1. Policy: Treasury Consultation on Adoption Tax Credit & Tribal Government Parity, September 15 at 1:00pm Eastern
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it will expedite the consultation process to facilitate an enhanced adoption tax credit for 2025 Tribal adoptions. The Treasury will hold a virtual consultation session on September 15th at 1:00 pm EST.
This follows the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB, P.L. 119-21), which included provisions from the Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2025 (S.2022). These changes recognize Tribal government determinations of special needs on par with state determinations — significantly improving access to financial support for Tribal adoptive families.
In addition to the September 15th consultation, Treasury accepts written comments until Thursday, October 10, 2025, 11:59 p.m. Alaska Time. You can submit written comments at tribal.consult@treasury.gov.
Register for the Consultation >>
2. Conference: Session Spotlight: Make it Make Sense! The Federal Budget Process and Its Impact on Tribal Programs
Join us on Tuesday, September 23rd, at #NAFOAFall25 for a special session to learn about the impacts of the FY26 Federal Budget. In this session, we will explore the federal budget process from start to finish and identify opportunities for Tribe’s to engage to provide input and influence to protect federal resource flow into their communities.
Speakers:
- Tyler Scribner, CEO & Chief Data Officer, Tribal Sovereign Data Analytics
- Aurene Martin, Managing Partner, Spirit Rock Consulting
- Liz Malerba, Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs, USET Sovereignty Protection Fund
- Liz Carr, Vice President of Intergovernmental Affairs, Cedar Rock Alliance
Register for the Conference >>
3. Professional Development: American Service Fellowship Opportunity
Admission Application Deadline: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 12 p.m. ET (noon)
The American Service Fellowship offers a full scholarship and a stipend for at least 50 students to enroll in the one-year, on-campus Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) Program at Harvard Kennedy School.
The fellowship is open to public servants in the United States:
- U.S. military veterans and active-duty military
- Federal, state, Tribal, and local public employees—including public school teachers, fire fighters, and police officers
- Alumni of national service programs such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps
This new fellowship honors your service and helps you take the next step in your public leadership journey. You will learn from world-class Harvard Kennedy School faculty members, get the best public policy education in the world, and join a powerful network of change makers from across the country—each bringing a unique story, perspective, and commitment to impact. Most of all, you’ll learn how to tackle our biggest challenges and lead our country into the future
Source: Harvard Kennedy School
4. Webinar: Writing a Public Comment
Wednesday, September 10, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time
In this Writing a Public Comment instructional webinar, participants will be introduced to a framework for writing effective public comments, which are essential tools that regulators are required to rely upon before making significant policy changes. Any individual or organization is welcome to submit comments on how proposals for regulations and other policies could impact them or the communities they care about, so learning to participate in this process is a great way to make an impact on government policies.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of what public comments are, how they are used, and strategies for crafting your own public comment to achieve policy change!
Source: Aspen Policy Academy
Register to Join on Sept 10 >>
5. Job Opportunity: Executive Director Accounting – Tribal Government, Twenty Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
This position is responsible for directing and overseeing all General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Cash Operations, and Purchasing operations activities and initiatives. Responsible for establishing appropriate policies, procedures and controls of the Tribal Government to be consistent with General Accepted Accounting Principles, other regulatory/advisory organizations and the Tribal Minimal Internal Control Standards. In addition, we strive to deliver our Five Star Experience to Guests and fellow Team Members. This includes being committed to our Service Promise: We are the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians Team, where your experience is our top priority. Every person and detail matters. Tribal expertise is required.
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