Notes from the Chair, Maria Valandra.

Dear MIBA partners:

 

Our last MIBA quarterly meeting was held in Great Falls on May 14, 2008 at the CM Russell Museum. Three working groups formed to work on the following:

 

1. 2009 Montana Indian Business Conference and Showcase – April, 2009

 

2. Three reservation-based Indian business workshops

 

3. Indian Youth Entrepreneurship

 

There was great energy at the meeting, and tremendous discussions and ideas flowed freely. The outcome of the meeting was that over the next twelve months, MIBA will focus on the 3 areas listed above. We would like to extend an invitation to you to join one or more of these working groups.

 

The 2009 Conference working group will be holding an in-person meeting on June 24th in Great Falls at First Interstate Bank, located at 425 1st Avenue North. The meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a working lunch. Lunch will be ordered in; the charge will be $7.50 at the meeting to cover your lunch. PLEASE RSVP to Sandy Wood at sandra.wood@fib.com. The 2009 Conference promises to better than ever, and we encourage you to join us on June 24th to begin planning.

 

The Reservation-based Workshops group will be holding its next meeting via conference call. Each of the three workshops, planned this year for Blackfeet, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Peck, will each include a variety of topics. Please contact Johnel Barcus at jbarcus@bcdc.org for more information on how to join this call.

 

The Indian Youth Entrepreneurship group will holding their next meeting via conference call. Please contact Philip Belangie at pbelangie@mt.gov for more information on how to join this call.

 

Feel free to participate in as many groups as you would like. We need your skills, passion and experience!

 

Again, if you are interested in working on our 2009 conference, the reservation-based workshops, or youth entrepreneur activities, please contact us as soon as possible.

 

If you have questions about our activities, feel free to contact me with any questions. We hope you stay engaged, and we look forward to working with you in the near future!

 

 

 

Maria Valandra

Chair

Montana Indian Business Alliance