The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF), a leading philanthropic organization dedicated to increasing access to capital for Native American farmers and ranchers and supporting tribal agricultural development is pleased to announce the appointment of Libby Washburn, a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, as its new Vice President of Grants and Compliance.  

With an extensive and distinguished career, Washburn brings a wealth of experience and expertise to NAAF. Prior to joining the organization, she served as the Special Assistant to the President for Native Affairs at the White House, where she advised on policy and initiatives aimed at advancing Native American interests. Additionally, her experience working with tribes and tribal entities at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Obama-Biden Administration, and her time as the State Director and Legislative Counsel for Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, brings a valued perspective on elevating tribal affairs.  

Washburn has extensive leadership experience focused on building compliance structures and strengthening ethics as the Director of Ethics and Compliance for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and senior leadership roles at academic institutions including New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico. In her new role as Vice President of Grants and Compliance at NAAF, Washburn will lead efforts to ensure that the grants provided to tribal entities have the greatest impact on reducing and eliminating the original harms of the Keepseagle v. Vilsack class action litigation, which violated Native producers’ fair access to credit opportunities for their agricultural operations.  

“We are honored to welcome Libby Washburn to our team at NAAF, said Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, CEO of NAAF. “Her experience working for tribal interests and her passion and vision will make her an invaluable addition to our organization as we continue our mission of increasing access to capital for Native American farmers and ranchers.”  

“I am profoundly honored to join NAAF as the Vice President of Compliance and Grants,” said Libby Washburn. “NAAF is playing a pivotal role in supporting Native farmers and ranchers and I look forward to collaborating with this all-star team to support and create new Native agriculture opportunities within our Tribal communities.”   

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About the Native American Agriculture Fund:

The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) provides grants to eligible organizations for business assistance, agricultural education, technical support, and advocacy services to support Native farmers and ranchers. The charitable trust was created by the settlement of the landmark Keepseagle v. Vilsack class-action lawsuit. NAAF is the largest philanthropic organization devoted solely to serving the Native American farming and ranching community