Meet Our Staff
Melissa Buffalo, MS (Meskwaki)
Chief Executive Officer
Han mitakuyepi! Melissa is an enrolled member of the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa and Dakota from the Crow Creek and…
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Marie Smith, BA
Finance Manager
Marie started working at the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) in February 2021. She grew up in Florida but has…
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Samantha Blackhall, AS
Office Administrator
Samantha is the Office Administrator with the American Indian Cancer Foundation. Growing up, many of her friends and family had…
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Nora Vonnegut MPP / MPH
Prevention & Policy Specialist
Nora’s work in equity began in college at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, where she graduated with a BA…
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Jen Rico
Operations Manager
Jen grew up in Northern Wisconsin and moved to St. Paul after receiving an undergraduate degree in Social Studies from…
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Lindsey Petras, MSN
Cancer Programs Manager
Hello! Aniin! Lindsey is the Cancer Programs Manager and has a Masters Degree in Nursing Education. Lindsey previously worked for…
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Ketaki Birje, MPH
Cancer Programs Coordinator
Ketaki holds a master’s degree in public health from Long Island University and earned her bachelor’s degree in dental surgery…
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Karri Bigboy, BA (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa)
Coalition Coordinator
Boozhoo! I am a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, located in Northern Wisconsin. I graduated…
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Tina Gerovac-Lavasseur, DNP, RN
Nurse Project Manager
Boozhoo! My name is Tina Gerovac-Lavasseur, and I work in the NBCCEDP program as a Nurse Project Manager. I hold…
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Wyatt Pickner, MPH (Hunkpati Dakota)
Research Manager
Wyatt Pickner, MPH (Hunkpati Dakota) is the Research Manager at the American Indian Cancer Foundation. Originally from the Crow Creek…
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Mac Hickey, BA (Ojibwe)
Research Coordinator
McKinley (Mac) is from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. He is currently a Research Coordinator…
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Amika Kamath
Research Specialist
Amika is a Research Specialist at the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF). She received a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Public…
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Madison Anderson, MPH (Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe)
Research Assistant
Boozhoo! Madison works with the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) because she believes that we need more data about the…
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CoCo Villaluz, BA (Hidatsa/Assiniboine/Chamorro)
Health Equity Manager
CoCo has been working in community mobilization, education, and policy work for the past 20 years. CoCo’s focus includes the…
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Shoshanna Johnson, BA (Absentee Shawnee)
Communications Specialist
Shoshanna is from the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Sac & Fox Nation. She is the Communications Specialist…
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Evie Odden, BA (Sisseton Wahpeton and Mdewakanton Dakota lineal descendant)
Research Specialist
Evie is a Research Specialist at AICAF, where she supports all aspects of the research process, including planning, data collection,…
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Gwendena Lee-Gatewood (White Mountain Apache)
Prevention and Policy Manager
Gwendena is the Prevention and Policy Program Manager. She is the former Chairwoman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
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Eric Gipson, MA (He/Him/His)
Prevention & Policy Specialist
Eric has been in public health and community engagement in Wisconsin, Florida, and Tennessee involving the screenings of colorectal cancer,…
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