Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller served for two years as the first female elected deputy chief and for ten years as the first female principal chief of the 220,000-member Cherokee Nation.  Her areas of expertise include leadership, governance, community development, and the conceptualization and development of an extensive array of projects ranging from basic infrastructure and enterprises to health clinics and programs for children and youth.

Ms. Mankiller has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the International Women’s Hall of Fame, the Minority Business Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.  She holds l8 honorary doctorates from several universities, including Yale University, Dartmouth College, and Smith College.

Ms. Mankiller has presented more than l00 lectures at universities and published more than a dozen papers in journals and newspapers.  She is one of the few Native American recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.