Board of directors

Geoffrey Roth is originally from Oregon City, Oregon. He was born on February 7th and has served Indian Country for most of his life. Currently, Geoff is the newly elected North American representative for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations, a consultant for Urban Indian Health Programs in the Pacific Northwest, the Interim Executive Director of Native Americans in Philanthropy, and the Co-Founder of Inaji, a technology company focused on Indian health. 

Mr. Roth has worked with Tribes, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Tribal organizations and Urban Indian organizations in various capacities over the past 20 years. Most recently he has served as an appointee of the Obama Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Indian Health Service. During this time, he worked primarily on the implementation of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and was involved in the day to day operations of IHS.

Mr. Roth also previously served as the Executive Director of the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH). In that capacity, he worked with Tribes, Tribal Leaders, Urban Indian Health Program Leaders, and Congress on the zeroing out of the Urban Indian Health Program during the Bush Administration. Prior to NCUIH, Mr. Roth served in the Office of Indian Education at the US Department of Education. Mr. Roth also served as the President of the Board of Directors, for the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC) in Denver for 4 years. Prior to his work in DC, Mr. Roth served as the Executive Director of the Native American Youth Association in Portland, Oregon. 

He holds a BS in Educational Studies from the College of Education, University of Oregon and in 2015 was named the National Public Service Award winner by the College. Mr. Roth is a descendent of the Hunkpapa Band of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation in North and South Dakota.

Isabelle A. Penass is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe (Niimiipuu). Ms. Penass has years of experience working with underserved children, families, and communities in various systems, including educational, social services, juvenile justice, and foster care. She has served as a client advocate, juvenile justice case manager, school social worker, and therapeutic case manager. Ms. Penass currently serves as the Vice President for Training and Technical Assistance for Kauffman and Associates, Inc. (KAI), and oversees projects related to American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) behavioral health and organizational capacity building and effectiveness. Ms. Penass has dedicated her career to and cultivated expertise in prevention efforts for issues including underage substance misuse, suicide, family and school violence, poverty, and understanding the impacts of unresolved trauma. She is skilled in promoting behavioral health and community wellness and has dedicated her time to supporting organizations that promote behavioral health and wellness in AI/AN communities. 

Ms. Penass received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare, with an emphasis on clinical mental health.