American Indian College Fund Appoints Four New Members of Board of Trustees
New terms begin July 1, 2023.
June 30, 2023, Denver, Colo.—The American Indian College Fund has appointed two tribal college presidents and two private sector professionals to its governing board of trustees.
Duane Bedell (Bay Mills Indian Community tribe), President of Bay Mill Community College; Dr. Monte Randall (Muscogee [Creek] from the Apekv-Tvlledegv Tribal Town and Deer Clan), President of the College of Muscogee Nation; and Ashley Hubka, Senior Vice President of New Business Development, Walmart, will serve three years. Holly Lunsford, Vice President, Finance Foodservice and On-Premise, North American Operating Unit, Coca-Cola, is currently filling a vacancy on the board and will seek her first three-year term next spring.
Duane Bedell, President of Bay Mills Community College, resides in Gnoozhekaaning (the place of the pike) in the Bay Mills Indian Community and has worked in tribal communities for more than 20 years in various roles. He served as an information technology director for the Intertribal Council of Michigan, an adjunct faculty member for Bay Mills Community College (BMCC), and a full-time faculty and computer information systems department chair. He also served as Bay Mills Indian Community’s Tribal Manager for two years before being named by BMCC’s Board of Regents as BMCC’s President and CEO in 2020. Bedell attended and graduated from tribal colleges. He attended Haskell Indian Junior College and completed his studies at BMCC in 1998 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in computer information systems.
While working full-time and raising a family, Bedell continued his education, earning a bachelor’s degree in information technology and security from Baker College in 2013 and a Master of Arts degree in education technology from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2015. In 2018, he completed an education specialist degree from the University of Michigan-Flint and in 2020, he earned the status of doctoral candidate in education administration. Bedell is currently writing his dissertation.
Dr. Monte Randall is the fifth President at the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN). He has worked extensively at CMN as the Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of Student Affairs, Tribal Services Instructor, and Research Specialist. While at CMN, Dr. Randall developed the federal financial aid policies, Office of Student Affairs, academic assessment plan, and contributed to CMN’s accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.Dr. Randall’s research interest focuses on Native American culture, problem-solving abilities, and leadership. His dissertation correlated the significance of cultural learning in overcoming the impacts of historical trauma of Native American students. He is an Aspen Institute and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow, a contributor to the Tribal College Journal, and a volunteer community leader with Glenpool Public Schools, the Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Dr. Randall regularly presents topics relating to Native American education, culture, and leadership within the community.
A veteran of the United States Navy and the Oklahoma Army National Guard, Dr. Randall graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University, the University of Oklahoma, and Oral Roberts University, where he received a doctorate in educational leadership. He resides in Glenpool, Oklahoma, with his wife Lauren and three children.
Holly Lunsford, Vice President of Finance Foodservice and On-Premise in Coca-Cola’s North America Operating Unit, is celebrating the 26 years at The Coca-Cola Company. Throughout her career she has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to business partners, a committed leader to her team’s development, and an educator on financial acumen.Lunsford leads a team of over 30 finance leaders and professionals, with equity, opportunity, and development as her top focus. She prioritizes continuous learning and seeking challenges inside and outside of work to satisfy her drive, focus on the future, and growth mindset.
After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising with a business minor from the University of Florida, Lunsford worked as a media buyer before earning a Master’s in Business Administration from Georgia State University. Before joining Coca-Cola, she served as a financial analyst for a restaurant company. At Coca-Cola she has served in increasingly more responsible positions in the finance organization with the food service, retail, still, and sparling brand teams.
Holly is married to James and is a proud mother to daughters Parker and Arden. She has formed and led Girl Scout troops, taught Sunday School for seven years, and most recently served as the assistant treasurer and treasurer for her church for four years. She is a hobby beekeeper and is learning blacksmithing and metalworking.
Ashley Hubka is the Senior Vice President and General Manager, Walmart Business. Prior to her current role she led enterprise strategy, corporate development and strategic partnerships for Walmart (2017-2021). Before joining Walmart, Ashley spent six years based in Paris, France with Cimpress, the parent company of Vistaprint. While at Cimpress, she held positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President Corporate Strategy, Senior Vice President Portfolio Management and Post-Merger Integration, and Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. Before that, Ashley spent more than 10 years at Oliver Wyman, the consulting arm of Marsh & McLennan, ultimately as a Partner in the Consumer and Industrial Transformation Practice. Ashley brings broad global experience, including P&L leadership, digital business transformation, M&A and post-merger integration.
Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy cum laude from Harvard University and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. She lives in Bentonville, Arkansas with her husband and two daughters.
The new trustees will replace three term-limited trustees, who will vacate their positions June 30, 2023. They include Dr. David Yarlott, President of Little Big Horn College and Lynn Dee Rapp, President of Eagle Opportunity, who both served three terms. This was also Dr. Yarlott’s second appointment to the board. Carla Sineway, President, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, served one three-year term. The College Fund wishes to thank them for their service.
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About the American Indian College Fund—The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $14.45 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2021-22. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $284 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
