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The SWAIA Team

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lEADERSHIP TEAM

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  • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    NORTHERN CHEYENNE / SISSETON WAHPETON OYATE

    Originally from Montana, Jamie R. Schulze (Northern Cheyenne/ Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) brings a wealth of diverse experiences to her role as a business leader. Having relocated to New Mexico 30 years ago, she has developed a deep appreciation for the land and its people. With a background in the hospitality industry as a former owner of The Bavarian Lodge & Restaurant in Taos Ski Valley, NM, Jamie understands the intricacies of managing successful enterprises and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

    Beyond her entrepreneurial ventures, Jamie is a certified business and life coach with a leadership training certification, demonstrating her commitment to personal and professional
    development. Her passion for uplifting others and fostering growth aligns perfectly with her new role at SWAIA (Southwestern Association for Indian Arts) as the Executive Director.

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  • HR/ FINANCE DIRECTOR

    Check back soon!

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  • ARTIST SERVICES

    SAN ILDEFONSO PUEBLO

    Ramona Perea is from San Ildefonso Pueblo. She has been in education majority of her life along with many other positions like administrative, event planning , coaching, athletic director etc.. She has three beautiful children and one amazingly cute grandson. She plans to work diligently with SWAIA to deliver excellent assistance to artists and to help make the Santa Fe Indian Markets a success!

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  • DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

    MVSKOKE (CREEK) NATION

    Born and raised in southeastern Oklahoma, Carmen Wiley is a citizen of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation and a proud graduate of Sequoyah High School, a boarding school run by the Cherokee Nation. After high school, she attended Brown University where she was an Ethnic Studies concentrator with an emphasis in Indigenous Food Sovereignty.

    Grateful for the values instilled in her by her mother, an artist and educator, and her father, an attorney dedicated to serving tribal communities throughout Indian Country, Carmen leads with a community-focused mindset, a service-driven heart, and a deep appreciation for the transformative power of the arts.

    Carmen joins the SWAIA team with a background in hospitality and retail management where she specialized in people development, project management, and operational process improvement. She is delighted to work for SWAIA and looks forward to contributing to the organization’s continued success.

  • OFFICE COORDINATOR & FINANCE ASSISTANT

    COMANCHE & WICHITA

    Check back soon!

Board Members

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  • BOARD CHAIR

    Leslie Wheelock is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Leslie joined the SWAIA Board of Directors in 2024. She currently provides legal and consulting services to Native-owned businesses. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) where she participates on the Advancement and Repatriation Committees. She is also a Trustee for The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, serving on the Arts and Governance Committees. She is also a corporate board member of the Oneida ESC Group. Leslie co-chairs the National Congress of American Indians Repatriation Committee and participates with several Cornell University and Law School alumni organizations.

    As an Obama appointee, Leslie was the Principal Advisor to the Secretary and Director of the Office of Tribal Relations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Leslie has held positions as the Director of Economic Policy at the National Congress of American Indians; Corporate Counsel for the NANA/AKIMA government contracting operations; and Director of Cultural and Intellectual Property for the opening of the NMAI in Washington, DC.

     Prior to her move into public and non-profit service, Leslie served more than 20 years in C-Suite legal and management roles in international technology and telecommunications corporations.

    Leslie is a member of the New York, Connecticut and Washington, DC Bars. Her JD and MBA are from Cornell University Law School and the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management.

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  • TREASURER

    A dedicated advocate for Indigenous excellence and economic sovereignty, Nicole Johnny is committed to reshaping financial systems to better serve Native communities. She is the founder of Confluence Advisory Partners, a firm supporting Tribes and Native entrepreneurs with strategic business guidance and capital access. Nicole is also an emerging fund manager focused on circulating capital within Native communities through flexible, values-aligned capital.

    Nicole is a proud citizen of the Navajo Nation. She is Kiyaa’áanii born for Tsi’naajinii; her chei is Tábaahí and her nali is Naashaashi Dine’é. She earned her MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University and her undergraduate degree in Finance and Economics. Her professional experience spans investment banking at RBC Capital Markets, tribal portfolio management, land valuations from federal and tribal perspectives, and commercial real estate development. 

    Deeply committed to Indigenous self-determination and economic empowerment, Nicole also serves on the boards of Diné Development Corporation, Changing Woman Initiative, WESST, and Miss Indian New Mexico, Inc. While her roots are on the Navajo Nation, she resides in Albuquerque, NM, on Tiwa lands. 

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  • SECRETARY

    Randall (Randy) Chitto is an acclaimed clay artist whose works are in numerous museum collections, including The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, The Denver Art Museum and The National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC, among many others. His work are also shown at the Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA), Heard Indian Market and other select exhibitions.

    Randy grew up in Chicago, Illinois, moving there with his family from the Choctaw reservation in Mississippi.

    Randy is a past winner of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts Fellowship and a Dubin Fellow at The School of Advance Research, formerly The School or American Research. Randy has accumulated many other awards and distinctions in his career.
    His studio, The Red Clay Studio is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    In 1980, Randy enrolled at The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe. His main interest at the time was painting, but it was there he found clay. Otellie Loloma was his first instructor in a medium he had previously not worked with. He continued his study in clay with instructor Ralph Pardington, a mentor and friend.
    Under Mr. Pardington developed his unique style.

    He also took painting classes with the renowned artist and instructor Linda Lomahaftewa at IAIA. In 1983 , he graduated with both a two- and three- Dimensional Degree in Studio Art.
    Randy is married to his bride of 36 years, Jackie Carpio, whom he met in Mrs. Loloma’s clay class. Randy and Jackie have two boys, Hollis and Dillon. Hollis is an acclaimed, award-winning artist and Dillon is an accomplished playwright.

    Randy has served on many boards for several non-profits organizations in Santa Fe and along with Jackie co-founded the Santa Fe Indian Center.

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  • VICE BOARD CHAIR

    Andrea R. Hanley (Navajo) is the chief curator at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her career has been guided and dedicated to the work of contemporary Native American artists and the Native American fine art field.

    She started her career at the National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., as both special assistant to the director and exhibition developer/project manager. She was the fine arts coordinator/curator for the city of Tempe, the executive director of ATATL, Inc., a national service organization for Native American arts.

    She was the founding manager of the Berlin Gallery at the Heard Museum and the membership and program manager for the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. She currently serves on the Santa Fe arts commission. She is on the UCross Foundation national advisory council, and the Native American advisory board for New York based arts organization, Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA.)

    Hanley is on the Board of Directors for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, Santa Fe Indian Market. She sits on the Native American advised fund committee for the Santa Fe Community Foundation and is on the board of directors for Santa Fe based arts space Axle Contemporary.

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  • Philip A. Sanchez is an immersive filmmaker and editor with a passion for arts and social justice stories. Philip’s VR and documentary projects have explored topics including the Standing Rock Sioux’ fight for clean water, immigration's role in food security, and the historical trauma of Georgia’s largest psychiatric hospital. Philip was the first VR artist to be commissioned by The Public Theater (producers of Hamilton); he co-developed an Intro to VR class with the nonprofit Black Public Media; he was a 2018 fellow at Sundance; and he was on the producing team of ONCE UPON A TIME IN UGANDA (2021 Grand Jury Prize, DOC NYC). Previously, Philip was the Associate Director of Philanthropic Investments at Warner Media where he managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio of grants to nonprofit film and theater organizations to democratize the arts and bolster inclusion of underrepresented voices at top talent development programs, including Sundance, Film Independent, Tribeca, Signature Theatre, The Public Theater, and many others. Philip is an enrolled tribal member of San Felipe Pueblo and received his BA from Brown University. A proud dog dad of two rescues, Philip lives in Brooklyn, NY, but works all over.

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  • Hud Oberly (Osage, Caddo, Comanche), based in Brooklyn, New York, is an art advocate that seeks out opportunities to create space for Indigenous creativity.  Throughout his entire professional career Hud has been a servant to the Indian Country, specifically Indigenous youth and artists. His professional experience includes United National Indian Tribal Youth Inc. (UNITY Inc.), Sundance Film Institute's Indigenous Program, serving as Creative Director for the Indigenous fashion brand Urban Native Era, he is the current Vice Chair of the board of directors for Native Forward Scholars Fund, part-time model notably in the Polo Ralph Lauren x Naiomi Glasses collaboration, and now as the Founder and Head of Accounts at his marketing agency, Strategic Marketing for Indigenous-Led Entities (S.M.I.L.E.) where he serves Indigenous organizations spanning New Zealand to New York City. He has grown a reputation as an art advocate via highlighting contemporary art on his personal social media and by starting his creative lifestyle brand Here’s To You (H2Y). He was awarded the Native American 40 under 40 award by NCAIED for his dedication to fostering community and culture through creativity.

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  • Russell Sanchez (b. 1963) continues to be one of the master innovators in Pueblo pottery. He creates each piece perfectly hand-coiled, stone polished, then etched, inlaid, designed, and fired with traditional Native American pottery methods. Russell learned to make pottery from his great-aunt, noted potter and pottery matriarch Rose Gonzales (1900-1989.) He started making pottery at the early age of 12 years old on the San Ildefonso Pueblo.

    Russell has received numerous awards and recognition for his pottery throughout his career. Including such distinctions as ‘Best of Division’ at both the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market. In 2007 Native Peoples Magazine presented Russell’s art in the feature article of the Fall issue. In 2011, Russell was awarded the exclusive ‘Tony Da Award’ for Pottery in Santa Fe. Russell was recently a recipient of the ‘New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in Art 2017. In 2019 he won “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market. At the same time, he was involved in a major exhibition of historic San Ildefonso pottery at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, NM. His work remains on a continued path of excellence and creativity.

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  • Natasha is Navajo and Saudi Arabian and was born and raised on the Navajo Nation. She is from the community of Twin Lakes, NM and lives in Corrales, NM.

    She is the Tribal Lead for the Colorado River Sustainability Campaign. Before this, she was the inaugural Director of Native American Partnerships for the Catena Foundation and a program officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation where she was responsible for leading an economic equity portfolio in New Mexico with a focus on working with sovereign Tribal nations. Natasha also served as a Director for the Grand Canyon Trust based in Flagstaff, AZ where she co-founded Change Labs, an incubator designed to support social entrepreneurs as they navigate processes and obstacles to launching their businesses in tribal communities.

    She played a critical role in the designation of the Bears Ears National Monument and was appointed by the Tribal Coalition to play a key role in executing their national campaign. Hale served as Interim Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition Executive Director and is a co-founder of the Colorado Plateau Foundation. Hale has also served as a politically appointed legislative staff assistant at the Navajo Nation Office of the Speaker, where she advised and guided public policy decisions in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

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  • Allison Hicks is an enrolled member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and also Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She is currently pursuing her second act as an actor after leaving the Environmental field and can be seen in the TV series Rutherford Falls (NBC/Peacock) and High Desert (Apple+TV). She is passionate about working with Native playwrights, directors and actors. Her theater credits include, The Mvskoke Project, by

    Eri Nox (Mvskoke), Devilfish ,by Vera Starbard (Tlingit), Return to Niobrara, by Mary

    Kathryn Nagle (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma), and Bingo Hall, by Dillon Chitto

    (Mississipi Choctaw/Laguna/Isleta Pueblo). Other credits include, Flying Bird’s Diary, by

    Melissa Tantaquideon Zobel at the Long Wharf Theatre, and numerous appearances at

    play festivals, including The Yale Indigenous Performing Arts Program at Yale

    University, The John F. Kennedy Center, and Native Voices at the Autry.

    Allison has served two terms on the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian Board

    of Trustees and served as Secretary of the Board and Chairperson of the Advancement

    Committee. She also served as an elected Commissioner of the Native American Indian

    Commission for the City of Los Angeles.

    She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and her two sons.

Craig Williams, SWAIA Board Member

  • MISSISSIPPI BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS

    Craig brings a unique combination of over a decade of Capitol Hill experience and deep tribal law background that directly strengthens his ability to fearlessly take on the most complex federal legislative and regulatory matters. His cultural perspective as a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, combined with his extensive government relations experience, is particularly valuable as clients navigate an increasingly complex political and regulatory landscape. Craig's combination of legal acumen, political savvy, and strategic thinking enables him to push the most complex issues across the nish line.

  • CHEROKEE NATION

    Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation) became President of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) on July 1, 2007. He led the development of a comprehensive strategic plan and a campus facilities master plan resulting in academic program expansion, growth in student enrollment, construction of five new buildings on campus and the launch of a successful capital campaign.

    Prior to joining the IAIA community, Dr. Martin was the Associate Head for the American Indian Studies program at the University of Arizona. He also served as President of Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque for eight years and president of Haskell Indian Nations University for ten years. Under his guidance, Haskell made the transition from junior college to a university offering baccalaureate programs. In addition, he served as the President of Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC) in Sells, Arizona. During his tenure, TOCC achieved accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission and was designated as a 1994 Land Grant Institution by the U.S. Congress.

    Dr. Martin is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Kansas and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appalachian State University.

    He has served on the boards of American Indian Higher Education Consortium, Lensic Performing Arts Center and the Higher Learning Commission—a regional accreditor for colleges and universities. He also was awarded an honorary doctorate from Baker University and in 2010 he received the Tribal College President of the Year Award.

    In the fall of 2024, Dr. Martin received a National Humanities Medal in a ceremony with President Joseph R. Biden at the White House. On November 17, Mayor Alan Webber of Santa Fe declared “Dr. Robert Martin Day.”

    Dr. Martin retired in July after serving as IAIA president for 18 years.

  • CHEROKEE NATION

    Sallyann Paschall, a member of the Cherokee Nation, was raised in Oklahoma and now resides in New Mexico. Her art encompasses painting, prints, and mixed media. As a painter, she is equally comfortable in naturalist realism as with non-objective abstraction, usually focusing on paintings in oil or encaustics. Through her printmaking she explores new processes and continues to utilize a variety of mixed media work. Sallyann has shown her work extensively, particularly at the Heard Indian Market and the Santa Fe Indian Market, and has won numerous awards.

Dawn Houle, SWAIA board member. A woman with curly dark hair wearing a pink top, long white earrings, and colorful beaded necklaces, smiling in front of a gray background.

  • Dawn Houle is President and founder of SunSinger Consulting, LLC, a Washington, DC based Native American woman-owned company. She has dedicated her life to fostering strategic partnerships for and with Native American Tribes, artists, business owners and people. She is the author of Business Success Secrets: Entrepreneurial Thinking That Works, a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller.

    SunSinger Consulting optimizes business opportunities for Native American Tribal governments and individuals. Dawn specializes in assisting her clients build key strategies, access better resources, improve their communities and protect and foster their heritage. She offers culturally- based modern solutions to Tribes while enhancing natural resource sustainability, generating economic diversification, creating employment opportunities, and participating in greenhouse effect prevention. Dawn has successfully created numerous tribally owned companies from concept to contract.

    Dawn successfully builds instrumental strategic partnerships with corporations and federal and state agencies, that greatly benefit her clients. She served as Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs for President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission. Prior to that, she served for over a decade in the Pacific Northwest in forest management and philanthropy for Indian Tribes. As founder and executive director of the Tulalip Tribes Foundation, a 501(c)(3) focused on cultural and natural resource preservation, Dawn helped to secure funding for a new museum and natural history preserve for the Tulalip Tribes.

    Dawn earned a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Montana and an M.B.A. from Saint Martin’s University. She serves on the University of Montana W.A. Franke College of Forestry Advisory Board, Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (Indian Market) SWAIA executive board, Mohawk Networks Board and is a Sundial fellow with SheaMoisture. Dawn is a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Montana and mother of two.

Strategic Partners

George Rivera, SWAIA collaborator. Close-up of a Pojoaque Pueblo man with long grey hair, wearing a brown patterned suit jacket and a turquoise bolo, outdoors.

  • CONSULTANT

    POJOAQUE PUEBLO

    Check back soon

METTA logo, SWAIA collaborator. The word 'METTÀ' written in black capital letters on a white background.

  • PRESS RELATIONS

    The METTA agency is a boutique PR consultancy located in Santa Fe, New Mexico specializing in art and culture. 

    Audrey R. has over 18 years of active collaboration with artists and businesses —publicizing creative visions and making editorial connections within local and international markets.

swaia is a tight-knit community. Get involved today!

Wes Studi and Peshawn Bread, SWAIA collaborators. A man and a young non-binary person smiling outdoors on a sunny day, with several other people in the background, trees, and a house.

  • Check back soon

  • We’re a creative, committed, and collaborative team working to uplift Native artists and communities through world-class events like the Santa Fe Indian Market. If you're passionate about Native arts, cultural stewardship, and dynamic event production, please keep an eye out for upcoming job opportunities.

  • Beyond attending Santa Fe Indian Market, there are many ways to support SWAIA’s mission of uplifting Native artists and communities. You can become a member, gaining exclusive access to artist previews and special events; donate to help fund artist awards, youth mentorship programs, and year-round initiatives; or sponsor an event, aligning your brand with the world’s premier Native arts organization. Signing up for our Newsletters or use our Artist Directory to learn more about our artists.