BIOGRAPHY
Justin Kii Huenemann, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, has dedicated his life to improving the quality of life and well-being of Indigenous peoples. Before joining First Peoples Fund, Huenemann was the CEO of Jemez Enterprises, a tribally-owned Section-17 corporation of the Pueblo of Jemez. Huenemann has also served as the President and CEO of the Notah Begay III (NB3) Foundation, a leading national nonprofit dedicated to Native youth. Before joining the NB3 Foundation, Huenemann served as Senior Program Officer at the Northwest Area Foundation serving rural, urban and Native American tribes and communities across eight states. He is also the founding President of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), an award-winning community development organization in Minneapolis, MN.
Mr. Huenemann is a leading voice in tribal and Indigenous community-economic development, non-profit executive management, and enterprise development. He has enjoyed working in higher education to help graduate Native students, in architecture designing Indigenous-inspired structures, in county government leading community planning projects, in award-winning nonprofits implementing community-rooted solutions and in business creating jobs and revenue for tribes. He has received several awards for his work, including the Minneapolis Mayor’s Healthy City Award and the Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce Bear Award.
Huenemann holds a bachelor’s in architecture and a master’s in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota. He is a basketball coach, men’s traditional dancer, artist, and father of four children.
