NACA Governing Council
NACA’s governing council members offer several areas of expertise, knowledge and skills. They are committed to NACA and our vision for learning and student success in all aspects of their lives. Our governing board members also serve as role models for our students and believe in giving back to the community.
Andrew Quintana
Andrew I. Quintana, CPA, was raised at Cochiti Pueblo and has served as a tribal official on numerous occasions since 1995. Mr. Quintana received a B.B.A. in finance and a minor in economics from the University of New Mexico in 2005, summa cum laude. Mr. Quintana received a M.P.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. Mr. Quintana has spent much of his professional life advancing the interests of American Indian entrepreneurs throughout Indian Country. As a CPA, Mr. Quintana brings more than 10 years of diverse financial, and business consulting experience to his role as a Certified Public Accountant in Indian Country. In his personal time, Mr. Quintana pursues the advancement of financial literacy in Indian Country and in other at-risk communities in NM. Mr. Quintana enjoys coaching little league baseball and basketball. When time allows, Mr. Quintana pursues wild trout in various streams in New Mexico and Southern Colorado.
Michael Mora
Michael Mora is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and Cochiti Pueblo. He attended New Mexico State University and received a bachelors and masters of accountancy. Michael is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of New Mexico where he currently works as financial accounting and reporting consultant in a regional public accounting firm. His team assists tribal governments in reconciling and preparing their financial statements for required annual audits. He has provided over seven years of consulting and audit services in various industries including tribal governments and enterprises, higher education, healthcare, and manufacturing. His work experience has provided familiarity in assessment of internal controls, risk identification and assessment, supervision of audits including audit program determination, account reconciliations, and financial statement preparation.
Michael assists his local community by being a Governing Council member of the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque, NM. He has been a member since 2018 and has been serving as the Treasurer since 2020. Additional volunteer services include serving on the New Mexico State University Business Advisory Board.
Val Siow
Valerie Siow is from the Pueblo of Laguna. She taught in Albuquerque for thirteen years and worked as Native Literature teacher at NACA from 2007-2016, where she co-developed the middle school reading program. Valerie is an advocate for Indigenous Education. She has written curricula for various Indigenous initiatives in New Mexico, served on the Laguna Department of Education school board and was the project director for a language revitalization initiative within her Pueblo. Valerie received her Bachelor’s Degree from Stanford University and her Master’s Degree from the University of New Mexico. She currently works at the NACA Inspired Schools Network as the Senior Director of Education and Transformation. She is a proud mom of a NACA student.
Heidi Macdonald
Heidi Macdonald (Wohiste Maxbiya) is an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Tribes (Nakoda/Dakota) in Montana and a descendent of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in North Dakota. Before embarking on the journey to New Mexico, they were a drug and alcohol prevention educator at the Onondaga Nation School in upstate New York. In 2008, Heidi attended the Pre-Law Summer Institute at the University of New Mexico and graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2010. Before joining the OneGen team, they worked in a variety of policy and research spaces, including the American Indian Law Center, New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, Legislative Education Study Committee, Education Commission of the States, and the New Mexico Public Education Department. Heidi is learning the Nakoda language and is diligently working to become fully fluent in the language.
Donovan Barney
Donavon Barney, M.S. (Dine/Navajo) is originally from Narrow Creek, New Mexico. Donavon is completing his 2nd year of his doctoral program at the University of New Mexico through the College of Education, EdD NALE program. He is a father and husband. He coaches youth sports in his free time. He is a combat veteran, serving two tours in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps. He is an Adjunct Faculty with the University of New Mexico. He serves on the Governing Council for the Native American Community Academy. He is currently an IT Supervisor with the BTFA/DOI. He is the founder of the Native Americans of Albuquerque Network, a culturally relevant social connection platform.
Alan Brauer
Alan Brauer currently serves as the Senior Director of the Indigenous Farm Hub at Naca Inspired Schools Network. Alan spent his formative years and early career on his family’s dairy farm in western Maryland. He is deeply rooted in sustainable locally centered farming approaches. He moved to New Mexico in 2001 to teach First grade on the Navajo Nation in Smith Lake. Alan entered into teacher coaching and non-profit management with Teach For America in New Mexico and Baltimore. He joined the NACA Inspired Schools Network in 2015 to lead the Fellowship implementation and manage technical assistance and school support. Alan served as the Director of the Charter Schools Division at the New Mexico Public Education Department. He proudly serves as a Public Education Commissioner, representing District 3 and is a member of the Farm Service Agency’s Urban County Committee for Albuquerque. Alan holds a BA from Goucher College, an MAT from Western New Mexico University and an MBA from the University of New Mexico.
Governing Council Bylaws
--Bylaws of the NACA Governing Council
Meetings and Agendas
NACA's Governing Council normally meets once a month on the third Thursday at 4:30pm via zoom
or may meet at 1000 Indian School Rd NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104-Main Campus
Governing Council Meeting April 25 ,2024 at 4:30pm
In Person at NACA Main Campus
https://zoom.us/j/93649905700?pwd=Ym5mRU9FWnUwbTNhVWxuenNXNU9ZQT09
Meeting ID: 936 4990 5700 Passcode: bqe3tU
Previous School Years Governing Council Dates, Agendas, Minutes.
Please View Below:
Previous Agendas/Minutes
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