Stephen R. Lewis

Governor, Gila River Indian Community

Mr. Lewis is in his third term serving as Governor of the Community, having previously served as Lt. Governor. Prior to serving in elected leadership, Governor Lewis served the Community as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gila River Healthcare Corporation, as a Gaming Commissioner for the Gila River Gaming Commission, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gila River Telecommunications, Inc.

Governor Lewis currently oversees the implementation of the Community’s Water Settlement of 2004 (at that time the largest water settlement of its kind in United States history). Governor Lewis advocates for renewable and green technologies guided by O’odham agricultural history and cultural teachings. Governor Lewis’s vision is to support a new generation of Community member agriculturalists with the goal of promoting and protecting the Community’s shudag (water) and agricultural development.

Governor Lewis graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science and pursued graduate studies at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Erica M. Pinto

Chairwoman of Jamul Indian Village of California

Erica M. Pinto serves as Chairwoman of the Jamul Indian Village (JIV) of California, one of the 13 tribes of the Kumeyaay Nation.  Serving for more than 26 years on the JIV Tribal Counc il, Chairwoman Pinto has been elected consecutively since 1997, becoming a Council Member at the young age of 21.  In 2008, she was elected Vice Chair of the Tribal Council and in 2015, she was the first woman elected Chairperson of the Jamul Indian Village.  Since becoming Chairwoman, Ms. Pinto has led JIV through significant economic progress on the Tribe’s path to self-reliance.

Chairwoman Pinto has the honor of being selected by the Department of Interior to participate on the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee where she currently serves as Vice Chair and Primary Delegate, advocating for issues impacting California tribes.  Chairwoman Pinto also serves as Chairwoman for the Southern Indian Health Council (SIHC) Board of Directors, alongside other elected Tribal leaders in the region, helping to improve the quality of healthcare in San Diego Native communities – an issue for which she is very passionate.  This passion is evidenced by her recent appointment as the Primary Delegate for California to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Ms. Pinto grew up with her three brothers on the Jamul Indian Village reservation and Viejas reservation, where she witnessed the hardships on her people.  Her mother, who has been active in Tribal government for several decades, instilled in her the importance of respecting our ancestors and giving back to the Tribe, lessons she carries with her to this day.

Martha Guzman

EPA Region 9 Administrator

Martha Guzman was sworn in as EPA Regional Administrator for the nation’s Pacific Southwest Region (Region 9) on December 20, 2021. In this role she is leading EPA efforts to protect public health and the environment for the region spanning Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the U.S. Pacific Islands territories, and 148 Tribal Nations. Her focus is on advancing President Biden and Administrator Regan’s priorities in the areas of climate change, environmental justice and scientific integrity, and more broadly on achieving progress in making the air, land and water cleaner and safer for the residents of the Pacific Southwest. Notable in a region with a significant Hispanic/Latino population, Guzman is the first Latina to serve as Regional Administrator. 

Martha Guzman came to this EPA position after having served as a Commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the previous five years. Her portfolio included fiscal oversight of utilities, broadband for all, water affordability, access to clean energy programs for disadvantaged communities, and prevention of disconnections of basic utilities.   Martha earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California, Davis, and a Bachelor of Science in International Economics from Georgetown University.

Vallen Cook 

Trustlands Administrator, Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe

Vallen Cook is an enrolled member of The Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe. He works as the Trustlands Administrator for Grand Portage and oversees the Environmental, Biology and Conservation Departments with the goal of maintaining and protecting the ecosystems within the reservation.  Prior to this position Vallen worked as a youth worker for indigenous youth both in the United States and Canada, focusing on education and culture.  Vallen also holds the position of Chairman for the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center (TAMS) Steering Committee.

Vallen is a Ph.D. student in the Leadership for Intercultural and International Education at the University of Minnesota, and holds a Master’s Degree (M.TAG) in Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Bachelor’s of Arts from Northwestern College IA in Youth Development and Cultural Studies.

Syndi Smallwood

Environmental Director, Jamul Indian Village of California

Syndi Smallwood is the Environmental Director for the Jamul Indian Village of California, located in Southern California. She has worked in the Tribal Education and Environmental field for Tribal Coalition’s, Tribal Programs, and as an Adjunct Professor since 1994. She received her B.A. in Anthropology at Humboldt State University in 1998 and her M.A.S. in Environmental Policy and Management with a minor in Natural Resource Management from the University of Denver in 2011. 

She is a Region 9 RTOC Representative for Southern California, Region 9 RTOC Representative for the National Tribal Air Association Executive Committee and a Board member for the Native American Environmental Protection Coalition. Past positions include Region 9 RTOC California Representative to the National Tribal Caucus, a member of the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Committee and an appointee to the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. In 2013, Syndi was honored to receive the Virgil Masayesva Excellence Award. 

Jessa Calderone

Justice Director, Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples

Jessa Calderon is the Land, Water and Climate Justice Director for Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples. Jessa is a songwriter, published author, poet, hip hop artist, performer, basket weaver, paddler, hypnotherapist, massage therapist, energy worker and offers guided meditations. Jessa is also part of the Dream Warriors society and encourages our community and youth to find their healing mentally, physically and spiritually by sharing her words, music and practices. Jessa has had the honor to work with community and youth from many Nations, helping them find themselves while helping them to feel good about themselves.