The Center for Indian Country Development (CICD) based at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has welcomed five new members to its Leadership Council:

• Nicole Borromeo, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Alaska Federation of Natives
• Shannon Edie, Executive Director, Native Hawaiian Organizations Association
• Leonard “Lenny” Fineday, Secretary/Treasurer, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
• Richard “Rico” Frias, Executive Director, NAFOA
• Jean Swift, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

CICD is a national research and policy institute working to advance the economic prosperity of Indigenous communities and Native nations through actionable research and community collaboration. In 2022 CICD announced an expansion to address research and data needs made clear by the pandemic and related economic impacts.

“Our new Leadership Council members bring important perspectives to inform our work to address research and data gaps in Indian Country,” said CICD Director Casey Lozar. “We are grateful to all of our Leadership Council members for the time and expertise they dedicate in service of the economic prosperity of Indigenous communities and Native nations.”

Newly appointed Leadership Council members join a 16-person advisory group that reflects key representatives from tribal nations, national organizations, federal agencies, higher education, and industry. Leadership Council members provide input into CICD’s applied research, data analysis, and policy development agenda by helping to uncover gaps in the knowledge base and identifying systemic impediments to economic opportunity and inclusive growth in tribal communities. Members are appointed by Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that, with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the Federal Reserve System, the nation’s central bank. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is responsible for the Ninth Federal Reserve District, which includes Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis participates in setting national monetary policy, supervises numerous banking organizations, and provides a variety of payments services to financial institutions and the U.S. government.