
T. Lulani Arquette
President/CEO
Native Hawaiian
Under her leadership the foundation launched in 2009 and has been successfully operating since that time providing support to artists, organizations, and communities. Arquette brings over 30 years of professional experience leading organizations to their highest creativity and potential through strategic visioning and planning, innovative program development, building valuable relationships in community and developing funding partnerships across sectors.

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
Reuben started at NACF in 2010 as its first Program Director. He rejoined NACF in 2018 and now oversees the National Artist Fellowships Program. Reuben has been working in arts philanthropy for over 12 years. Previously, Reuben was Program Officer in the Performing Arts Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area; and served as Grants Program Director at Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Reuben received his BFA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and is a multi-media visual artist.

Laura Cales
Program Coordinator
Chickasaw Nation

Beth Moore
Director of Finance
Beth joins the organization with over 15 years of experience in non-profit financial management, strategic development, fundraising, and facilities management. She brings a passion for creative problem solving and systems development to her role. Beth is a graduate of Wellesley College, is multilingual, and has lived on three continents since leaving her native West Virginia. When she is not working on spreadsheets or budgets, you will likely find her cycling, hiking, planning her next cooking project, rooting for the Timbers, or curled up with a book and her aging poodle, Harold.

Gabriella Tagliacozzo
Director of Operations

Barbara Soulé
Communications Specialist
Diné (Navajo)
Barbara is a communications generalist with expertise in graphic design, print production, web design, writing and editing. She oversees the design and upkeep of the website, digital media, social media and online marketing. Additionally, she is the editor of the NACF blog and monthly newsletter. Barbara received her BA in Native American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

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.