4/6/2010 10:31:00 AM Tenakhongva appointed to AZ Humanities Council
Courtesy photo
Sam Tenakhongva, Marketing and Special Events Manager for the Hopi Education Endowment Fund (HEEF), was recently appointed to the Arizona Humanities Council by Gov. Jan Brewer.
PHOENIX, Ariz. - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer recently appointed Sam Tenakhongva to a three-year term on the Arizona Humanities Council.
Tenakhongva, a member of the Hopi Tribe, is from First Mesa and a member of the Kachina/Parrot Clans. He is currently the only Native American representative on the council and currently serves as the Marketing/Special Events Manager for the Hopi Education Endowment Fund (HEEF), for which he oversees marketing, community education, development, and fundraising events and activities. He is a 2002 graduate from the University of Arizona with a bachelors of fine arts in visual communications.
HEEF Executive Director and Arizona Board of Regents member LuAnn Leonard commented, "Gov. Brewer made an excellent appointment when she selected Sam to serve on the Arizona Humanities Council. Sam has the strengths of his Hopi cultural teachings and practices and the academic knowledge he gained from the University of Arizona that will help to guide his recommendations and decisions on the Humanities Council."
"We at the Hopi Education Endowment Fund fully support his appointment and know that his participation will benefit not only Native American tribes but all communities in northern Arizona," Leonard concluded.
Tenakhongva commented, "Being appointed to the Arizona Humanities Council is a great honor and opportunity for me to not only learn about the work the council does and as a member, I will be able to share a perspective that will be a balance of traditional education as well as cultural knowledge. Many Native American communities throughout the state can offer and share historical information and cultural experiences that help to enhance, enrich and broaden our knowledge, and as a member of the council, I hope to help promote and provide opportunities for these to be shared."
Tenakhongva's nomination was spearheaded by current council member Tammy McLeod, vice president and chief customer officer for Arizona Public Service (APS). In 2009 the HEEF hosted a group from APS. McLeod was part of the group and was impressed with the breadth of Tenakhongva's knowledge and experiences. She recognized his potential and forwarded him for nomination to the Council.
Tenakhongva joins a distinguished group of professionals, professors, artists and community members in their work to work to achieve the mission of the council.
The mission of the Arizona Humanities Council is rooted in stories that convey histories, traditions, social mores, beliefs and insights about what it means to be human. Its mission is furthered by creating opportunities for sharing these diverse stories through critical thinking and public discussion, to better understand and appreciate one another, so that informed decisions can be made about our collective future.
Founded in 1973, the council is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization and the Arizona affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The council supports public programming in the humanities that promotes understanding of human thoughts, actions, creations, and values and works with museums, libraries, and other cultural and educational organizations to bring humanities programs to residents throughout Arizona. All council-supported activities must involve the humanities disciplines of history, literature, philosophy, and other studies that examine the human condition.
