An Introduction
(Lee Pepion, Board President - February, 2007)

As the newly elected Board President of the Native American Business Alliance, I would like to introduce myself.

I am 3/4 Blackfoot. I was born on the Blackfoot Reservation, where my parents were ranchers and also did some farming. For the first 5 years of my education I was schooled in a one-room schoolhouse that held grades 1-8. I then attended the Browning Public School System (which was about 45 mi. from the ranch), for grades 6-12. I participated in sports and in the Future Farmers of America. Upon graduation, I chose to attend Montana State College. I spent two years there before serving in the Army for two years. After my service, I returned to college.

I left college to pursue a career in the construction industry, spending 10 years with Morrison-Knudsen. We built MinuteMan missiles, steel mills, and hydroelectric dams; and repaired shipping locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway, along with pump storage stations and million-gallon water tanks in the Grand Canyon. I left MK to join Bechtel Power, where I worked for 13 years. Bechtel was a design and build firm in the power industry. I managed construction of nuclear power projects for a time; but when the industry declined, I left them to manage a mechanical & electrical firm in the Metro Detroit area (I spent 5 years at that location).

In 1995 I had a sales call with Tom Smith Industries. I met Tom "Running Bear" Smith, the President of the firm at the time, and we discussed my products for a short while. Our conversation soon turned, however, to the plight of Native American businesses, and we spent over two hours speaking about how we needed representation to Corporate America. As I was about to leave, Tom asked: "What are we going to do about this - just talk?" My response was, we needed to start an organization like those that exist to support Hispanics and African Americans. Tom stated that he knew some other Native American businessmen who had similar concerns, and offered to set up a meeting. This was done, and The Native American Business Alliance began.

As the Board President of the Native American Business Alliance, I would like to thank all of those that preceded me as leaders of this organization, and who worked so hard to keep the dream alive.

I will continue to focus on the mission of the Native American Business Alliance: "...to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships between the private and public business sectors with Native American-owned companies; and to educate these communities about Native American culture, paving the way for future generations. We stress the values taught by our heritage. At all times, these values are paramount in our business relationships with corporate and public relations."

-Lee Pepion, NABA Board President