Rupert Ayton

Vice President, Senior Advisor

Rupert joined NACF in 2011 and is currently responsible for the transition of the Yale Union building to NACF. He is a former financial executive with over 30 years of financial management experience as an officer or consultant to for-and non-profit organizations. He holds a BA in accounting from California State University-Northridge and an MBA from Golden Gate University. He comes from an artistic family and is a painter in his spare time.

Reuben Tomás Roqueñi

Director, Transformative Change Programs
Yaqui/Mayo/Chicanx Descent

Laura Cales

Program Manager
Chickasaw Nation

Laura coordinates the administration and logistics of NACF programs, with special emphasis on the Mentor Artist Fellowship. She earned her MA in Art History with a specialization in Modern Art and Critical Theory from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a BA in Art History from Wright State University. Prior to joining NACF in 2016, she worked for the Biennial of the Americas in Denver, Colorado.

Gabriella Tagliacozzo

Director of Operations

Barbara Soulé

Communications Specialist
Diné (Navajo)

Born in Southern California of mixed Navajo (Diné) and European American heritage, Barbara is Tó’aheedlíinii (The Water Flow Together clan). She earned her BA in Native American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and serves as a communications generalist with expertise in graphic design, print production, web design, photography, writing, and editing. Barbara manages NACF’s editorial calendar, social media presence and is editor of the blog and newsletter.

Leah Altman

Development Manager
Oglala Lakota/Persian

Leah grew up as a member of the Portland urban Indian community and comes from a background in Portland-area social service and environmental justice nonprofits, primarily in grant writing and donor development. She comes with an MA in writing and is an alum of the Portland Emerging Arts Leaders mentorship program and the Coalition of Communities of Color’s Bridges program. Her passions include beadwork, poetry, cooking, and playing pool; she has two daughters.

Nicole Charley

Executive Assistant and Board Liaison
Tiɫxniɫáma and Wascopum Bands, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon

Nicole is a designated traditional foods knowledge keeper, steward & protector of sacred resources for her people. Nicole comes to NACF from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), Office of the Executive Director. She holds a B.A. and is currently enrolled in the M.S. in Food Systems and Society program at Oregon Health & Science University. She is an alum of the Coalition of Communities of Color’s Bridges program and the January in Tucson’s (JIT) Tribal Professionals Cohort at the University of Arizona’s Indigenous Governance Program. She and her partner Jeremy are raising two nephews. She enjoys hiking and traveling, and she loves going home to Central Oregon to spend time with family and to gather the traditional foods of her people.

Annie Silver

Fundraising Systems Coordinator

Annie joined NACF in 2020 as Fundraising Systems Coordinator, responsible for building, maintaining and utilizing the organization’s fundraising systems. With a background in arts and education nonprofits, she brings more than five years of fundraising experience to her role. Annie received her BA in International Affairs and Anthropology from Northeastern University and lives in Portland with her husband and three cats.

Jenny Martin

Property Manager

Jennifer Martin joined NACF in 2021 as Property Manager for the new Center for Native Arts & Cultures. Previously, Jennifer was Director of Operations for Yale Union. She earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado and an M.B.A from Oregon State University.