Jo Ann Kauffman (Nez Perce) has built KAI from a one-woman shop into one of the most well respected and influential Native-advocacy organizations in the country. As president and founder, she remains actively involved in all aspects of KAI operations, where her experience, perspective, and insight ensures high-quality management support.
Since founding KAI in 1990, Jo Ann has received numerous awards for her work advancing minority representation and social justice, including being named the Business Beat Minority Small Business Person of the Year and a Woman of Achievement by the Carl Maxey Racial & Social Justice Awards.
She currently serves on the board of trustees at Eastern Washington University (EWU), where she also leads the advisory committee for the newly founded Lucy Covington Center. In addition to the honorary doctorate from EWU she received in 2017, she holds a master’s of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.
