Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced today that Justin Webb joined the organization as its new Project Coordinator. Webb, an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Tribe, has 25 years of experience in the commercial construction industry.

Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of WRDF, stated, “We are so happy to have Justin join our team to support our important work on the Reservation. With our Recompete award and other significant grants, we now have 14 projects to oversee and manage. Justin’s experience in construction management fills a critical need on our team.”

As Project Coordinator, Webb will work in WRDF’s newly established Project Management Office and he will facilitate the implementation of more than $40 million in economic development projects over the next five years, including two major construction projects.

Emilia Felix is the Director of the Project Management Office and she said, “I am very excited to welcome Justin to our team. His extensive experience in construction brings a much-needed skill set to our projects, strengthening our project management office and enhancing our ability to deliver quality results.”

Webb has an Associate’s Degree in Environmental, Health, & Safety from Central Wyoming College and he is a resident of Riverton, WY.

Published by WyoFile

The 2.2-million-acre Wind River Indian Reservation encompasses frothy rivers and wild mountains, alpine lakes, buffalo herds and rich cultural heritage. The kind of outdoor attractions, in other words, that many western communities leverage to fuel tourism.

Just look at Lander, Thermopolis, Jackson and Dubois, said Paul Huberty, executive director of the Wind River Development Fund.

“Everybody around us has capitalized on the natural resources here, and of course, all of those areas used to be part of the reservation,” Huberty said. “So we know it works.”

The Wind River Development Fund and others on the reservation are planning to undertake several projects aimed at making outdoor recreation more robust and accessible — both for tribal residents and for tourists who flock to nearby destinations to experience iconic landscapes and wildlife. This year, the state is chipping in to help make that happen.

The lion’s share of 2025 Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Program grants will go to projects on the Wind River Reservation. Of 15 projects receiving a total of $17.8 million in funding, seven are on the reservation and earmarked for $4.4 million. The Wind River Development Fund and its partners were awarded six of those.

Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced that it created a new nonprofit corporation named the Wind River Sage Fund Inc. to lead economic development projects on the Wind River Indian Reservation and across the region. The new organization will manage and deploy the $36 million Recompete grant from the Economic Development Administration and $4 million of outdoor recreation grants recently awarded by the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. Executive leadership stated that it will pursue additional funding opportunities that align with the organization’s mission and strategic goals.

“We launched the Wind River Sage Fund to drive Native-led economic development projects in the region, while the Wind River Development Fund will stay focused on our market-competitive lending and entrepreneurial programs on the Wind River Indian Reservation,” stated Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of the Wind River Development Fund. “This strategy allows our organizations to simultaneously focus on supporting small business growth and larger scale economic development projects while pursuing unique funding opportunities for each mission.”

WRDF will share board members and executive leadership with the Wind River Sage Fund Inc. to ensure mission alignment and strong governance between the two organizations. Roy Brown, an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and a WRDF board member, is the new Chair of the Board of Directors for the Wind River Sage Fund. He commented, “This is an exciting time for the Wind River Reservation when it comes to economic development. Board members and staff are eager to partner with organizations and community members to complete these initiatives and bolster our economy to provide more opportunities for our communities to flourish.”

Huberty (White Earth Ojibwe) has also been named as the Executive Director of the Wind River Sage Fund. “Our Sage Fund now has more than $40 million of economic development grants specifically for the Wind River Reservation. We are rapidly shifting from planning to implementation with 14 projects to manage over the next five years. Longer-term, we see significant opportunities to accelerate economic development in Wyoming,” he stated.

WRDF developed a new collaborative, economic development framework called the Native Sovereignty Model that strengthens Native sovereignty while creating economic opportunity for everyone. With its Recompete application, which was one of only six to be selected for an award out of 565 applications submitted nationally, WRDF utilized the model to propose a unique and innovative approach to economic development in Wind River. In its application, WRDF partnered with other strong organizations and Tribal entities in the region, including Shoshone and Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game, Wind River Food Sovereignty Project, Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Eastern Shoshone Tribe, and Central Wyoming College.

Erika Warren-Yarber (Northern Arapaho) is the Chief Operating Officer for WRDF and the new Wind River Sage Fund. In talking about the power of partnerships, she said, “Traditionally, reservation-based organizations and entities competed against each other to attract funding for economic development and capacity building. When we focus on collaboration and reciprocity, as opposed to competitiveness and siloed thinking, the possibilities are endless. Supporting each other’s missions and dreams is an incredibly empowering experience.”

Published by Inside Philanthropy

The community development sector is undergoing a crucial leadership transition, marked by a notable shift in leadership diversity. Member data from the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) shows increasing diversity among its member institutions’ leadership and employees: from 2017 to 2021, the proportion of OFN member CEOs who were people of color grew threefold, to more than one-third of all OFN member CEOs. This shift is due to the growing emphasis on the importance of having “proximate” leaders, meaning having community development organizations run by leaders who share identities and lived experiences with the communities they serve. This means that, for example, Black leaders in majority-Black communities, rural leaders in rural communities, or Native American leaders in Indigenous communities, can draw on the expertise of lived experience to inform decision-making to benefit their communities.

Proximate leaders’ deep understanding of the systemic challenges, needs, hopes, and dreams of the communities they serve — along with their connections — allow them to create solutions that are truly community-focused, working closely with their teams, stakeholders and community members. Research shows that proximate leaders bring distinctive assets to their roles, but, unfortunately, face compounding barriers such as unconscious bias and the pressure to resolve existing issues more rapidly than is realistic.

With the belief that funders can help position proximate leaders for long-term success, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is supporting a cohort of five community development organizations — including community development loan funds and credit unions, development finance agencies, and housing finance agencies — with standout leaders who have recently taken the helm. This support includes flexible, unrestricted funding to reduce the pressure of fundraising, facilitating learning exchanges with proximate leaders and mentors, and elevating leaders’ voices via shared learning opportunities.

Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced today that Emilia Felix will serve as Director of its new project management office. Felix is a certified project management professional with over 20 years of experience. WRDF is a Native Community Development Financial Institution focused on economic development on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of WRDF, stated, “We are so happy to have Emilia join our team to start our new project management office. With our Recompete award and other significant grants, we now have 13 projects to oversee and manage on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Emilia brings an impressive expertise in the project management field, and she will serve in a critical leadership role on our growing team.”

As Director, Felix will be responsible for establishing and managing the new project management office at the Wind River Development Fund. She will serve in a leadership role to facilitate the implementation of more than $40 million in economic development projects over the next five years, including two major construction projects.

“I am excited to join the Wind River Development Fund team and contribute to impactful economic development,” stated Felix. “It’s an honor to bring my skills to this new project management office and collaborate with the community on projects that will drive growth and opportunity for the Wind River Indian Reservation and the surrounding areas.”

Felix has a bachelor’s degree in organizational and project management, a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in project management, and a project management certification. Most recently, she served as a Senior Project Manager at Colorado Access, bringing over 12 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.

A resident of Littleton, CO, Felix is also the founder of the nonprofit Student Athlete Consortium, which helps to bridge the financial disparity and diversity for competitive student athletes within Colorado.

Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced today that Erika Warren-Yarber has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the growing organization. Yarber previously served as the Director of Business Development since joining the Fort Washakie-based nonprofit in 2022. WRDF is a Native Community Development Financial Institution focused on economic development on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and in Fremont and Hot Springs counties in Wyoming.

Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of WRDF, stated that Yarber has been instrumental in the organization’s success over the past year, including the recently awarded $36 million EDA Recompete grant. Huberty commented, “Erika is a strong leader. She contributed to the new vision and strategic direction for the Wind River Development Fund, which not only brought in significant funding for our organization and the Reservation, but also elevated our profile on the national stage. In every conversation, Erika remains a constant advocate for the people in Wind River and she keeps us grounded in our mission and purpose.”

As Chief Operating Officer, Yarber will have leadership responsibility for the organization’s lending program, fundraising, human resources, marketing, and real estate management. Yarber will also have a leadership role in the implementation and execution of WRDF’s strategic projects, including a new 14,400-sq-ft Tribal Buffalo Center at the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative and a new 13,100-sq-ft Tribal Fish and Game complex across from the Fort Washakie hot springs.

Yarber is an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and a descendent of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe. In speaking about the promotion, Yarber said, “I am very humbled and honored. I am optimistic about the opportunities that are being creating through economic development for all of our people. I look forward to what the future will bring. Hahou.”

Yarber serves on the Boards of the Wind River Visitors Council, Wyoming Women’s Business Center, Wind River Community Alliance, and she is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the newly established Sweet Grass Food Lodge on the Reservation. She was accepted into the 2024 class of the Wyoming Leadership Academy, and she was recently invited to speak at the International Economic Development Council’s national conference in Denver and the Just Transition Fund’s national convening in Washington, DC.

Fort Washakie, WY – The Wind River Development Fund (WRDF) announced today that it received a $3 million donation from MacKenzie Scott’s foundation, Yield Giving. The unrestricted donation represents the largest, single philanthropic gift in WRDF’s 23-year history.

The Wind River Development Fund is a Native-led nonprofit located in Fort Washakie, WY. The organization focuses on economic development and supporting entrepreneurs who want to start new businesses or grow their existing businesses. WRDF offers market-competitive loan products, business planning, financial coaching, and homeowners education programs.

“We were so surprised to hear of this amazing gift from Yield Giving,” stated Paul F. Huberty, Executive Director of the Wind River Development Fund. “This gift comes at an exciting inflection point for our organization with the recent announcement that WRDF is one of six organizations in the country to be awarded an EDA Recompete grant.”

In August 2024, the Economic Development Administration announced that the Wind River Development Fund and its four co-applicants will be awarded a $36.1 million Recompete grant to implement economic development projects on the Wind River Indian Reservation. WRDF’s grant is the second largest award among the six Recompete recipients.

Established by MacKenzie Scott to share a financial fortune created through the effort of countless people, Yield Giving is named after a belief in adding value by giving up control. In an essay posted on the Yield Giving website, MacKenzie Scott shared, “I began work to complete my pledge with the belief that my life had yielded two assets that could be of particular value to others: the money these systems helped deliver to me, and a conviction that people who have experience with inequities are the ones best equipped to design solutions.”

Lisa Wagner, WRDF’s Chief Financial Officer, said, “This gift provides us with the additional financial flexibility to implement strategic initiatives on the Reservation. We are very grateful for MacKenzie Scott’s vision and financial support of the Wind River Development Fund.”

Published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy

In an old ranch house that serves as the headquarters of the Wind River Tribal Buffalo Initiative, Jason Baldes greets federal officials and others with doughnuts and coffee. It is his second stop of the day: Early that morning, he drove out to the herd just west of Morton, Wyo., to feed formula to a 3-month-old bison calf whose mother had died.

Baldes, the charity’s executive director and a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe, has been working to bring back bison since 2006. His goal is to reacquire thousands of acres of private lands within the reservation that were sold long ago so that bison can roam a huge area and be managed as wildlife. He wants his people and the Northern Arapaho tribe with whom they share this land to be able to hunt bison and harvest a traditional and healthier food source than the cattle that predominate on these sagebrush plains. He also hopes to attract tourists driving to Yellowstone and bolster the reservation’s struggling economy.

Hand-feeding the calf didn’t exactly fit the wildlife narrative. But when a film crew from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom zeroed in on a previous calf feeding a few weeks earlier, Baldes didn’t object.

“Once they found him, he stole the show,” Baldes tells the group of visitors. “If he can raise money to buy land back for us, that’s a pretty good way to have him kick in his fair share.”

In August, Baldes learned that the charity he founded less than two years ago would receive its largest grant yet, $9.8 million from the federal Economic Development Administration, to build a new museum and headquarters here.