Meet the Team

Sarah White

Oglala Lakota - Executive Director

Sarah is the Founder & Executive Director of the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (SDEEC). Sarah transitions into this role as a direct result of her work in serving as the facilitator for SDEEC during the first 2 years of its informal stages of development. She has 8 years of experience working and advocating for Title VI Indian Education Programs, working at Rapid City Area Schools in South Dakota and at Omaha Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master’s of Education degree from Creighton University, and a PK-12 Administrator endorsement from the University of South Dakota. Sarah is a passionate advocate of Indigenous education whose work seeks to elevate the urgent narrative of Indigenous education through the lens of community. Her desire in this role is to create a cohesive and collaborative effort to identify and implement solutions that address our shared concerns regarding Indigenous education. Sarah is a mother to 4 sons.

Jaye Conrad

Oglala Lakota - Director of Finance

  • Jaye Conrad, the Director of Finance for the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition, is a seasoned accounting professional with a rich history in financial management and organizational support. Holding an Associate Degree in Accounting from Western Vocational Technical Institute, complemented by further studies at Black Hills State University, Jaye has continually expanded her expertise, particularly in QuickBooks and Microsoft Office. Her career has seen a diverse range of roles, including significant stints as an Accountant at Deadwood Frontier Club and Buffalo Bodega Complex/BB Cody’s, and as a Controller at Lode Star Casino. Prior to her current role, Jaye excelled as the Lead Collaboration Specialist at the South Dakota Science & Technology Authority in Lead, SD, where she was pivotal in asset management and implementing the Manager Plus system for the Procurement Department. Jaye's exceptional listening skills, goal-oriented mindset, and adaptability in various finance-related roles underscore her capability as a leader in the financial sector, particularly in her current role driving the fiscal strategy and operations at the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition.

Myriam Rama

Oglala Lakota - Manager of Operations

  • Myriam Rama, an Oglala Lakota and first-generation college graduate, is the manager of operations at the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (SDEEC). With a B.A. in Psychology and a Minor in Communications from the University of New Mexico, she is pursuing her master of social work at Columbia University. Myriam's career is marked by her commitment to educational equity, highlighted by her experience teaching freshmen physics at Mahpiya Luta Owayawa (Red Cloud Indian School). Her work at SDEEC and prior contributions to community behavioral health at the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board reflect her dedication to addressing the educational and mental health challenges of today's youth. Myriam looks forward to learning from the resilient, passionate women leading the coalition and aspires to create lasting, positive change for future generations. Outside her professional life, she enjoys basketball, reading, and time with her family and her pet, Nugget.

Rachel White Buffalo

Research and Policy Manager

  • Rachel is a dedicated advocate for Indigenous educational equity, known for her academic achievements and a strong commitment to community advancement. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of South Carolina, she earned her BA with Distinction in International Studies, along with a minor in Anthropology, and was a standout athlete in the NCAA Division I Equestrian program. A Teach For America alumna from 2015, Rachel's career has primarily focused on interstate and intertribal policy research and writing. Her work is centered on exploring how tribal sovereignty, respected and operationalized between state and tribal education offices, can lead to Indigenous educational equity. This commitment was recognized with the 2022 NCEA Distinguished Alumni – Education Award, and she currently holds the 2023-2024 Leadership for Educational Equity Policy and Advocacy Fellowship with S-DEEC. Beyond her professional pursuits, Rachel enjoys sports, particularly women's college basketball and the WNBA, and loves to travel and cook in her free time. Her passion and dedication make her a remarkable figure in the field of educational advocacy and policy development.

Consultants

Matt Brix


  • Matt is an executive leader with 20 years of experience building effective national nonprofit organizations, state-based networks, business systems, and philanthropic organizations. He's been an executive director, CEO, and managing director in three different organizations. In each instance, he oversaw organizational growth, going from startup phase to established phase. He has a unique blend of campaign, operations, and management experience.

    In his free time, Matt enjoys traveling, being outside, cooking, reading, coaching fastpitch softball, suffering as a fan of Minnesota professional sports, and spending time with family and friends. Matt has a BA from Saint John's University in Minnesota and an MA from the University of New Mexico. Matt started his independent consulting business in 2020.

SDEEC Board

Deborah Bordeaux

Oglala Lakota - President

  • Deborah Bordeaux, enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, is the Director of the Commission for Oceti Sakowin Accreditation (COSA). Deborah has worked to develop and promote Native Education to be included in the primary curriculum for Native Children. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Oglala Lakota College and a Master’s degree in Education Leadership from South Dakota State University/Sinte Gleska University. Deborah also has an LPN degree from the United Tribes Educational Center. Deborah has worked in the capacity of a teacher aide, special education teacher, and elementary principal. Deborah has 40+ years working in and with tribally-controlled grant schools and was instrumental in the passing of federal law to establish Tribal Education Departments. She has developed and delivered testimony in DC to congressional leaders, developed and implemented budgets, policies/procedures, relationships with schools and education, and was key in development and implementation of the Tribal Accreditation process.

Oglala Lakota & Ojibwe of Leech Lake Band - Vice President

Tashina Banks-Rama

  • Tashina Wanbli Win (Eagle Shawl Woman), Oglala Lakota and Ojibwe (Leech Lake Band), serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Maȟpíya Lúta | Red Cloud. In this role, Tashina provides strategic leadership across multiple operational divisions including Finance, Facilities, Human Resources, Communications, Technology, and Advancement.

    Drawing on her educational background, which includes a BBA from the University of New Mexico and an MBA from Gonzaga University, Tashina leads key organizational initiatives with a focus on Truth and Healing and Food Sovereignty. As a Lakota woman in leadership, she actively promotes and champions Lakota leadership throughout the organization.

    Tashina lives with her husband Matt and their children on 30 acres within the Pine Ridge Reservation. Deeply committed to language preservation, she volunteers teaching Lakota language to adults four evenings per week through Mahpiya Luta’s Adult Lakota Language program. Tashina is a 2022 Bush Fellow who focused on learning Lakota and studying the methodology practiced by our Hawaiian and Maori relatives. 

Mary Bowman

Hunkpapa/Oglala Lakota - Member

  •  Mary Bowman (She/Her), is Hunkpapa/Oglala Lakota from Rapid City, South Dakota. Mary has 15 years of experience working with Indigenous students in schools located around the Rapid City area. She believes that students deserve to see themselves in their curriculum and as a teacher has worked in classrooms helping students achieve academic success through cultural lessons in math, literacy, science, and social studies. Mary has been a NISN Fellow, and a member of the NDN Ed Equity Action Campaign. Mary is on the board of directors of the South Dakota Ed Equity Coalition and is the founder and Head of School of Oceti Sakowin Community Academy, an Indigenous Philosophy School grounded in the language, thought and philosophy of the Oceti Sakowin. The school  opened  Fall 2022. Mary has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education from Black Hills State University, Master’s Degree in Lakota Leadership and Management from Oglala Lakota College, and is completing a certification program in Educational Leadership and Management with Harvard University

Paul Barnhardt

LEE Public Policy Fellow

  • Paul Barnhardt is the founder of Honor Prep Charter School in Charlotte, North Carolina. A native of North Carolina, Paul started his career with Teach for America and has since devoted his career to solving educational inequity, serving in numerous school and nonprofit leadership roles. Paul's goal is to ensure a more equitable community for all by championing policies that empower students and families to fuel a life of choice and opportunity. Paul is married to his wife, Kelly, and they have three children: Gilbert, Molly, and Ronan. 

Natasha Gourd

LEE Public Policy Fellow

  • Natasha Gourd, Wicanphi Tokca Win (Different Star Woman), is a  mother of four children and a Dakota of the Spirit Lake Nation. She served for five years as vice president of the Bismarck Public Schools Indigenous Parent Advisory Committee. She serves on the Native American Rights Fund Indigenous Peacemaking Advisory Committee and is a board member of North Dakota Native Vote. Natasha has developed tribal peacemaking court systems for two different tribes and has been a peacemaking/restorative practices consultant for 10 years for various tribes and organizations.

  • Nora Antoine, PhD is a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate and relative to many.  Nora is a former higher education faculty member and active community contributor in education, community/economic development, and various cultural/social-impact initiatives.

Sicangu Lakota - Member

Nora Antoine, PhD

Diana Cournoyer

Oglala Lakota - Member

Terance Fields

Policy Analyst Consultant

  • Terance, a proud member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, grew up in the small town of Pawnee, Oklahoma. He graduated from high school in 2014 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law from the University of Central Oklahoma. In 2022, he completed a master’s in Global Studies with an emphasis in Public Diplomacy at Oklahoma State University.

    Throughout his academic journey, he gained valuable experience interning with the Dean of the House, Congressman Don Young (R-AK), the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), AT&T’s External and Legislative Affairs Team, and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

    Following a Tribal Food Sovereignty Fellowship with the National Congress of American Indians, he joined the National Indian Education Association, where he spent two years managing state and tribal policy. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law while also supporting policy and legislation efforts at the South Dakota Education Equity Coalition.