FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 1, 2026
Press Contact:
Shoshanna Johnson
Shoshanna.johnson@kauffmaninc.com
The founder of Kauffman and Associates, Inc., transformed a one-woman operation into a nationally recognized Native-owned consulting firm.
SPOKANE, Wash. – After 36 years, Jo Ann Kauffman (Nez Perce), founder and president of Kauffman and Associates, Inc. (KAI), has retired.
Since founding KAI in 1990, Kauffman has worked at the intersection of tribal nations, government agencies, and partner organizations to address complex challenges in public health policy, education, economic development, and tribal affairs. Through her work, she elevated Native voices in decision-making, strengthened partnerships, and advanced Native-led solutions. The impact of that work continues to shape Indian Country today. Her final day leading KAI was July 1, 2026.
“(Kauffman) has inspired me throughout my entire career. She is an incredible trailblazer…” said Robyn Sunday-Allen (Cherokee), CEO of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic and Board President of the National Council of Urban Indian Health. “(She) has empowered Indian Country and shown the next generation of Native women what it looks like to be a champion and giant in your field.”
Kauffman’s influence can be traced back to her early career working with tribes and urban Indian nonprofits to advance healthcare. In 1989, after relocating to Washington, D.C., she incorporated KAI as a boutique lobbying firm, offering federal policy and legislative advocacy to tribes and national Indian organizations. This included securing increased congressional funding for Indian health clinics and school construction and amending federal statutes to protect historically and culturally significant sites within the Nez Perce National Historical Park across Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington.
After relocating the company back to the Pacific Northwest, KAI transitioned from lobbying to management support and communications services. The firm initially operated from Kamiah, Idaho, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, before moving its headquarters to Spokane, Washington, in 2000, where it remains today.
Over the following decades, KAI grew to more than 100 employees with offices in Spokane, Washington; Washington, D.C.; Sacramento, California; and Seattle. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, KAI converted to a fully remote workforce and today employs 50 professional staff located across the United States. KAI offers meeting event planning, program evaluation, strategic planning, training and technical assistance, and communications.
“Working with and supporting Native communities has been my life’s work,” Kauffman said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished at KAI and confident that this shared mission will continue under new leadership.”
KAI is now owned and governed by a board of directors including 3 of Kauffman’s children, who have worked alongside their mother in growing KAI over the last decade. Guided by its motto, “We Do Work That Matters,” KAI remains committed to carrying forward its ethos through quality work, partnerships, and integrity.
About KAI
KAI is an American Indian- and woman-owned consulting firm that partners with tribal nations, government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to support community-driven solutions. KAI provides communications, research, evaluation, facilitation, and strategic planning services across public health, education, behavioral health, tribal affairs, and other areas. Guided by the principle, “We Do Work That Matters,” KAI is committed to creating meaningful and lasting change. Learn more at KauffmanInc.com
