Division of Indian Work names new ED
When Noya Woodrich was named executive director of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC) five months ago, one of her first responsibilities was to find her replacement at the Division of Indian Work (DIW), a ministry of GMCC. On December 10, Woodrich named Patina Park as director of DIW, the oldest direct-service organization for American Indians in the Twin Cities.
Woodrich said Park will be a good fit for the organization and that she has the skills and vision to lift DIW even higher. “Her organizational management and fundraising abilities are stellar,” Woodrich said. “She is already well respected and connected in the community.”
Before joining DIW, Park, a lawyer from the Cheyenne River tribe in South Dakota, was a child welfare project coordinator with the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice. She has experience working in Hennepin County, with Minnesota tribal communities, and in tribal government.
DIW, founded in 1952, empowers American Indian people through culturally-based education, counseling, advocacy and leadership development. It is a partner with the GMCC, a human-service nonprofit which also focuses on helping seniors, nurturing families, mentoring youth, and fighting hunger.
Tags: Division of Indian Work, DIW, GMCC, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, Noya Woodrich, Patina Park
