New and Outgoing Native Board Members from Montana Are Dynamic

At our February board meeting, we’re celebrating two Montanans with deep ties to Native communities: Amy Sings In The Timber and Maria Valandra.

We celebrate outgoing board member Maria Valandra.

In addition to her service on the Foundation’s board, Maria shares her talents with numerous other boards, including as a current board member of Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation and NACDC Financial Services.

“Maria has been a tremendous asset to our board,” says Kevin Walker. “She’s been great about asking hard questions that probe the underlying truths of our work. Her input and leadership during these past nine years have been invaluable as we’ve refocused our mission on justice and on how and who we fund. We’ll miss her spirit and perspective.”

Board Chair Duane Carter agrees, adding, “Maria brought a broad and important skillset to the board, which included banking experience in our region. She served with dedication and grace. While she may no longer be in a formal board role, she’ll no doubt continue to inform the Foundation in the years to come.”

For further inquiries about our board.

For members of the media and others interested in learning more about our new board member, please contact Communications Director Paul Bachleitner: pbachleitner@nwaf.org or (651) 225-7704.