Dear United Indians Community, Friends and Employees,

The UIATF Board of Directors is pleased to announce that we have appointed Joey Gray, (Métis, Okanagan, European) as Executive Director of United Indians of All Tribes Foundation starting in April 2015.

Ms. Gray is a consultant, organizer and lifelong activist. She has spent over 20 years organizing and leading groups focused on sports, education, equality and the environment – locally, nationally and internationally. She is a nonprofit computer systems consultant and librarian by profession. She is best known for: her work as Executive Director of USA Ultimate, the national governing body of the sport of Ultimate (flying disc) in the U.S., including taking the mixed-gender team sport to The World Games held under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee; for her activism on climate change and tar sands opposition as a leader of 350 Washington State and Tar Sands Action Seattle, taking the fight to Olympia and to the streets; and as a candidate for Seattle Mayor in 2013.

She worked for ten years at the University of Washington in a variety of undergraduate student services, including admissions, advising, and with UWired to bring emerging technologies to teaching and learning. Joey also has experience at the University of British Columbia in Indigenous Education, and at the First Nations House of Learning running the Indigenous Graduate Student Symposium, Aboriginal Graduation Celebration, and working with First Nations students in math and science. Ms. Gray was born and raised in the Olympia area, and has spent most of her adult years in Seattle.

“We are excited to have Joey join UIATF’s leadership team, says Jeff Smith, “Her deep background in non-profits, social justice, politics, leadership, fundraising and information systems, will help lead the organization to solid footing as we rebuild capacity. It is unusual to find an individual with her variety of professional skills well matched to UIATF’s needs, and her ability to be detail-oriented while seeing the big picture. She’s already got the board working hard on upping their personal donations and bringing in new funding.”

Ms. Gray comes to United Indians as we celebrate our re-building successes, including the re-opening of the internationally renowned Sacred Circle Gallery and gift shop, establishment of our new Daybreak Star Preschool, the return of PowWow in conjunction with Seafair, and the start of a pilot program for family home visits under Ina Maka. Ms. Gray is focusing immediately on UIATF’s financial stability, and has made it a priority to listen to and understand the broad UIATF community.

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude and thanks to the United Indians staff and community for working diligently and professionally for the last year to keep United Indians moving in a positive direction.

Please join us in welcoming Joey to her new position as Executive Director.

Thank you all, once again, for your patience and your undying commitment to United Indians.

Sincerely,

Jeff Smith

Chairman of the Board, United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

Download a PDF copy of the announcement letter.