Board of Directors

Boyd W. Cummings is a member of the Muscogee Nation. He grew up in Indian Territory on a road named Moccasin Trail, within the Sac and Fox Nation reservation. He was raised by his mother Catherine Cummings (Sac and Fox) and Father the Rev. David J. Cummings (Muscogee). For the past 25 years Boyd has worked in the Field of Technology with various Tribe’s in Central Oklahoma. The past 16 years he has been the IT Director of the Sac and Fox Nation. Boyd’s passion is to find ways to upgrade and modernize the Tribe’s. This includes and is not limited to writing (along with a co-worker), obtaining, and managing a 35.8-million-dollar grant to bring fiber network to the Sac and Fox Nation jurisdiction and Tribal members homes. This grant will build a full fiber optic network for the Tribe. Tribal Lands are the least connected and this grant will help to improve the hardship that is faced by Tribal Nations by bringing digital economy to the Nation. Boyd is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and has attended Haskell Indian Nations University, University of Texas at El Paso, and completed his graduate work at Southwestern Theological Seminary. He is also an ordained minister, has a love for computers and gadgets, and the recovering of audiophile, and likes documentaries.

Melissa Camden is an enrolled member of the Monacan Indian Nation. She was raised in Buena Vista, Virginia and is a current resident. A mother of two and grandmother of four girls of whom she is very proud of. Melissa is currently employed with Genworth a Fortune 500 Company since 2017. Currently, an active member and involved with Native American Employee Resource Group at Genworth where the mission is to create a culture and environment where every customer, employee and stakeholder, no matter what race, age, ability, gender, or affiliation can benefit from fair, equitable and inclusive practices.

She grew up surrounded by her Monacan family members that were her best friends and playmates. Her grandparents, both Monacan, left Beverlytown in Amherst County around the year 1940 for work to support their families. When her grandparents left to come down to the foot of the mountain, they never forgot home. Her grandfather would always look up to the mountain with sadness. Because of this love for their hometown, Beverlytown shaped who Melissa is today. Raised to respect my ancestors who survived there for many generations. Leaving home for our family came with hardships and racism just as our Monacan family who stayed.

Melissa served on the Monacan council in recent years as well on the Enrollment Committee within the Monacan Tribe. Melissa is also a member of the Yapatoko Drum group, and participates in educational venues performing at workplaces, government workplaces, school, and college educational events, and powwows. She has also overseen and supported several fundraising activities to support the Monacan Tribe. Melissa also believes in giving back to not only her tribal community, but to the community as a whole by participating in community service activities to include visiting nursing homes, assisting day care/schools with providing safe playgrounds for the children, and dedicates time to helping single mothers, elderly, and widows.

Linwood Richardson is the President of the Board of Directors, along with representatives from 6 different tribes. Mr. Richardson is from Hollister, North Carolina a rural area that is the home of the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe for which he is an enrolled member. Linwood grew up in his culture dancing and drumming and had been a part of and has led several drum groups. The current Native American Drum that he is lead drummer of is Yapatoko (Pernell Richardson, Warren Perkins, and Danny Richardson - founding members). Yapatoko, meaning Beaver Creek in Tutelo. Linwood learned drumming from his elders and was drumming since he was old enough to sit in the circle. His vision was more than drummers for Powwows but as educators to non-Natives on the Indigenous Culture. As leader he would educate non-Natives on the significance of the drum, the beat sounding as a heartbeat. The drum under Mr. Richardson’s guidance participates in Powwows in the Mid-Atlantic Region as well as various cultural events to include Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Jamestown Settlement & American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, College Sponsored Powwows, Virginia Naval Exchange, 97.3 WRIR FM Radio, Patuxent River Park American Indian Festival, Welcoming for the Malama Honua Polynesian Canoe Hokule’a in Yorktown, VA, performed for the City of Richmond Parks and Recreations (Pine Camp & Dogwood Dell), National Museum of the American Indian, 2015 SACNAS National Conference Powwow, Chesterfield Iron Works, Office of the Director of National Intelligence in Mclean VA, and in November of 2022 at the City of Richmond Police Department. In 2023 Yapatoko was honored to participate in the renaming of Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia to Fort Barefoot after Colonel Van Barefoot. A member of the Choctaw Tribe and WWII Medal of Honor recipient. Attended by multiple tribes, the renaming was an honor bestowed to all Natives who served in the military for this country.
These are just a few of the powwow/events.
A tenured employee with Genworth Financial for 21 years. Linwood chairs the Native American Resource Group. Here he helps with the education of his co-workers on diversity in the workplace, sharing Native American History and Culture. Highlighting the importance of traditions.

Phon Hoonsan has served as a law enforcement officer for more than 20 years and retired this year. Her law enforcement career began in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she served with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. She relocated to Richmond, Virginia in the early 2000's and joined the Richmond Police Department (RPD). She was also named the first Asian-American & Pacific Islander Liaison for RPD and established working relationships with the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce (VACC), the Richmond Region Tourism group, the Asian American Society of Central Virginia (AASoCV), just to name a few.
Phon is from Bangkok, Thailand and has lived in the USA since she was 11 years old. She grew up in a military family and has lived in the Philippines and several different states. She is also a United States Air Force veteran.
Phon is currently a full-time realtor, and when she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her life partner and their two rescue dogs (Kevin and Hope).

Ronald Brown, Sr. a Native of Richmond Virginia attended Richmond Public Schools, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, and John Tyler Community College where he received an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Ronald, also known as “Ron” served the community for thirty-four years as an officer. His tenure included Richmond Sheriff’s Office, VCU Police Department, and he retired as a Sergeant from the Richmond Police Department. He served in many areas of the department from patrol, internal affairs, and as the Representative for the Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers. During his time in law enforcement Ron received many awards and commendations from Medal of Valor, Meritorious Police Duty, Excellent Police Duty, Physical Fitness Award, President’s Physical Fitness Award, and was recognized by President Bill Clinton at the White House after a school shooting. Ron and his beautiful wife have been married for more than 36 years. He has one adult son and twin grandsons who are the apple of his eye. In his spare time, you can find him working in the yard that he looks at as a hobby. He also enjoys sports, watching more these days then participating according to him.

Taylor Cook is of the Dinè Tribe. She graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Since earning her degree she has become passionate about physical and mental health. In Taylor’s spare time she enjoys weightlifting and reading books. Taylor is currently a stay-at-home mother who lives an Indigenous way of life and shares those values and teachings with her two young children. She enjoys being able to watch her children grow and prosper into their own person. This means practicing a traditional lifestyle, breaking generational curses, and walking a balanced life.

Tokeya Waci U (Comes Dancing First) Richardson was born of the Oglala- Lakota (Mother) and Haliwa-Saponi (Father) Tribes but is enrolled as Oglala-Lakota. His childhood was impacted living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and as a teen in Hollister, NC, learning the cultural aspects of both tribes. A graduate from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS with a Liberal Arts Degree in fine art and studied Psychology and Theatre Art at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.
His love for art began in childhood. He would draw dinosaurs and cut them out toys. In high school, he would make posters to sell to classmates for money to go to college. He learned to make beadwork for regalia and other ceremonious events from his elders, knowing art was going to be his passion. Going through trauma therapy in 2011, he discovered another art form, Ledger Art. This form was truly cathartic therapy. He was able to portray his life’s experiences, losses and those of his ancestors, telling stories through pictures. As he grew as an artist, he showcased the strength of Natives, to empower and guide them with his powerful messaging of embracing traditions, and deriving strength through celebrating the culture. His art often includes the powerful connection to the Creator, ‘Maka Ina’ (Mother Earth), the tree of life, as well as all living things and the spiritual realm around us. He also brings cultural issues in pictures and represents all the unheard voices of the Native people.
Gaining recognition for his art, in 2019 the Santa Fe Indian Art Market purchased his images to use on marketing merchandise (t-shirts, coffee mugs,etc). Media attended from several areas. From this coverage, he was asked to showcase his work in several museums, notably the Smithsonian Ann Marie Scupture Garden and Art Center for celebratory art celebrating women and strength. His work was displayed at several Native American museums, pieces depicting cultural traditions and outside visions. Notably, Hollywood producer Dick Wolf purchased his art to show on his television serial “FBI's Most Wanted". His recognition as an artisan storyteller grows and is 2nd only to his desire to pass along cultural traditionals of beading, regalia, artwork as a form of therapy to those who are in crisis.
Tokeya Waci U Richardson currently serves as a board member for non-profit Three Sisters Consulting Inc. He served on the Cultural Advisory Board for Teton to develop indigenous prints, one of which was on the series “Reservation Dogs”. He was a consultant on several panels on living as an indigenous person, given interviews/podcasts for native magazines and powwow.com. He sat on planning boards discussing AIM topics defending cultural/historical grounds. Kansas State University asked him to conduct courses on cultural revitalization and arts. And, then was asked by the Haskell Indian Nation University, Kansas City Indian Center, Native American Student Services, and the Nelson Atkins Art Museum to begin courses on beading, making regalia, moccasins, as well as, native art forms.