What's New In the Community: August 2014

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IHB HEAD NAMED TO BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE

MINNEAPOLIS Dr. Patrick Rock, Indian Health Board

of Minneapolis CEO, was appointed by Gov. Mark Dayton to a 18-member

committee that will recommend ways to enhance the University of

Minnesota’s Medical School, in an effort to ensure the state’s

preeminent medical school is a national leader in medical training,

research and innovation.

The Blue Ribbon Committee will come up

with ideas for strategies and investments in the medical school, and

prepare recommendations for the 2015 Legislature.

"The future health of Minnesotans

depends on what we do now to train the next generation of medical

professionals in our state. Today’s medical students will become

the doctors who will care for our families, and the research

professionals who will develop life-saving innovations in medical

technology in the years to come," Dayton said.

The committee’s goals include:

National Prominence, ensuring the Medical School’s national

preeminence by retaining and attracting world class faculty, staff,

students and residents. Nation-Leading Research and Innovation,

sustaining the university’s national leadership in health research,

care innovation and health-care delivery, capitalizing on the state’s

investments in biomedical research and ground-breaking discoveries;

Excellence in Clinical Services, expanding the university’s

clinical services to strengthen its ability to serve as a statewide

health-care resource for providers and patients, as a training site

for health professional students and residents, as a site for

cutting-edge clinical research, and as a source of critical funding

for the Medical School and health sciences; and Meeting the Health

Care Needs of a Changing Minnesota, addressing the state’s health

workforce needs so as to serve Minnesota’s broad continuum of

health care needs, including primary care, a growing aging

population, and increased chronic health needs.

HO-CHUNK LEADER RECEIVES US COMMERCE

DEPARTMENT AWARD

WINNEBAGO, Neb. – Lance Morgan,

president and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., received the Advocate of the Year

Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business

Development Agency in late July.

Morgan was honored during a special

ceremony at the 2014 National Minority Enterprise Development Week,

July 31 and Aug. 1 in Washington, D.C.

The award is given annually to an

organization or individual who has shown leadership and commitment in

advancing the minority business community. It pays tribute to

minority entrepreneurs who have demonstrated economic impact in a

global economy.

Morgan was nominated by Trisha Luna,

the Federal Acquisition Advisor of the Federal Procurement Center,

for his direction of Ho-Chunk, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s

economic development corporation. Launched in 1994 with a single

employee, it has grown to a staff of more than 1,000 with operations

in 16 states and eight foreign countries. Ho-Chunk operates 35

subsidiaries and has revenues in excess of $260 million.

The Ho-Chunk, Inc. portfolio includes

companies with SBA 8(a) certification that have been recipients of a

wide variety of federal government contracts across 32 agencies.

As a minority-owned corporation,

Ho-Chunk has actively sought out qualified individuals of other

minority races and ethnicities in addition to Native Americans.

As a result, the company has been

successful in its minority recruiting efforts and today its employee

base includes 35.1 percent minorities. In the state of Nebraska,

where the company is headquartered, the minority population as of the

2010 Census was 19 percent. Additionally, corporate executive

management is 100 percent Native American.

Under Morgan’s leadership, Ho-Chunk

has created a new community on the Winnebago Reservation named the

Ho-Chunk Village. The Village is a 40-acre development that includes

private homes, multi-family housing, commercial and industrial

businesses. The company also maintains a scholarship and internship

program for Tribal youth as a means to educate and train future

Ho-Chunk, Inc. employees.

Morgan is a frequent speaker across

the country on topics such as Indian law and Tribal economic

development issues. He has consulted with hundreds of tribal

governments on economic development and taxation initiatives.

In addition to the MBDA Award, Morgan

was selected as a “Champion of Change” by the White House, one of

only 18 people across the U.S. In 2012, he was awarded the Nebraska

Builder Award by Harvey Perlman, Chancellor at the University of

Nebraska, and was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of the

Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in 2013.

VICTORIOUS TEAM WISCONSIN RECEIVED BY

MENOMINEE

KESHENA, Wis. – On July 27 the

Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin welcomed home the athletes of

Team Wisconsin who returned from the North American Indigenous Games

that took place in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Team Wisconsin was composed of some of

the finest Native American athletes from all tribes in the state. The

athletes trained rigorously over the past year to prepare themselves

to take on the challenge to represent their families, tribes and

state on Team Wisconsin. Team Wisconsin competed in a variety of

individual and team sports during the week-long competition, bringing

home a total of 38 medals; 9 Gold; 14 Silver; and 15 Bronze.

“On behalf of the Menominee Indian

Tribe and Tribal Legislature, I would like to congratulate each and

every athlete of Team Wisconsin. The North American Indigenous Games

(NAIG) is the equivalent of the Olympics in Indian Country. NAIG

brings together the best of the best in all 500-plus Indian Nations.

We at Menominee are fortunate to have so many talented youth and

young adult athletes that succeed in the rigorous selection process

for this competition.” Menominee Tribal Chairwoman Laurie Boivin

said. “I would like to thank our Menominee Athletes for your

dedication, commitment and for bringing honor to your people. You

have been judged the best of the best in Native American Athletics.

Pass those lessons onto the young ones who will model after you.”