Office of Tribal Self-Governance Staff

CONTACT INFORMATION

Tel. 301-443-7821
Fax 301-443-1050

STAFF

As Director of the Office of Tribal Self-Governance (OTSG), Ms. Ortiz has primary responsibility for the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638) as it pertains to health related activities affecting the Tribal Self-Governance Program. This includes advocacy on behalf of American Indians and Alaska Natives on the development and implementation of federal self-governance policy. The OTSG is responsible for advancing the positions and interests of self-governance tribes and providing policy analysis and development support to tribal governments and the Indian Health Service (IHS) Director in the evolving area of self-governance and tribal/federal government relationships.

Before joining the IHS in July 2006, Ms Ortiz was a practicing attorney for twelve years. She worked for two private Indian law firms in Oklahoma, representing Tribes and individual Indian clients. She also worked for the Native American Rights Fund in Washington, D.C., practicing in state, Federal, and Tribal courts. Ms. Ortiz was an attorney with the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) in the Public Health Division here in Rockville and in Region IX, San Francisco, advising IHS headquarters and Area offices and representing the Agency before numerous boards and commissions for nearly ten years.

Ms. Ortiz has over thirteen years of experience in the area of tribal self-governance under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA). As an OGC attorney, she drafted, reviewed, and negotiated self-governance compacts and funding agreements as part of various Federal negotiation teams under Title III and Title V for the IHS Oklahoma, Nashville, Bemidji, California, and Phoenix Areas. She played an instrumental role in the Title V negotiated rulemaking process, authoring portions of the implementing regulations. She was also the OGC representative and core member of the Agency Lead Negotiator (ALN) Curriculum Team, a group that developed a curriculum to be used in training future ALNs and educating IHS management and staff on self-governance matters.

Ms. Ortiz was a founding member, treasurer, and president-elect of the Native American Bar Association of Washington, D.C., and a founding board member of the California Indian Legal Association. She served for two years on the Maryland Commission of Indian Affairs, including one year as the vice-chairman. She was a co-chair of the inaugural Washington, D.C., Indian Law Conference.

Ms. Ortiz is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and is also Caddo and Comanche. Ms. Ortiz holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Montana School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Oklahoma.

Vacant Deputy Director
The Deputy Director of the OTSG assists the Director as an effective advocate for Tribal governments within the IHS and the Department on the development and implementation of Federal Self-Governance policy, advancing the positions and interests of Tribal governments who are participating in the Tribal Self-Governance Program and providing staff assistance and other support to enable the Director, IHS, to advance the positions and interests.

M. L. (Susie) Guardipee
Acting Deputy Director/Financial Analyst

Ms. Guardipee is responsible for financial information including payments/reconciliations of FAs for the following Areas: Billings, Oklahoma, and Phoenix Area Tribes. Manages the OTSG budget, and the shortfall, planning & negotiation funds. Ms. Guardipee is currently serving as the OTSG Deputy Director until that position is filled. Ms. Guardipee serves on the Technical Workgroup of the Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee as the OTSG Representative. Ms. Guardipee is an enrolled member of Blackfeet and Chippewa Cree.

Kevin C. Quinn
Financial Analyst

Mr. Quinn is responsible for financial information including payments/reconciliations of FAs for the following Areas: Alaska, Bemidji, California, Nashville and Portland Area Tribes. Reviews audits of Tribes which wish to enter into Self-Governance with the IHS, also serves on the HQ Audit Resolution Team. Mr. Quinn also is responsible for the OTSG Database online. Serves as the OTSG representative on various workgroups. Mr. Quinn is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Tena L. Larney
Acting Director/Program Analyst

Ms. Larney is responsible for the review of new and renewed Compact and Funding Agreement language for compliance to Title V legislation, and analyzes new or proposed legislation or regulations to determine impact on the self-governance operations management. Provides assistance and guidance to Tribes, Area and Division Directors and Program Managers in all matters relating to the Tribal Self-Governance Program. Serves as the OTSG representative during negotiations with the following Areas: Alaska, Bemidji, Nashville, and four Oklahoma Tribes.

Effective February 5, 2007, Ms. Tena Larney was named Acting Director, Office of Tribal Self-Governance. Her past and present work experience includes the following: In Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Larney was employed by the Student American Medical Association to work with health professionals to coordinate and place selected Native American health science students from colleges and universities to selected rural or reservation sites for a 12-week summer project; thereafter with the Native American Community, Inc., (NAC) a non-profit urban Indian organization, working as a health program staff member to provide health and social services to the Indian community, as well as, recruiting for participants to the NAC's established Native American Educational Services Indian College accredited through Antioch College of Yellow Springs, Ohio. She later returned to Oklahoma and worked with several tribes in Central Oklahoma for a public relations program, an advisory health board representing 7 Tribes, and a community health representatives program. In 1989, Ms. Larney began employment with the Indian Health Service at the Oklahoma City IHS Area Office, and then transferred to the Headquarters Office of the Director in Rockville, Maryland.

She has attended colleges in Chicago, Illinois, and in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, majoring in Business Administration. Ms. Larney is an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and has worked in the Office of Tribal Self-Governance since 1993.

Carol L. Nuttle
Program Analyst

Ms. Nuttle is responsible for the review of new and renewed Compact and Funding Agreement language for compliance to Title V legislation, and analyzes new or proposed legislation or regulations to determine impact on the self-governance operations management. Provides assistance and guidance to Tribes, Area and Division Directors and Program Managers in all matters relating to the Tribal Self-Governance Program. Serves as the OTSG representative during negotiations with the following Areas: Billings, California, Phoenix, Portland and eight Oklahoma Tribes. Ms. Nuttle is an enrolled member of the Pawnee.

Christopher Manydeeds
Program Analyst

Mr. Manydeeds has recently joined the OTSG from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Fort Berthold Agency, New Town, North Dakota, where Mr. Manydeeds was the Deputy Superintendent of Trust. He is responsible for the review of new and renewed Compact and Funding Agreement language for compliance to Title V legislation, and analyzes new or proposed legislation or regulations to determine impact on the self-governance operations management. He provides assistance and guidance to Tribes, Area and Division Directors and Program Managers in all matters relating to the Tribal Self-Governance Program. Mr. Manydeeds will be assisting other OTSG Program Analysts with their Areas. Mr. Manydeeds is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Mr. Manydeeds has a juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1996. Mr. Manydeeds has a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics from the University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology in 1988.

P. Benjamin Smith
Policy Analyst

Mr. Smith conducts policy and program analysis and prepares recommendations related to Self-Governance. He designs implementation actions to respond to Self-Governance issues, and provides technical assistance and advice. He prepares responses to Congressional, Tribal, IHS, General Public, or Governmental agency inquiries. Mr. Smith tracks/monitors Self-Governance Activities nation wide. He is a member of the Tribal Self-Governance Technical Workgroup and serves as OTSG representative on various workgroups.

Mr. Smith is an enrolled member of the Navajo (Diné) Nation. Mr. Smith has a Masters of Arts degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from the American University and a Bachelors of Arts from Brigham Young University. He also holds post-graduate certificates in Senior Executive Leadership, as well as, Business Negotiations and Influence from Georgetown University. Mr. Smith has completed MPH coursework in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Matthew W. Johnson
Policy Analyst

Matt performs research and provides analysis on issues arising in the negotiations of tribal compacts and funding. He coordinates with OTSG staff to resolve problems, issues, or questions pertaining to the implementation and management of the Self-Governance program and related activities from OTSG, IHS, Tribes, and other governmental agencies. Matt also facilitates the development and coordination of review of agency and OTSG policies, circulars, regulations, and notices.

An enrolled Umatilla tribal member of Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Nez Perce descent, Matt obtained his undergraduate degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, with a History major and a Spanish minor. Matt then went on to complete a Juris Doctorate degree from Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. Prior to moving to the Washington D.C. area, Matt served for several years as a Policy Intern for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, working for the protection and advancement of the treaty fishing rights of the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez Perce Tribes.

Anna Old Elk
Program Analyst

Ms. Old Elk recently joined the OTSG staff under the IHS Career Opportunity Training Agreement (COTA) program as a Program Analyst. She receives on the job training assignments that provide practical study and understanding of the organization and its programs, policies, and objectives. She assists the OTSG Director, Analysts and other offices within the IHS on all issues relating to the Tribal Self-Governance program.

Ms. Old Elk is responsible for conducting Tribal Delegation Meetings for Tribes with Self-Governance Compacts under Title V of the ISDEAA. She attends various national conferences and meetings to observe, participate, and become familiar with programs to support Tribes, and encourage government-to-government information sharing.

Ms. Old Elk is an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe of Montana and is also Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux. Prior to joining the OTSG staff, she worked for eight years with the Public Affairs Staff within the IHS. She received her Associates of Applied Science in Television Production and a certificate in Broadcast Journalism from Montgomery College in Rockville, MD.

Charles A. Wasil
Secretary

Mr. Wasil has recently joined the OTSG. He is responsible for the administrative activities in the OTSG: travel, mail, answering phones, filing. He serves as OTSG representative on different committees within the IHS. Mr. Wasil assists the OTSG Director, Analysts, as well as other offices within the IHS on special projects.