Commitment to the Future: Spears Business builds network for tribal finance
Thursday, June 5, 2025
Media Contact: Stephen Howard | Director of Marketing & Communications | 405-744-4363 | stephen.howard@okstate.edu
Jason Doxtator has the answers when it comes to technology support and cybersecurity for the Oneida Nation in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
But when his job as chief information officer started overlapping with finance and accounting, he also had questions.
Wanting to learn more, he visited the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) website, where a link to an Oklahoma State University program caught his eye. After eight weeks of online modules that finished in March, Doxtator said he felt more comfortable in meetings, having a better understanding of the Oneida Nation’s financial discussions.
His experience speaks to the broad reach of the award-winning Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate Programs offered through the Center for the Future of Work (CFW) in the Spears School of Business.
It’s rare to find Continuing Professional Education programs tailored to tribal accounting, but Spears Business has partnered with tribal leaders and businesspeople to grow into a hub for this specialized field. The in-person introductory, online introductory and intermediate certificate programs have attracted professionals from 177 Indigenous tribes and 30 states, plus Washington, D.C.
This year’s in-person introductory instruction took place May 20-23 in the Business Building. Along with offering these certificate programs, Spears Business hosts the Tribal Finance and Accounting Conference each fall.
“This has gone far beyond anything that I could have imagined in terms of what it’s doing for Oklahoma State, people in Oklahoma and even nationwide,” said Rachel Domnick, an instructor of professional practice in the School of Accounting (SOA).
It started with an invitation-only, 20-person pilot program in 2018.
The Oklahoma Tribal Finance Consortium contacted CFW, then known as the Center for Executive and Professional Development, to create programming based on Oklahoma Tribal Nations’ survey responses. The intended audience included entry-level tribal financial employees, professionals seeking to increase their knowledge of tribal finance and accounting, and elected tribal officials and leaders striving to better understand business decisions.
Dr. George Krull, then interim head of OSU’s SOA, played a key role in launching these efforts.
CFW program manager Lindsey Ray, who holds an MBA from OSU, has coordinated tribal outreach since the beginning. She said the tribal programs support CFW’s mission of driving progress in Oklahoma by creating a future-ready workforce.
Ray’s dedication to her work comes from a personal place.
“As a Choctaw Nation citizen and a mother of Choctaw Nation citizens, playing an essential role in bringing these programs to life is an honor and deeply meaningful to me,” said Ray, who has also presented a leadership series to the Chickasaw Nation. “It is more than just a professional endeavor — it is a commitment to the future of our people. By developing and implementing these programs, I am contributing to the growth, strength and success of not only my tribe, but all tribes.”
There are 39 sovereign tribal nations in Oklahoma, and the United States recognizes 574 Native American tribes and Alaska Native entities. Although tribal accounting adheres to Governmental Accounting Standards Board guidelines, the industry is its own niche, dealing with topics related to grants, tribal law and more. Accountants face a learning curve when they’re new to tribal positions.
Spears Business offers resources to ease the process.
Domnick, who holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting from OSU, moderates the tribal finance and accounting sessions. She has a background in governmental accounting and more than 80 hours of CPE credit related to tribal accounting.
“What’s been important in the growth and the development of the program is the partnership with the tribes,” Domnick said.
Spears Business collaborates with NAFOA, which provides attendees with the Orange Book, a guide to tribal financial reporting and economic activity. Speakers of varying professional backgrounds, from tribal law to tribal business, share their expertise.
SOA head Dr. Angela Spencer, professor Dr. Audrey Gramling and instructor of professional practice Rachel Cox have also served as instructors, as well as Department of Finance professor Dr. David Carter.
With this shared leadership, the Introductory Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate Programs have received multiple honors, including the NAFOA Education Program of the Year Award in 2021.
While reaching professionals from Alaska to Florida, the program maintains its commitment to Oklahomans, amplifying OSU’s extension efforts across the state. Over the past seven years, 40.6% of participants came from Oklahoma.
Jessica Fisher, a general ledger reconciler in the Osage Nation Office of the Treasury in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, enjoyed networking during the in-person introductory certificate program in May 2024.
“You get to bounce ideas off each other, and you’re all dealing within your same industry,” Fisher said. “It was very informative to get to see a wider scope instead of just my little bubble of what I do.”
Now, Fisher is motivated to obtain the Intermediate Tribal Finance and Accounting Certificate and said she is considering OSU for graduate school.
All of the tribal certificate programs count for CPE credit, and the introductory program can also count for up to two hours of college credit under the special topics course BADM 2010.
Since the programs have connected professionals nationwide, the next step involves looking within the Business Building. Spencer is excited about the possibility of introducing Spears Business students to tribal finance and accounting.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for growth and expansion,” Spencer said. “We love to see our students go out and get good jobs where they’re really making a difference in their communities.”
Certificate program participants are making that difference, too.
Doxtator, an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation, is teaching colleagues the lessons he learned in the online sessions nearly 1,000 miles from Stillwater.
Since completing the introductory program, he has encouraged co-workers to follow suit, whether in top leadership positions or working on the front lines. With 20 years of job experience and three postsecondary degrees, he still realized he could grow, gaining financial knowledge to supplement his IT expertise.
He also has a newfound appreciation for the complex, yet often unnoticed, tasks carried out by CFOs and accountants.
“A lot of work goes into that,” Doxtator said. “It definitely gives me a lot more empathy for them and the jobs that they do and how I can help them make their jobs easier.”
‘A hub for connection’
Spears Business collaborates with tribal leaders and businesses in numerous ways.
Dr. Marc Tower, assistant dean for innovative education and growth, said these partnerships create a “hub for connection” at Spears. The OSU Spears Tribal Steering Committee consists of Spears Business faculty and staff, tribal leaders and businesspeople who discuss needs and opportunities for programming.
The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), under department head Dr. Brij Thapa, has been heavily involved.
“As a land-grant institution, there is a responsibility to serve our state, and we believe the engagement and outreach to our tribal partners is critical,” Thapa said. “We are enthusiastic about all aspects of the partnerships and look forward to continuing the momentum.”
CFW teams up with HTM to administer three certificate programs for professionals in gaming, hospitality and tourism.
The Certificate in Hospitality Operations Leadership program is scheduled for June 16-18 at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Tulsa. The Certificate in Gaming Leadership program is set for Dec. 9-11 at River Spirit Casino in Tulsa in conjunction with the University of Nevada-Reno.
CFW and HTM also offer the Certificate for Building Business Acumen and Data Analytics for Gaming.
Gaming and hospitality are among the many topics discussed at the Tribal Summit, which Spears Business and the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association have hosted for three years. With 286 registrants for the March 2025 summit, sessions covered tribal leadership, workforce development, casinos and business development, economic development, and agriculture and food sovereignty.
Dr. Julie Weathers, director of strategic initiatives and assessment, worked to assemble panels of guest speakers representing tribal nations of various populations and locations across Oklahoma and beyond. Tower moderated a panel that included Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and Citizen Potawatomi Nation Chairman Rocky Barrett, who inspired the audience with their combined 80 years of leadership experience.
“The Tribal enterprises take this extremely long-term view, thinking ahead to seven generations,” Tower said. “And I think making decisions for longevity — to create sustainable, profitable and responsible businesses — changes the game in a really cool way.”
Story By: Hallie Hart | hallie.hart@okstate.edu