Leadership
Executive leadership
Jacob Moore, EMBA
Lakota, Dakota, Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham
Vice President and Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs
University Affairs
Jacob Moore (Lakota, Dakota, Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham) is a citizen of the Tohono O’odham Nation and serves as vice president and special advisor to the president on American Indian affairs at Arizona State University.
He provides executive leadership for Indigenous advancement across the university, aligning institutional strategy with Tribal sovereignty, government-to-government engagement and academic success. His portfolio includes strengthening recruitment, retention and graduation of Indigenous students; advancing research aligned with Tribal priorities and protocols; incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems into university initiatives; and fostering partnerships that support Tribal Nations in shaping futures of their own making.
Moore brings extensive experience in Tribal government, economic and community development, health care policy, banking, gaming and education. Prior to his current role, he served as associate vice president on American Indian affairs within ASU’s Office of Government and Community Engagement and has held leadership roles in Tribal, state and private-sector organizations.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in finance and an Executive MBA from Arizona State University.
Institutional leadership
Candace Hamana
Hopi/Diné
Director of Tribal Relations
Office of Government and Community Engagement
Candace Hamana serves as director of Tribal relations at Arizona State University, where she leads the university’s government-to-government engagement with Tribal Nations and advises institutional leadership on consultation, policy and strategic partnership with Indigenous communities.
With more than 15 years of experience in Tribal engagement and public affairs, her work focuses on strengthening relationships between Tribal Nations and public institutions. Her background spans economic development, water policy, public health communications and digital equity initiatives across Indian Country.
Prior to her current role, Hamana served as Tribal liaison at the Arizona Commerce Authority, advancing broadband expansion and digital inclusion strategies for Tribal communities. She also worked as a public affairs specialist with the Indian Health Service during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported Tribal water policy at the Central Arizona Project and communications strategy for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Science in digital audience strategy from Arizona State University.
Annabell Bowen-Miller
Diné/Onöndowa’ga
Director of American Indian Initiatives
Access ASU | Office of the Provost
Annabell Bowen-Miller leads Indigenous student access, K–12 engagement and pathway strategy within Access ASU in the Office of the Provost at Arizona State University.
She works to expand college readiness, strengthen family and community partnerships, and ensure that Indigenous students are prepared to enroll, persist and graduate. Her portfolio advances coordinated collaboration across K–12 systems, Tribal communities, academic units and campus resources to cultivate belonging, academic preparation and long-term student success.
She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and American Indian studies and a Masters in Education (M. Ed) – curriculum and instruction with an Indian education focus from Arizona State University.
OTNAIF team
Michael Lerma, PhD
P’urhépecha
Research Analyst
Michael Lerma (P’urhépecha) supports research, policy analysis and strategic initiatives aligned with Indigenous governance, Tribal partnership and institutional advancement at ASU. His work bridges academic research with community priorities and institutional strategy.
Lerma received a Bachelor of Arts in history from UCLA, a Master of Arts in political science and a Doctorate in American Indian studies from the University of Arizona. His background in American Indian studies and international relations has benefited his work within academic institutions, where his research advocates for future Native Nation building via consolidation of Indigenous interests and the expansion of Native Nation control of norms within the international political economy.
Terri Surveyor
Navajo, Hopi and Cheyenne-Arapaho
Coordinator
Terri Surveyor (Navajo, Hopi and Cheyenne-Arapaho) serves as the coordinator at the Office of Tribal Nations Advancement and Indigenous Futures. With a degree in digital culture and focus in film, Surveyor is dedicated to amplifying Indigenous voices through the power of digital storytelling and advocacy.
Surveyor genuinely enjoys the work she does at the office and is dedicated to uplifting the work of Indigenous students, scholars and community members at ASU.
EOSS American Indian Initiatives
Ethan Tacheene
Díne
Coordinator
Ethan Tacheene serves as the coordinator for the Office of American Indian Initiatives at Arizona State University and is a citizen of the Navajo Nation. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in business law from Arizona State University and is currently pursuing a Master of Legal Studies with a concentration in federal Indian law through the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. His work focuses on expanding educational opportunities for Indigenous students through college-access programming, Tribal outreach, student leadership development and community partnerships. Through initiatives such as INSPIRE and Tribal Nations engagement efforts, Ethan is committed to strengthening pathways to higher education and empowering the next generation of Indigenous leaders.
Legacy of special advisors
Arizona State University’s work in American Indian and Indigenous advancement has been shaped by distinguished leaders whose vision and service continue to guide the university’s partnership with Tribal Nations.
Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy
Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs, 2014–2023
Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy (Lumbee) served as special advisor during a period of academic expansion and national visibility for Indigenous higher education at ASU. A President’s Professor and internationally recognized scholar of Indigenous education and higher education policy, Brayboy strengthened the university’s research profile and academic leadership in Indigenous studies.
He is the author of more than 100 scholarly works and has prepared more than 165 Native teachers and 21 American Indian PhDs through his academic leadership. His tenure reinforced the integration of Indigenous research, scholarship and institutional advancement within ASU’s framework.
The Honorable Diane Humetewa
Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs, 2012–2014
The Honorable Diane Humetewa, an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe, brought national legal distinction to the role of special advisor. A former United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, she later became the first Native American woman and the first enrolled Tribal member to serve as a United States federal judge.
At ASU, Judge Humetewa strengthened institutional relationships with Tribal Nations and advanced legal and policy frameworks supporting Indigenous communities. Her leadership reflected deep expertise in Tribal governance, federal Indian law and public service.
Peterson Zah (1937–2023)
Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs, 1995–2011
Peterson Zah, former president of the Navajo Nation and the first individual to hold that office, was the founding visionary behind ASU’s Office of American Indian Initiatives in 1995. Recruited by ASU President Lattie Coor, Zah recognized the need for a dedicated institutional framework to strengthen relationships with Tribal Nations and expand opportunity for Indigenous students.
During his tenure as Navajo Nation president, he established the Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund and advanced landmark sovereignty and religious freedom efforts. At ASU, he focused on increasing Native student enrollment, retention and success. During his tenure, the Indigenous student population at the university doubled.
His leadership laid the foundation for ASU’s sustained government-to-government engagement and long-term commitment to Indigenous futures.
Engage with us
Get in touch to request a meeting or consultation, discuss research and partnership opportunities, invite ASU to your community, connect with university leadership, or share your questions or feedback.