Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources Joseph “Joey” Owle, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), is the AISES 2023 Professional of the Year. Secretary Owle is responsible for a range of environmental resources, regulatory, and renewable energy initiatives for this tribal nation of more than 16,000 citizens. His team worked to bring the first electric school bus in the entire state of North Carolina to the EBCI reservation, known as the Qualla Boundary. This process involved multiple buses as well as solar power, and Owle also helped the tribe’s casino set up a solar farm to offset its electricity usage. Secretary Owle oversees a staff of more than 30 people, interacts with the tribe’s executive and legislative branches, and coordinates with all levels of local and national government agencies. Besides leading coordination of the EBCI agricultural economic development plan, he has lobbied for millions of dollars for a new tribal fisheries program, new cannery, and stream restoration. After a period of advocacy, Owle and multiple partners have raised $10 million to decommission and remove the hydroelectric Ela Dam that, for 100 years, has blocked Oconaluftee River connectivity and fish migrations to EBCI lands. With a master’s degree in crop science, Owle was born and raised in Cherokee, NC, and in 2017 was appointed the very first secretary of the EBCI Agriculture and Natural Resources Division by Principal Chief Richard Sneed.