Meet the Mni Sota Fund Board of Directors

This year marks an important milestone for Mni Sota Fund. For the first time, we have a full Board of Directors seated and ready to guide our growing work across Minnesota. Each member brings lived experience, cultural grounding, and professional expertise that strengthens our mission to support Native and non Native community members on their paths to homeownership, financial wellness, and entrepreneurship. Their leadership shapes the direction of our programs and ensures that our growth stays rooted in the values of community, care, and empowerment.

Our board helps guide strategic vision, provide oversight, and support the long term sustainability of Mni Sota Fund. They help us stay accountable to the communities we serve. They advise on emerging needs and opportunities. They champion the mission behind the scenes and out in the world. Their insight and commitment help us move toward a future where every person has access to the tools and resources needed to build wealth and stability.

We are proud to celebrate our Board of Directors and the leadership they bring to this work. Below you will find each board member’s photo and bio. Every one of them is an essential part of the Mni Sota Fund story.

Paul Rock | Chair

Paul Rock is an Ojibwe and Oneida business owner enrolled in the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. A lifelong resident of South Minneapolis, he graduated from Minneapolis South High School and earned his BA in American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota, with a minor in Sociology. Paul is a nationally respected recording artist and speaker whose work centers Indigenous identity, history, and resilience. Passionate about investing and Indigenous wealth building, he recently completed his community based Financial Educator Certificate at the University of Minnesota Extension program. He’s currently studying for the Series 65 exam. Paul brings a culturally rooted and community grounded perspective to his role as Board Chair.

Bazile Panek | Vice-Chair

Bazile Minogiizhigaabo Panek is a citizen of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and is the Chief Executive Officer of Good Sky Guidance, a consulting firm supporting organizations and tribal communities in integrating Indigenous knowledge and culture into environmental initiatives. Raised on the reservation and guided by teachings from elders, Bazile is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resources Science and Management and a PhD in American Indian and Indigenous Studies at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. His work and leadership are grounded in his guiding philosophy to “honor [his] ancestors and become an honorable ancestor for future generations.”

Lisa Ripken | Treasurer

Goonikwe “First Snow Woman” Lisa Ripken (Howes), Ojibwe, is an accomplished leadership strategist and organizational development professional with over 20 years of experience advancing inclusive excellence, talent development, and cultures of belonging. Her work spans nonprofit, public sector, and global corporate environments, where she has led leadership development, unconscious bias facilitation, and strategic workforce initiatives. Lisa’s career has also included roles in housing advocacy, city planning, community development, and Indigenous leadership training across Tribal and First Nation communities. A graduate of St. Cloud State University, St. Thomas University, and the Native Leadership Institute’s Advanced Native Political Leadership program, Lisa brings a people centered approach rooted in community, equity, and long term impact to her role as a board member.

Christine McCleave

Christine Diindiisi McCleave, PhD (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians), is an Indigenous scholar, public educator, and policy advocate with more than a decade of experience advancing Indigenous rights, healing, and community-based economic justice. She holds a PhD in Indigenous Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and previously served as CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, leading national research and federal advocacy efforts. Her work has included advocacy at the United Nations, collaboration with the U.S. Department of the Interior, and support for Indigenous-led economic and stewardship initiatives. She is currently Interim Executive Director for the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund.

Patina Park

Patina Park (Mnicoujou Lakota, Cheyenne River Oyate) serves as Chief Operating Officer for the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Indigenous foodways through education, access, and economic empowerment. With more than 20 years of experience working with Tribal governments and urban Native communities, Patina has held senior leadership roles across nonprofit, government, and legal sectors. She previously served as Executive Director of Tribal State Relations for the State of Minnesota, acting as a senior advisor on Tribal affairs and a key liaison to Minnesota’s eleven Tribal Nations. Her career also includes service as an appellate court judge for the Prairie Island Sioux Community, faculty with the Falmouth Institute, and leadership roles with Indigenous organizations focused on justice, health, and community development.

Jordan Ruiz

Jordan Ruiz serves as Executive Director of The Northwest Native Development Fund, located on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington State. With more than a decade of lending experience, including four years in traditional consumer and mortgage lending and three years as a corporate accountant for her Tribe, Jordan brings both financial expertise and a deep commitment to community centered capital. She joined NNDF five years ago as Grants Manager, later stepping into the role of Lead Loan Officer, where she embraced the opportunity unique to Native CDFIs: the ability to say yes to loans that may have been denied elsewhere. Jordan was then appointed to lead the organization by vote of the Board of Directors. Under her leadership, and alongside a strong and dedicated team, NNDF continues its mission of expanding access to capital and strengthening Native communities through responsible and culturally grounded lending.

John Williams

John Williams (Cheyenne River Lakota) is a dedicated community leader with more than 35 years of experience across a range of organizations. His leadership is deeply rooted in Lakota values of generosity and respect, guiding his commitment to restorative ways of working. John believes that leading with integrity and living one’s values creates space for collective well-being and abundance, and he brings this perspective to his role as a Board Member at Mni Sota Fund.

Jason Decker

Jason Decker is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and a committed advocate for Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous communities. His path to Indian law began while earning an A.A.S. in Law Enforcement from Leech Lake Tribal College, where a Federal Indian Law course clarified how legal training could be a tool for service. Jason earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Bemidji State University while working as a dispatcher for the Leech Lake Tribal Police, and later graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in 2017. During law school, he served as vice president and president of the Native American Law Student Association, competed in the National NALSA Moot Court Competition, and was managing editor of the Mitchell Hamline Law Review. His career has included work with boutique Indian law firms and in house counsel roles for Tribal Nations. Jason currently serves as Associate General Counsel for Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures and is a member of both the Mitchell Hamline Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute Advisory Board and the Mni Sota Fund Board of Directors.

If you feel inspired by the leadership of our board, we invite you to stay connected. Join our email newsletter for stories, resources, and opportunities that support financial empowerment in our community.