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The University of New Mexico

NEWS RELEASE



Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 277-5920
cgonzal@unm.edu

August 17, 2007

UNM Gallup Hosts Navajo Leadership Summit

More than 250 Navajo Chapter leaders from throughout the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and Arizona are participating in a special two-day summit meeting on the UNM Gallup campus Aug. 16-17. Navajo President Dr. Joe Shirley, Jr. keynoted the conference.

“The purpose of the conference is to develop plans for transferring greater levels of responsibility for managing governmental affairs from the Navajo national government to the 100+ Chapters,” said Harry “Sonny” Moore Jr., UNM-G Community Affairs.

Known as the Local Governance Act, the Navajo Nation passed a law offering greater responsibility to local governments in the Nation provided the local leaders are able to certify that their Chapter is ready to handle the duties.

Members of the Navajo Nation Office of the President have worked closely with UNM Gallup staff leaders to host the event. The two-day event includes plenary sessions and numerous breakout meetings to discuss issues including accounting, human resources and project management. UNM Gallup Community Education specialists, under the leadership of Harry Moore, Jr., have been working with Chapter leaders to offer special training classes that help qualify the Chapter staff for certification.

Leland Leonard, special assistant to President Shirley, said, “The educational partnership between the Navajo Nation and the University of New Mexico Gallup branch is extremely important to our nation. This summit is but another example of how the nation and UNMG are working closely together to bring educational opportunities throughout the Navajo Nation.”

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