Area of Focus
As the Indigenous Peoples Engagement Manager at WRA, Tahlia develops relationships with Indigenous communities, leaders, and nonprofits across the organization’s seven-state region. Through these partnerships, the WRA team is identifying areas of potential collaborations, with the goal of better integrating the perspectives of Indigenous peoples on strategies and policies that positively impact the West.
Tahlia is utilizing her skills and passion to solve the climate crisis and ensuring that climate and conservation policy is inclusive of Indigenous voices, experiences, and priorities – a perspective that is often excluded. She relishes the opportunity to connect with Indigenous individuals and groups authentically and meaningfully to identify solutions across all WRA program areas.
Background
Tahlia came to WRA in 2021 with a history of working with historically marginalized populations. She spent nearly 15 years in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, outreach, and education at organizations ranging from the National Wildlife Federation to the National Council for Science and the Environment to the Geological Society of America.
Originally from Arizona, Tahlia is enrolled with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and is also half Navajo. She grew up in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and knew even at a young age the importance of water, the seriousness of drought in the region and the incredible importance of natural resources. It was her time in the outdoors that solidified her passion for conservation, having spent summers on her grandfather’s farm on the Navajo Nation and camping and fishing with her family on the Fort Apache Reservation.
Her depth of expertise has been tapped by many organizations. Tahlia was asked to serve on the board of the National Wildlife Federation; she was the youngest to serve at the time. She also spent nearly a decade on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation education board.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder
- Master of International Education from George Washington University
Favorite thing about the West
Mountain vistas, desert landscapes, and being able to see the sun rise and set on the horizon.
