This document provides a summary of Kathy Tibbits' experience and qualifications. It lists her education, including a Juris Doctor from Tulsa University and a Bachelor's from the University of Oklahoma. It details her experience teaching law classes and as an attorney, founding environmental organizations, and working for the Cherokee Nation on policy and research. References are provided from former Cherokee Nation Chief Chad Smith and others she worked with on tribal policy issues.

1. Kathy Tibbits, Attorney
Route 1 Box 964
Watts, OK 74964
918 797-5016, 918-597-3536
kathytibbits@kathytibbits.com
Classroom Teaching Experience
Five semesters of classes in Wills & Estates, Tax Procedure, and Probate, at NSU
Tahlequah Campus and in Environmental Problem-solving at Flaming Rainbow
University (Tahlequah Campus and Stilwell Campus). Guest lecturer in Cherokee
Studies on the subject of tribal sovereignty and tribal policy at NSU Tahlequah Campus.
Guest lecturer at Rogers State University on history of the environmental movement in
Oklahoma for a class in contemporary issues.
Education
Juris Doctorate in Law, Tulsa University (1983).
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Oklahoma (1980).
Northeastern State University: Undergraduate classes (1975-78).
Political Science, Law and Policy Experience
1973 to present- Political campaign work in research and strategy, volunteer outreach,
county campaign coordination and grassroots campaign liason for local, state and
national races. Political party work, most recently as a County Party Secretary and
various precinct officer elected positions.
Attorney for Kathy Tibbits Law Office, 1986-2000 and 2010-2015.
Co-founder, and staff attorney for ecoLaw Institute, a foundation-supported pro bono
environmental litigation organization;
I became licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court and participated in
establishing the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling for watershed protection of
downstream states, in Arkansas v. Oklahoma, (The Fayetteville Case).
Co-founder, Cherokee Bar Association, and first Secretary-Treasurer.
Special Master in Cherokee Nation District Court, appointed by the Cherokee Judicial
Appeals Tribunal.
Founder, first female law partnership in Cherokee County, Oklahoma at Barksdale
Carter-White Law Office, Tahlequah (1984-1986). Associate Attorney to Monte W.
Strout Law Office, Tahlequah (1983-1984).

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Policy Background and Experience:
Tax Examiner for Internal Revenue Service, Spring 2015, Kansas City, MO.
Strategist, Planning Analyst, Intelligence Officer, Grant-writer and Technical Liason for
Cherokee Nation; Author and researcher of baseline studies analyzing bureaucratic
departments and agencies under tribal government; Advisor to Chief’s Policy Group;
Implementation of the 100 Vital Communities Initiative under the Chief’s Declaration of
Designed Purpose; Researcher and writer of confidential internal white papers and
environmental scans (externality analyses); Conceptualized and drafted comprehensive
tribal codes and HR policies for a Violence Against Women Act task force, making
Cherokee Nation the most progressive tribal nation in domestic violence mitigation,
enforcement and remediation among the tribal nations within the United States;
Researched, drafted, formatted and published 3 internal books on sovereignty, strategy
and management (writing sample available by special permission of the Cherokee
Nation); Conducted workshops on community empowerment and nonprofit organization,
teaching community members how to incorporate their nonprofit groups, how to scope an
organizational plan and seek grants. Researched, compiled and formatted Cherokee
Nation environmental codes into a book volume.
Licensures
United States Supreme Court
United States Tax Court
United States Bankruptcy Court and other federal courts
Cherokee tribal court
Oklahoma Supreme Court and all state courts
Notary Public
Licensed Civil Minister
Past Security clearance for UNAX-compliant U.S. Treasury, Internal Revenue Service,
W&I Division and current clearance for confidential conditional database access via
PACER, OSCN, etc.
Fellowships, Honors, Publications and Awards
Donella Meadows Fellowship Alumnus, First Class Fellow in a distinguished global
interdisciplinary consortium of systems proponents for environmental strategy
development, addressing climate change all the way from rural Brazilian tribes to United
Nations IPCC policy. http://www.donellameadows.org/resources-and-reading/donella-meadows-leadership-
fellows-program/
United States Supreme Court Counsel Team, Oklahoma v. Fayetteville.
Hall of Fame Honoree, STIR. Co-founder and former Board of Directors, Save The
Illinois River. Hall of Fame Honoree. http://www.illinoisriver.org/default.aspx
Executive Co-Producer, two music albums, Songs for the Illinois River, Volumes I and
II. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/songsfortheillinoisriver
Strategist, Oklahoma Referendum Petition for the Illinois River, and past contributor.

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Founding Member and former Statewide Standards Committeewoman, Oklahoma Food
Cooperative. http://www.oklahomafood.coop
Former Member of the Board of Directors, American Association of University Women
Tahlequah Chapter; variously Membership Chair and Recycling Chair. http://www.aauw.org/
Former Member of the Board of Directors and Counsel Pro Bono, Native Americans for
a Clean Environment.
State Legislative Policy District Coordinator, Oklahoma Sierra Club.
http://oklahoma2.sierraclub.org/
Founding Oklahoma Chapter Board Member, Oklahoma Toxics Campaign.
Founding Board Member, Legacy Cultural Learning Community,.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Legacy-Cultural-Learning-Community/131444073586056
Conference Presenter and Co-founder, Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks. Online
collaboration coordinator and web designer under a National Rivers and Trails
Conservation program community project technical grant. Co-founder and Board Chair,
Greenway of the Cherokee Ozarks Foundation to seek foundation grant funding for
Greenway development.
Author, researcher, and publisher of “Threshhold Barriers to Small Farms: Policy
Recommendations.” This was a compilation of legislative policy recommendations for
small farm economic viability under a grant from U.S.D.A. Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education. Co-founder of Cherokee Small Farm Project, a farm policy
advisory and family farm support organization of the Cherokee Nation. Presenter,
Cherokee Small Farm Project Farm Service Agency and Extension meetings.
Co-founder of Cherokee Film Festival, now International Cherokee Film Festival;
Festival coordinator for two years.
Conference Presenter, “Dreaming Big: Asset-Based Community Development Analysis
of Your Community,” “Incorporating Your Nonprofit Community Organization,” and
“Working with A Board of Directors,” at various Cherokee Nation ‘100 Strong
Communities’ initiative conferences.
Conference Co-Host, Sequoyah Conference and State of Sequoyah Convention at NSU
for several years with Dr. Richard Allen, doing public relations, website, press packets
and speaker support, in conjunction with Cherokee National Holiday.
Founder or Incorporator of these nonprofit organizations:
Indigenous Peoples’ Free Press Foundation, Inc. (2002)
Legacy Cultural Learning Community, Inc. (2002)

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Centro Hispano Incorporado de Tahlequah, Inc. (2000)
Citizens’ Action for Sustainable Energy, Inc. (1996)
Unique Skills
Exceptional empirical and statistical research skills and knowledge. Strategy and game
theory learning, and advanced logic skills. Excellent communication, drafting and
formatting skills. Experienced in layout and design for print and web, and in design and
deployment of websites. Passable Spanish language skills, and marginal Cherokee
language reading skills. Inquisitive and curious, collaborative and easy-going, as a good
listener, and a respectful conversationalist. A gentle sense of humor.
Employment Preference
I am a member of a federally-recognized tribal government. Although I have limited
Cherokee language skills, I am knowledgeable about Cherokee culture and have
participated in Cherokee ways all of my life. (BIA Form 4432 available on request).
References:
Chad Smith, Former Cherokee Nation Chief
918-453-9200
For Chad Smith and Cherokee Nation Policy Group. Authored, researched and submitted
weekly monitors of external issues of vital concern to Cherokee Nation, such as relevant
proactive new best practice models, management research, forecasts, statistics, and
externalities. Authored and submitted White Papers on sovereignty issues, trends,
concept reviews, and more.
Reva Crawford, Cherokee Nation Solutions Team
918-822-2465
Under supervision of Reva Crawford. Developed baseline tribal services research and
analysis for transition reorganization; Designed and created workshops, seminars and
conferences (and curriculum) for community outreach and technical assistance. Reva
was Director of Cherokee Nation Policy Planning and Development and later held the
title of Resource Team Solutions Group Leader.
Steve Woodall, Cherokee Nation Strategy Director
704-397-7748
Under direction of Steve Woodall. Developed a ‘best practice’ model for identifying
externalities affecting tribal sovereignty, analyzed new trends, drafted White Papers,
internal research and Environmental Scans. I co-drafted and analyzed the Cherokee
Citizen satisfaction surveys, and compared the results with original Cherokee
demographic research.

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Supplemental Question
1. How did you hear about this employment opportunity?
Higher Ed Jobs online and NSU website.