Stephanie Zadora is a citizen of the Seneca Nation (wolf clan) and grew up in Virginia near Washington, D.C. While she earned her bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Stephanie was on the board of the American Indian Student Cultural Center, was a student gardener at the Native American Medicine Garden, and studied Maori culture, politics, and environment in Aotearoa (New Zealand).
After graduation, she co-founded and coached youth for Twin Cities Native Lacrosse and was a community organizer at the Native American Community Development Institute. Over nearly 4 years at St. Stephen’s Human Services (ending homelessness), Stephanie supported big picture strategy and day-to-day action across the organization, for human resources, office and IT management, development and communications, the Board of Directors, and Executive Director to name a few.
She moved home to the Cattaraugus Reservation (NY) before the pandemic to caretake for a relative, and has enjoyed spending time with nephews, bicycling, gardening, and sewing. Stephanie is looking forward to playing and coaching lacrosse, dancing salsa and rueda de casino (Cuban salsa), and visiting family.