Staffing Announcement

May 6, 2016

The Bush Foundation recently welcomed Carly Bad Heart Bull as its Native nations activities manager and Erica Orton as its learning and evaluation manager. The Foundation also announced June Noronha will step down from her role as interim Nation building portfolio director in August.

As Native Nations Activities Manager, Carly will help the Foundation effectively serve Native nations and Native communities across all its programs and strategic initiatives. A citizen of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Carly previously worked as a Dakota language teacher in South Minneapolis and as an attorney at the Hennepin County Attorney’s office in their child protection division. She joined the Foundation’s education team in 2014 as a Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellow. 

As Learning and Evaluation Manager, Erica will develop plans to assess the impact of the Foundation’s programs and strategic initiatives; both its internal operations and the outcomes of its investments. She comes to the Foundation from the Minnesota Historical Society where she served as an Evaluation Associate. Erica will use her experience as a community educator to help the Foundation expand efforts to share insights from its work and the work of its grantees and Fellows.

The Native Nations Activities Manager and Learning and Evaluation Manager are new positions at the Foundation. Bush Foundation Strategy and Learning Vice President Allison Barmann said they reflect two of Foundation’s operating values: Work Beyond Ourselves and More Good. Every Year.

"Carly’s experience, skills and relationships will greatly benefit our efforts to work in true collaboration across the 23 Native nations and Native communities we serve. And Erica’s blend of analytical skills and community engagement experience will help boost our efforts to be smarter and more effective every year," Barmann said.

June Noronha, who joined the Bush Foundation in 2005 as a strategic officer, played a pivotal role in the success of its Native Nation Building initiative. She will step down at the end of August in a planned exit from her role as Nation Building Portfolio Director.

Barmann said it is hard to overstate June’s contributions to the Foundation and its work to support efforts to strengthen tribal governance in the region, particularly through the Native Nations Rebuilder program.

Recently, June helped develop and launch the Native Governance Center (NGC), an independent nonprofit organization that supports the efforts of Native nations to strengthen their governance systems and their capacity to exercise their sovereignty. The Foundation established NGC to build on the work of its Native Nation Building initiative.

"June’s mentorship has had a profound influence on hundreds of leaders across the Native nations we serve. She brings the best out of people who make lasting, positive changes for the region," Barmann said. "We are thrilled for June as she takes on new endeavors."

The Foundation will conduct a search to fill the Native Nation Building Portfolio Director position. The portfolio director leads the Foundation’s Native Nation Building initiative which invests in efforts to strengthen tribal governance, including the Native Governance Center. The Foundation will continue to add new investments to support tribal governance models that will inspire nations around the world working to exercise self-determination for the good of their people.