Dorothy Denetsosie Gishie, Vice President (Navajo) – Program Manager at Native Americans for Community Action, Inc.

Dorothy is Navajo from Preston Mesa, Arizona. She is of the Rock Gap Clan, born for the Towering House Clan. Her maternal grandfather’s clan is the Bitter Water Clan and her paternal grandfather’s clan is the Yucca Fruit Strung Clan. Dorothy has worked for 30 years with Native Americans for Community Action, Inc. (NACA) Dorothy has worked as an Instructional Aide with NACA’s then Adult Education Program; she was also a Post-Move Counselor working with Navajo/Hopi Relocatees, and as an Indian Child Welfare Act Counselor with the ICWA Program and as a Social Worker. Dorothy currently oversees the Navajo Way and the Supportive Services Program and co-chairs the NACA Annual Sacred Mountain Prayer Run. As the Program Manager of NACA’s Overlook Program, Dorothy works closely with the Coconino Forest Service and 285 Native American vendors. The OL Program is an economic development project which has been in operation since 1988. It is a vending program for Native Americans who sell arts, crafts and jewelry which is authentically handmade and handcrafted. Dorothy has 2 daughters; Latanya and Natalia and a son, Leo Jr. She and her husband Leo enjoy traveling to roping events where her husband competes. She likes to hike with her daughters and also enjoys being a cheerleader at her son’s football games. The world is her campus, Dorothy loves to sing, read and learn new things daily.