Board of Directors
The National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC) board of directors is made up of a diverse group of professionals with a wealth of experience in HIV/AIDS advocacy and in issues related to the Native American community.
To learn more about a board member, click on his or her name in the list below:
Stacy A. Bohlen (Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa)—Chair Person
Gloria Bellymule Zuniga (Southern Cheyenne)—Vice Chair Person
Alexander White Tail Feather (Kashaya Band of Pomo Indians)—Treasurer
Mary Helen Deer (Kiowa/Muscogee)—Secretary
Lurline McGregor (Native Hawaiian)
Selina Moose (Inupiat)
Gwenda Gorman Diné (Navajo)
Ron Rowell (Choctaw)—Emeritus Member
Stacy A. Bohlen (Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa)
Chair Person
Stacy A. Bohlen is the Executive Director of the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) in Washington, D.C. She is responsible for implementing the NIHB strategic plan, building a strong national presence, and fulfilling the organization’s mission of advocating on behalf of all tribal governments and American Indians/Alaska Natives in their efforts to provide quality health care.
Ms. Bohlen has more than 20 years of national level legislative, policy and advocacy experience, and previously worked as the Director of Federal Relations for the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Mich., and a Master of Arts in government from Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.
Alexander White Tail Feather (Kashaya Band of Pomo Indians)
Treasurer
Alexander White Tail Feather currently serves as the Economic Development Director for the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes. He graduated from Rocky Mountain College in 1993 and received his MBA in 2008 from the University of Phoenix Online. Walter is an enrolled member of the Kashaya Band of Pomo Indians from Stewarts Point, CA. He previously worked for the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. on American Indian Issues, as a grant writer for the California Rural Indian Health Board in Sacramento, CA, and operated the Viral Hepatitis Integration Project for the Fort Peck Tribal Health Department. Walter is a member of the Montana State Governor’s AIDS Advisory Committee and the State’s Community Planning Group. Walter has also been an instructor for the Fort Peck Community College. He lives on the Reservation in Poplar, Montana with his two children, Alec (8) and Aries (4).
Gloria Bellymule Zuniga (Southern Cheyenne)
Vice Chair Person
Gloria Bellymule-Zuniga has deep roots in her Cheyenne heritage. Her family are Sundance people, her grandfather was a Sundance priest and her son is a leader of the Lizard clan of the Sundance. Ms. Zuniga holds a BSN/RN from Oklahoma University. She has spent 21 years of her distinguished nursing career working in the field of HIV/AIDS, educating and advocating for services for those afflicted with this disease, and is considered one of the pioneers of prevention and education on HIV/AIDS for Native American peoples. She was the first in her field to incorporate Indian spirituality into treatment modalities for HIV/AIDS patients, and has won numerous awards for her accomplishments in the process. She has been working with the Association of American Indian Physicians since 1999.
Mary Helen Deer (Kiowa/Muscogee)
Secretary
Mary Helen Deer earned a degree as a Registered Nurse from Bellin Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Green Bay, Wis. She has worked as a health consultant to various tribes on health management and quality assurance issues, and has provided a variety of trainings on HIV/AIDS and other health issues facing Native Americans. She has also worked as a health administrator, health planner, health educator and advocate for healthy Indian communities. Ms. Deer served 17 years as the Executive Director for two urban Indian outpatient clinics and one residential treatment center. Ms. Deer also worked for the Oklahoma State Department of Health as the Director of the Office of Primary Care and as Program Coordinator for the National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center in Oklahoma. She is currently employed as the Program Director for the Native American International Caucus of the United Methodist Church based in Oklahoma City.
Lurline McGregor (Native Hawaiian)
Lurline McGregor lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is a screenwriter and is working on the production of her original screenplay. Ms. McGregor also works as the Independent Television Producer and Manager for Mekko Productions in Honolulu. Previously she worked as the President/CEO of Olelo Community Television, managing all aspects of O’ahu’s five community access cable channels and production facilities. For 4 years she was Executive Director of Pacific Islanders in Communications, a national minority consortium whose purpose is to increase the amount of programming produced by and about Indigenous Pacific Islanders for National Public Television (PBS).
Ms. McGregor has had a long and distinguished career in media and has a number of production credits to her name. She also has many years of experience working in legislative affairs. She was on the professional staff of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C. and for 8 years was Legislative Director for a congressman from Hawaii. She has also worked as the Assistant Director of Hui Na’auao, a coalition of Hawaiian sovereignty organizations.
Ms. McGregor has a bachelor’s degree in art history from Scripps College in Claremont, Calif., and a Master of Arts in political science and public policy from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Selina Moose (Inupiat)
Selina Moose resides in Anchorage, Alaska with her family. She has been employed by the NANA Development Corporation for more than 18 years. Ms. Moose is currently Vice President of Human Resources where she serves as a member of the senior management team and participates in strategic planning for the company. She has served in a variety of HR and payroll positions during her tenure with NANA.
Ms. Moose’s dedication and commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS comes from the personal impact HIV has had in her life thru the passing of her brother. Having been personally touched, she has accepted multiple opportunities to speak out on the topic and has been a guest speaker on World AIDS Day, presented at numerous conferences, and has been featured in the video, “Breaking the Silence”. Ms. Moose has served as a Board Member of the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association and was awarded the Governor’s “Removal of Attitudinal Barriers” Award in 2004. She was also Co-Chair of the Local Planning Committee for the 2006 “Embracing Our Traditions, Values and Teachings” Native Peoples of North America Conference held in Anchorage.
Gwenda Gorman (Dine' (Navajo)
Gwenda Gorman is the Health Promotion Director at the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA) in Phoenix, AZ. She is an enrolled member of the Diné (Navajo) Tribe, originally from Oak Springs, Arizona. Ms. Gorman received her B.S. in Family Studies and Human Development from Arizona State University. Her primary role in the Health Promotion Program is working with the tribes in Arizona to develop and implement culturally appropriate programs that address teen pregnancy, tobacco, and sexually transmitted infections in their communities. She has been working with ITCA since 2001. Gwenda is a member of the Arizona American Indian HIV/AIDS/STD Task Force and the National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day committee. She currently lives in Mesa, Arizona with her husband, Asher and two children Mary (14) and Cohen (10).
Ron Rowell (Choctaw)
Emeritus Member
Ron Rowell was the founder and first Executive Director of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. He is currently Program Officer for Social Justice at The San Francisco Foundation in San Francisco, Calif. In this role, he is responsible for the design and implementation of social justice programs at the foundation, including responsive grantmaking, public policy work, and special initiatives that impact underserved and under-represented populations in the Bay Area.
Mr. Rowell has a history of leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors, including experience in community development and organizing, public policy and advocacy. Previously, he was Director of the San Francisco Refugee Health Agency and Associate Director of Catholic Social Service in San Francisco. Mr. Rowell also served as coordinator of HIV antibody testing for the San Francisco Department of Public Health AIDS Office. His community service includes his work as board member of the Friendship House Association of American Indians Healing Center, Native Americans in Philanthropy, the National Network of Grantmakers, and advisory board member of The Foundation Center.
Mr. Rowell has published extensively on Native American health issues and HIV/AIDS. He has a Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Public Health, both from the University of California at Berkeley.
