Mel Willie Joins Oweesta as Chief Officer of Strategic Partnerships

(June 15, 2026) Oweesta is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mel Willie as our new Chief Officer of Strategic Partnerships, a strategic executive leadership position created to strengthen Oweesta’s national partnerships, advocacy efforts, and cross-sector collaborations in support of Native CDFIs, Native nonprofits, Tribes, and Native communities.

The appointment reflects our continued growth as a national Native CDFI intermediary and our commitment to strengthening the ecosystem of partners, funders, investors, Tribal leaders, and advocates working to expand economic opportunity and support sovereignty across Indian Country.

In his role, Mel will provide executive leadership for strategic partnerships, programmatic collaboration, policy and advocacy initiatives, and national engagement efforts. He will work closely with Native CDFIs, Tribal Nations, philanthropic organizations, federal partners, investors, and peer organizations to advance solutions that strengthen Native economies and expand access to capital and opportunity.

Read our full announcement here.