WHO WE ARE |
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All people (native and non-native) need to de-colonize their perceived beliefs; to be humble; live a simple life; remain humble; show compassion. We've learned to be greedy and to hate. We must seek comfort and direction – Omahetun – the Sacred from the other side. With Tipi Raisers, we are invited to give back.
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I was suggested and encouraged by Ramona to join the board. Prior to Ramona, I saw Dave do his work. I admire Dave and the gift he has given to the Lakota People. I wish to be of service. My participation is part of my vows to self and the Creator.
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Photo and Bio Coming Soon!
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David is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned his BA, JD and LLM. In 1982 he relocated to Paonia, Colorado where he was the owner, publisher and chief bottle washer of a newspaper called The North Fork Times. He also started practicing law in Delta County, Colorado at that time. David later moved to Denver and, after establishing the tax department of a mid size law firm, he opened his own practice in Denver. His firm emphasizes wills, trusts, tax planning, probate, business formation and advice, and real estate.
David is active with a number of local non-profit and charitable organizations and serves on the board of directors of The Tipi Raisers, a non profit serving the Lakota Sioux on Pineridge Indian Reservation. David is an instructor at Arapahoe Community College in its adult education program and speaks throughout the Front Range on estate planning/family relationship issues. My draw to work with Pine Ridge and the Tipi Raisers is from three "pulls": 1. The dedication, persistence and love of the Lakota people exhibited by its founder and CEO, Dave Ventimiglia. 2. The cultural wound balanced by the dignity of the Lakota people; and, 3. The opportunity to take from the "We are all related" worldview a glimpse where law and relationships could progress for all of us. David and his wife have been married for over 32 years and have three daughters together, a daughter from a prior marriage and 2 dogs, 2 birds and Myrtle the turtle. |
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Photo and bio Coming Soon!
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Rob Jansen grew up outside of Detroit, MI with his parents, Paul and JoAnn, and his seven sisters and brothers. His grandparents lived and raised their families in Cincinnati, OH.
After studying theatre at Western Michigan University, Rob earned a MFA in Scenic Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Since then, has enjoyed an over 25-year career in design. He has designed and collaborated on; sets for theatre and broadcast television, environments for corporate and special events, and interiors for individuals and businesses. He has served on the boards of various arts and school organizations. Rob has been involved with The Tipi Raisers since participating in the first LakotaRide in 2014. He has come to love sitting in circle and sharing meals with a diverse group of people, all learning and growing from each other. Rob currently lives in the Brandywine Valley of Southeastern Pennsylvania with his beautiful family, both two legged and four legged. He currently, designs and builds his own furniture and cabinetry. |
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Vince Ventimiglia is Chairman of the Leavitt Partners Board of Managers. In this role, Mr. Ventimiglia leads Leavitt Partners governance body, and heads the Leavitt Partners Washington, D.C. office. He also leads complex, multi-disciplinary collaborations among diverse health care organizations seeking to implement significant health care policy initiatives. He facilitates relationships with congressional and executive branch offices and provides in-depth analysis of federal government action.
Mr. Ventimiglia brings with him more than three decades of congressional and health policy experience. In previous roles, Mr. Ventimiglia was the Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this capacity he served as the Department’s liaison to Congress and as the Secretary’s chief advisor on all legislative matters affecting the Department. Prior to his time at HHS, Mr. Ventimiglia served on the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee as Health Policy Director of the Chairman's Health Policy Team. In 2005, he moved with Chairman Gregg to serve as Policy Director for the Senate Budget Committee, where he also worked on entitlement programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and welfare. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Ventimiglia served as Director of the Government Affairs Office for Medtronic, Inc., the world´s leading medical technology company. Before joining Medtronic, Mr. Ventimiglia held a variety of health policy positions on Capitol Hill, serving as Counsel to the United States Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee for Senator Dan Coats of Indiana. He previously worked with the committee on health issues from 1985 to 1988. Mr. Ventimiglia graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and holds a juris doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center. He is married to Christine, and they have five children, Marisa (30), Seth (28), Liana (26), Dominic (24), Jonas (22), all of whom have participated in TipiRaisers or similar mission trips. Vince has been inspired over several years to work with and learn from the beautiful Lakota people. The Lakota and their culture have so much that can inform a healthy, sustainable and connected way of life with the land, with each other, and with the Spirit. |
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Matt Graham is a Senior Director at Leavitt Partners with expertise in consulting operations, management, and project development and management. His professional experience includes six years as a consultant for Leavitt Partners focused on accelerating the transition to value of the U.S. Health Care sector and over ten years of international development work in microfinance and agricultural development. Mr. Graham has worked extensively in both the private and non-profit sectors. In health care, Graham’s area of expertise is the development and operation of private health insurance exchanges.
Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Graham worked for Gaiacor Management, a privately held international agricultural management company. As VP of Business Development, Graham identified, developed and presented new business opportunities to management, investors and government officials. Before Gaiacor Management, he served as the Chief Financial Officer for Sweetwater International, including its subsidiaries and projects. While CFO he was responsible for oversight of all financial aspects of the establishment and ongoing operation of a $34 million beef, dairy and farming operation in Pakistan. Prior to Sweetwater, Graham served as a Regional Manager for the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX), the global clearinghouse for microfinance data, analytics and performance information. As Regional Manager, Graham more than tripled the number of institutions providing data to, and receiving services from, MIX in his respective regions. I have spent time on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (Pine Ridge) with Tipi Raisers on three occasions over the course of the last 18 months and found my interactions to be profoundly meaningful and hopefully positive for those I have come to know and interacted with. Each time I have left the reservation, I have found myself exploring ways that I might deepen the relationships with the people I’ve met and brainstorming ways of helping improve their conditions. I am highly interested in deepening my understanding and knowledge of the Lakota people, traditions and culture, and if possible, to lend some of my life experience and training to find ways of complementing their ways of life. |
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Kara has been volunteering for various organizations over the past 25 years. She helped resolve inter-racial divisions with the organization Focus:Hope in Detroit Michigan, was an area director for Amnesty International in Southern California, and developed multiple school-wide enrichment programs in her current home town of Castle Rock, Colorado. Within the past 4 years, she and her children were instrumental in forging a relationship between the Pine Ridge reservation and Castle View High School. They established Christmas presents drives to a school on the Pine Ridge reservation, and have led donation drives for food, new coats and clothing. They have strived to raise awareness of a destitute community that is so close to Castle Rock. Their efforts won Castle View High School the National Honor Society National Service Project Award. Kara began to work with the Tipi Raisers in 2017, and is on the Board for the Native American Youth Summit.
Kara’s life ambition had been to work with developing nations in Africa to fight poverty and find water shortage solutions. However, Kara’s first trip to the Reservation in 2015 convinced her that a developing nation is here in America, and only 6 hours from her hometown. She has therefore turned her life goals towards South Dakota, and the amazing people of Pine Ridge. |
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