Ernie Stensgar, the Vice Chairman of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, received the prestigious Tribal Leader of the Year Award, the Navajo Nation won the Deal of the Year Award, the Kiwi Café was this year’s recipient of the Education Program of the Year Award, and Gagnon won the Executive of the Year Award. In a ceremony held Tuesday, Gagnon was honored alongside other leaders for their achievements in tribal communities. The Native American Finance Officers Association recently presented Holly Gagnon, the CEO of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ Chumash Enterprises, with its Executive of the Year Award during NAFOA’s 34th annual conference at Gila River Indian Community’s Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort.
