National American Indian Housing Council congratulates Joe Garcia as NCAI President

WASHINGTON--On Nov. 8, the National American Indian Housing Council congratulated Joe Garcia, who last week was elected President of the National Congress of American Indians at the 62nd Annual Convention in Tulsa, Okla. Garcia is currently serving his second term as Governor of Ohkay Owingeh (formerly the San Juan Pueblo of New Mexico), and prior to this election he was serving his second term as NCAI's First Vice President.

Garcia brings a strong Indian housing background to the Presidency. He was involved with the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) rulemaking committee when it was first formed and played a major role in how NAHASDA took shape. During this same time period, the Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo) Housing Authority was leaving an umbrella housing organization and becoming an independent authority. Garcia was instrumental in making that transition successful. This housing background and understanding will be beneficial to both NCAI and NAIHC collaborations.

Garcia is an electrical engineer by trade and has also worked at Los Alamos National Labs, as a teacher at the Northern New Mexico Community College, as a school board chairman, and as President of TSAY Corporation, the business arm of San Juan Pueblo.

NAIHC and NCAI have long enjoyed a collaborative relationship in the fight for Indian housing needs. NAIHC officials said they look forward to working with Garcia and NCAI to help tribes and tribal housing entities to fulfill the self-determined goals of NAHASDA to provide quality affordable housing for Native people in Indian communities and Alaska Native villages.

They said they would also like to thank outgoing NCAI President Tex Hall for his dedicated leadership to Indian country and wished him all the best in his future endeavors.

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