Joan Timeche
Assistant Director, Native Nations Institute

Joan Timeche is Assistant Director of the Native Nations Institute at the Udall Center. A member of the Hopi Tribe from the village of Old Oraibi, she received a B.S. in social work and an M.B.A. from Northern Arizona University. For the eight years prior to her joining the UC staff, she served as Program Director of NAU's Center for American Indian Economic Development (CAIED). Additionally, from 1992-1995, she was Co-Executive Director of the National Executive Education Program for Native American Leadership, a joint project of CAIED and Harvard University. Prior to her CAIED appointment, she spent eight years as director of the Hopi Tribe's Education Department.

Timeche is currently interim president of the American Indian/Alaska Native Tourism Association, has served as executive director of the Arizona Native American Economic Coalition, and is a board member and secretary of the Arizona American Indian Tourism Association. She is a regular speaker at both regional and national conferences on topics related to Indian economic development and tourism, and is a recognized expert on doing business on Indian lands.