Meet Our Staff
Melissa Buffalo, MS (Meskwaki)
Chief Executive Officer
Han mitakuyepi! Melissa is an enrolled member of the Meskwaki Nation in Iowa and Dakota from the Crow Creek and…
Read More
Marie Smith, BA
Finance Manager
Marie started working at the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) in February 2021. She grew up in Florida but has…
Read More
Samantha Blackhall, AS
Office Administrator
Samantha is the Office Administrator with the American Indian Cancer Foundation. Growing up, many of her friends and family had…
Read More
Lindsey Petras, MSN
Cancer Programs Manager
Hello! Aniin! Lindsey is the Cancer Programs Manager and has a Masters Degree in Nursing Education. Lindsey previously worked for…
Read More
Jen Rico
Operations Manager
Jen grew up in Northern Wisconsin and moved to St. Paul after receiving an undergraduate degree in Social Studies from…
Read More
Nora Vonnegut MPP / MPH
Prevention & Policy Specialist
Nora’s work in equity began in college at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, where she graduated with a BA…
Read More
Karri Bigboy, BA (Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa)
Coalition Coordinator
Boozhoo! I am a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, located in Northern Wisconsin. I graduated…
Read More
Tina Gerovac-Lavasseur, DNP, RN
Nurse Project Manager
Boozhoo! My name is Tina Gerovac-Lavasseur, and I work in the NBCCEDP program as a Nurse Project Manager. I hold…
Read More
Wyatt Pickner, MPH (Hunkpati Dakota)
Research Manager
Wyatt Pickner, MPH (Hunkpati Dakota) is the Research Manager at the American Indian Cancer Foundation. Originally from the Crow Creek…
Read More
Jenna Holt, MS (Chippewa)
Cancer Programs Specialist
Boozhoo! Jenna was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie…
Read More
Mac Hickey, BA (Ojibwe)
Research Coordinator
McKinley (Mac) is from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. He is currently a Research Coordinator…
Read More
Amika Kamath
Research Specialist
Amika is a Research Specialist at the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF). She received a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Public…
Read More
Madison Anderson, MPH (Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe)
Research Assistant
Boozhoo! Madison works with the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF) because she believes that we need more data about the…
Read More
CoCo Villaluz, BA (Hidatsa/Assiniboine/Chamorro)
Health Equity Manager
CoCo has been working in community mobilization, education, and policy work for the past 20 years. CoCo’s focus includes the…
Read More
Shoshanna Johnson, BA (Absentee Shawnee)
Communications Project Manager
Shoshanna is from the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and the Sac & Fox Nation. She is the Communications Project…
Read More
Evie Odden, BA (Sisseton Wahpeton and Mdewakanton Dakota lineal descendant)
Research Specialist
Evie is a Research Specialist at AICAF, where she supports all aspects of the research process, including planning, data collection,…
Read More
Mahlea Hunt (Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina)
Health Equity Program Coordinator
Greetings, everyone! My name is Mahlea Hunt, my native name is Kutchin Hitu (Songbird). I was born and raised in…
Read More
Emily Bobyock, MPH
Epidemiologist
Emily is the Epidemiologist at AICAF and works closely with the Cancer Programs team. She currently lives in the Philadelphia…
Read More
Faith Gronda, BA
(Wyandot of Anderdon)
Evaluation Specialist
Kweh kweh! Faith is the Indigenous Evaluation Specialist at AICAF where she supports the work of all teams and programs…
Read More
Misse Chapman Skinner, MLS (Standing Rock / Santee)
Cancer Programs Specialist
Háŋ Mitákuyapi, Misse is originally from Fort Yates, North Dakota and resides in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She is a member…
Read More