|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
STAFF Michael Utter, Chief Executive Officer Utter has managed and lead RCI on a day-to-day basis from its founding. It is his leadership and vision that inspires RCI to its highest levels of achievement. He is much more to us than an economic development specialist. Utter empowers RCI staff and clients to strive for more and more innovative, culturally-aware ways to achieve personal and economic fulfillment. The wawókiye concept of giving and generosity without expectation of personal reward is a value he shares with the Lakota people. Not only has he spent a considerable portion of his life working in non-profit management and public administration, he has also been a successful consultant in marketing and strategic business development to a myriad of industries. Utter leads RCI to ever better and more visionary futures. David Lambert, Executive Vice President In addition to serving on the board of directors, Lambert serves RCI as staff Executive Vice President. In this position, Lambert is responsible for the management of RCI South Dakota offices and leadership of technical assistance provided to RCI South Dakota clients and contracts. He serves as a liaison to new communities approaching RCI for assistance. RCI was one of the lead partners in creating the Oweesta Collaborative Entrepreneurship Development System (EDS) on three Indian Reservations in South Dakota and Wyoming. The collaborative received a $2 million grant from the W.K.Kellogg Foundation in April 2005. A key element of that EDS was the development of a Training Manual to be used by the nine partners of the collaborative. The manual is used to educate Native “Success Coaches” and Native board members of Community Development Financial Institutions about entrepreneurship as a community development tool. Among his duties, Lambert teaches Native communities how to implement culturally sensitive Entrepreneurship Development Systems. Gary Q. Rapport, Director of Development Rapport is a recent addition to RCI. He comes to us after 25 years experience working with international relief organizations. He has worked throughout the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. His background is in non-profit development, marketing, and education. Many years of working in refugee camps, conflict areas, and third world countries have given Rapport a deep appreciation for the resiliency of the human spirit. He is an expert grants administrator and RCI is very happy to have on the team. Rapport assists with project management, fundraising and public relations. Amity Rembold, Research Coordinator Rembold joined the RCI team after graduating from Montana State UniversityBozeman with a degree in Marketing and Research. She is a Montana Native who lived for a few years in California before returning to her roots in Montana and to attend Montana State University. It was during her time at MSU that she discovered her interest in market research. Participation in MSU’s Under Graduate Scholars program provided her with a valuable opportunity to explore that interest and gain practical experience in the field. After working in the healthcare industry for a short time, Rembold is enjoying being involved in a position that allows her to conduct primary and secondary research as well as explore her more creative side on behalf of RCI clients and their needs. Amity serves are lead researcher on many community-based projects for RCI.Kimberly Brave Heart, Client Services Liaison Prior to joining RCI, Brave Heart was the business Success Coach at the Wawókiye Business Institute on the Pine Ridge Reservation, which was created with the help of RCI to provide technical assistance to small business clients of The Lakota Funds. She worked hand in hand with WBI clients to bring to fruition their business plans and dreams. She was very successful at this work and RCI decided to bring her on staff as the Success Coaches’ Coach to serve as our regional liaison to Native communities. Brave Heart has years of experience working in the field of event management and promotion. She has been in charge of the myriad responsibilities for touring music artists, including executive business management, tour planning and travel logistics, recording logistics and album development, press relations, artist relations, and coordination of promotions. These responsibilities require the utmost of strategic and diplomatic communications—at which she excels. |
|||||||
|
|
RCI-Rural Community Innovations Montana Office & Headquarters: Montana Office & Headquarters: 605.352.6761 South dakota Offices: David Lambert david@rci-usa.org
|
|||||||
