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Commission Terms & Bios

View Commission Terms and Biographies for members of the Commission on American Indian & Alaska Native Affairs.

Commission Members

Seat Term Current Member Council District
Education  -  - -
Health  -  - -
Workforce / Employment 10/01/2025 Ms. Raven Begay 6
Environment 10/01/2024 Ms. Marissa Naranjo 2
Government  -  - -
Culture 10/01/2023 Mr. Lorenzo Jim Non-City Resident
At-Large 10/01/2022 Mr. Kyle Tapaha 1
At-Large 10/01/2023 Ms. Kim Benally 2
At-Large 10/01/2022 Ms. Kim Gleason Non-City Resident 
Sandia - - -
Isleta At pleasure Mr. Ron Looking Elk Non-City Resident
Santa Ana - - -
Laguna At pleasure Ms. Thelma Antonio Non-City Resident
Tohajiilee At pleasure Mr. Jimmy Secatero Non-City Resident
All Pueblo Council of Governors  - -

Member Bios

 

Thelma Antonio

Commission Secretary 

Thelma Antonio is from the Pueblo of Laguna who enjoys working with tribes in advocacy and environmental issues.  Her educational background is in Environmental and Architecture & Community Planning with certification in historic preservation.  Current employment involves hazard mitigation, drought planning, and construction monitoring with a women-owned, Native-owned environmental services company serving Pueblo tribes.  Previous work in Laguna involved water/wastewater compliance and renewable energy studies.  Other prior work was with HUD housing and in tribal engineering. She is involved with an ad hoc committee to bring awareness of the impacts of climate change, tribal resiliency, promoting renewable energy and TEK (traditional ecological knowledge).  As a member of the NM Historic Society she is conducting an independent research project regarding the socio-economic impact of the early century unwritten “Flower of Friendship Agreement” that involved Laguna people working for the railroad and living in Laguna colonies in Gallup, NM; Winslow, Arizona; Barstow and Richmond, California. She is also involved with her community in traditional building and agriculture projects, an artist and a gardener experimenting with drought tolerant plants.