Ep. 25 | NAFOA's Cory Blankenship

For Episode 25, Chris and Yvette interviewed Corey Blankenship, Executive Director of NAFOA. This episode is the second of three we recorded from our Washington, DC office in May.

Cory and Chris have known each other for decades, both hailing from Cherokee, NC - home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Cory shared his story, starting with working in finance for his tribe to leading a national organization that focuses on growing tribal economies by strengthening tribal finance. He was also an advocate at a young age, traveling to Washington, DC in high school to testify in support of legislation that enabled a land swap that allowed EBCI to build a new school.

Give it a listen - and tell your friends! Thank you for tuning in.

NAFOA |
https://nafoa.org/

Cory Blankenship |
https://nafoa.org/about/team/cory/

Chapters

• 0:47 Intro
• 5:23 Meeting Cory
• 7:41 High School Lobbyist
• 12:26 A Legacy of Leadership
• 14:16 Mentorship is Key
• 16:20 Post-Lobbying
• 18:43 Building a New Tribal School
• 21:26 Working for EBCI
• 23:56 The Story of the Eastern Band
• 27:33 Secretary of the Treasury
• 29:20 Investing in Tribes = Investing in Regional Economies
• 32:30 The Beauty of Cherokee Ancestral Lands
• 34:33 Getting to NAFOA
• 38:52 NAFOA's Initiatives
• 43:00 NAFOA's Founding
• 45:21 National Organizations Working Together
• 46:36 Objectives in 2025
• 49:02 Raising 5 Boys
• 51:35 Cory's Connections to The National Center
• 53:45 Wrap Up