About Us
About Us:

NTAA’s Executive Committee
The NTAA is a Tribal membership organization currently with 155 Member Tribes whose mission is to advance air quality management policies and programs consistent with the needs, interests, and unique legal status of federally recognized Tribes. The NTAA’s membership grows yearly.
Left: Members of the NTAA Executive Committee (Tiffany Lozada, Steven Smith, Billie Toledo, Angela Benedict, Lucas Bair, Rosalie Kalistook, Brandy Toft, Syndi Smallwood, Janice Archuleta, and Randy Ashley) at the 2022 NTFAQ as well as NTAA Staff (Mariah Ashley and Andy Bessler), ITEP Staff (Mehrdad Khatibi) and Laura McKelvey and Pat Childers.
Additionally, the NTAA serves as a communication liaison and information conduit between Tribes, EPA, and other federal agencies. The NTAA exists to assist Tribes in air quality policy work while respecting and supporting Tribal sovereignty and the Tribes’ rights to a government-to-government relationship with the federal government.
The NTAA is governed by two Executive Committee members for each of the 10 EPA Region as well as the state of Alaska. These EC members are titled as Primary Representative and Alternate Representative. The EC work together to promote policy that will ensure that our descendants will breathe air that is cleaner than it is now. The EC hold a special responsibility to represent their Tribe and Nations. To become an EC Member, the Tribes in each EPA region and Alaska selects both a primary and alternate representatives. If you share an interest and would like to learn more, please email NTAA Project Director, Andy.Bessler@nau.edu.
NTAA Executive Committee:

In Memoriam: Bill Thompson
Region 1
Penobscot Indian Nation

Billie Toledo
Region 7, NTAA Secretary
Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indians
Email: billietoledo@pbpnation.org

Kelly Schott
Region 7 (Alt)
Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa

Syndi Smallwood
Region 9, NTAA Chairwoman
Jamul Indian Village of California
Email: ssmallwood@jiv-nsn.gov

Caleb Minthorn
Region 10 (Alt)
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Email: CalebMinthorn@ctuir.org
NTAA Staff:
