AISES is pleased to announce the newest members of the organization’s Board of Directors. We are excited to welcome Kevin Allis (Forest County Potawatomi Community), Carly Hare (Pawnee/Yankton), Joshua John (Navajo), Hokulani Sharp (Native Hawaiian), and Kelli Matthews Smalling (Muscogee Nation) as incoming members of the 2026-2028 board.
Kevin Allis is the President of Thunderbird Strategic LLC and Founder of the Native American Aviation Association. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association (NACA). As an experienced lawyer, Kevin brings experience advocating and lobbying in Washington, DC, executive leadership experience, and a passion for aviation and STEM.
Carly Hare joins the AISES Board of Directors with extensive executive leadership experience, currently serving as CEO of Headwaters Foundation, and having served at several non-profit organizations throughout her career. She brings lived experience growing up in a rural tribal community in Oklahoma, providing authentic understanding of Indigenous community needs. Carly attended AISES Summer Camps as a student and brings personal experience navigating higher education challenges.
Joshua John continues to serve on the AISES Board of Directors for his second term. As a systems engineer performing system testing and flight tests for Raytheon, Joshua brings proven leadership experience in high-stakes environments where decisions impact national security. A member of AISES since high school, in college he served on the NAU AISES chapter board, and remained committed to AISES. Having become an AISES Sequoyah Fellow in 2014, Joshua received the AISES Most Promising Engineer award in 2018.
Hokulani Sharp joins the AISES Board of Directors as a passionate advocate for Indigenous communities— championing initiatives that amplify Native voices in STEM and corporate spaces. Her leadership combines strategic thinking with cultural advocacy, fostering inclusive, people-centered solutions that make a lasting impact for future generations. Hoku is a first-generation college graduate who holds an MBA and has been involved with AISES for years as a member of the AISES Lake Eerie Professional Chapter, is a Sequoyah Fellow, and a member of the Corporate Advisory Council.
Kelli Matthews Smalling, the Executive Director of Engage Learning, a STEM/STEAM education non-profit committed to accessible, inclusive learning for all – brings her experience as a technologist in applied research and custom software, having collaborated with Fortune 100/500 companies and startups to drive innovation and organizational growth. A trained science communicator and advocate for S.T.E.A.M. education, Kelli has spent the past decade championing opportunities to inspire and empower learners of all ages.
The all-volunteer AISES Board of Directors provides essential strategic direction, policy establishment, budget approval, and financial oversight for the organization. Each member brings considerable experience and a strong commitment to advancing Indigenous people in STEM fields and promoting workforce development for Indigenous communities.
The newly elected and appointed Board members will begin serving a three-year term at the close of the December Board meeting. Outgoing Board members were honored at the closing ceremony at the 2025 AISES National Conference, held in Minneapolis October 2–4. AISES extends its heartfelt gratitude to William Tiger (Miccosukee Indians of Florida), Katelynn Hopkins (Cherokee Nation), and Brendan Kinkade (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) for their leadership and years of dedicated service on the Board. Their contributions have made a lasting impact, and we look forward to their continued support.
We would like to thank our members for their participation in this year’s Board of Directors election. Your vote is important in guiding the direction of our organization for generations to come. For a complete list of Board members, visit https://aises.org/board-of-directors/.