities working with tribes. Previously, Jamie served as Chairman of the Yavapai Apache Nation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern Utah University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Utah.
Melvin Hunter, Jr. is a member of the Hualapai Tribe. He currently serves on the NAU Alumni Association and is the Forest Manager with the Hualapai Tribe, where he supports Indian Self-Determination. Melvin is a Gold Axe Award recipient and deeply values his NAU student experience. Melvin is an active member of the NAU School of Forestry Advisory Council, chairs the Native American Recruitment and Retention sub-committee, and has served as mentor in the Lumberjacks Thrive Externship program. Melvin currently resides in Arizona and enjoys spending time with his family. Melvin holds a BS in Forestry from Northern Arizona University.
Dr. LuAnn Leonard is a member of the Hopi Tribe and Tohono O’odham Nation. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Hopi Education Endowment Fund, an educational non-profit of the Hopi Tribe. During her 35-year career in Hopi Tribal Government she has served in positions ranging from a front-line education Counselor to the a Staff Assistant to Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor, Jr., addressing human service needs. Dr. Leonard holds the title of Regent Emeritus as she served as the first Native American member of the Arizona Board of Regents from 2008-2016. She is a proud graduate of Northern Arizona University, earning a BS in 1983 and honorary Doctorate in 2017.
Dr. Buu Nygren was elected as President of the Navajo Nation in 2022. Previously, he served as Chief Commercial Officer for the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority (NECA). From 2010 to 2018, he worked as a national operations trainer and project manager at a multi-billion-dollar construction company that built schools, senior living homes, and public safety facilities from Nevada to Florida. In April 2023, President Nygren was recognized as one of the top 40 Native American Leaders Under 40 by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED).
Dr. Nygren holds a BS Degree in Construction Management and MBA from Arizona State University. In 2021, he earned his Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California. Dr. Nygren is married to former Arizona State Representative Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, and together have a young daughter. Both proudly reside in Red Mesa, Arizona, about 35 miles from the Four Corners National Monument and 80 miles from Monument Valley, Utah.
Terry Rambler is serving his second term as Chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. He also serves as Chairman of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association. Previously, Chairman Rambler served as a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribal Council, President of the Intertribal Council of Arizona, and board member of the Fort Thomas Unified School District. He holds a BS Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and has three children.
Chairman Orlando Carroll is serving his first term as the Chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
Felipe J. Estudillo Colón, Laguna Pueblo, is the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) – Endowed Peterson Chair for Native American Art History and a faculty member in the IAIA Art History, Museum Studies, and MFA-Cultural Administration Departments.
Felipe was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Green Mountain College in 2006 and a Master of Arts in Anthropology at the University of New Mexico in 2010. In 2022, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Tribal Governance and Nation Building at Northern Arizona University. His academic pursuits have also included extensive graduate coursework in Anthropology, Archaeology, Museology, Cultural Resource Management, Linguistics, Repatriation, Arts Education, and Art History.
After moving to New Mexico in 2006, Felipe served six years at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was Curator of Education, Community Outreach Manager, and a Curatorial Research Specialist. In 2012, he joined IAIA as Campus Gallery Director and Assistant Professor of Museum Studies. He later served three years as the Museum Studies Department Chair, 3 years as Academic Dean/Chief Academic Officer/Interim IAIA Research Center Director, before becoming IAIA’s Founding Provost in 2023. In Fall 2025, he was selected as Endowed Peterson Chair for the ground-breaking IAIA Native American Art History program.
Councilman Jose Enrique-Saldana serves as part of the Pascua Yaqui Tribal Council.
Chairwoman Melinda Yaiva is in her first term as the Chairwoman of the Havasupai Tribe.