JoAnn Chase is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara Indian Nation, and was born and raised in the community of Twin Buttes, North Dakota. She is a social justice advocate and innovative strategist committed to building a more inclusive democracy. Following over a decade of public policy work in Washington, DC including serving as the Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians, this country’s oldest and largest organization representing tribal governments, JoAnn moved to New York City to launch her own consulting company, The Chase Group.
She built upon her expertise in Indigenous rights to include efforts to move more philanthropic resources to advance social justice, promote environmental justice, advance efforts to promote and protect Native arts and culture, and engage the Native voice in the media justice movement. She served as a consultant to several organizations regarding public policy, public relations, capacity building, sustainability, and management & development. In 2010, JoAnn returned to Washington, DC to serve in the Obama Administration as the Director of the American Indian Environmental Office and Senior Advisor for Indigenous Affairs at the Environmental Protection Agency.