EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Sherry Treppa is Chairperson of the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation located in Upper Lake, California. Chairperson Treppa was elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council as Vice Chairperson in 2004, a position that she held until she was elected Chairperson in 2008. As Chairperson, Treppa is tasked with leading the efforts towards preserving the tribe’s Pomo culture and inalienable right of sovereignty, while continually striving for economic self-reliance through e-commerce, gaming and other economic opportunities unique to tribal lands.

Prior to her work for the Tribe, Chairperson Treppa worked as an Account Manager, where she was responsible for servicing multiple industries, including medical, biotech, wine, welding and pharmaceutical. After more than 15 years in the private sector she recognized that her efforts could be better utilized on behalf of her Tribe. Before joining the Executive Council, Chairperson Treppa began her work for the Tribe as a volunteer for the Enrollment Committee in 2001 and also served as an influential member of the Tribe’s Housing Committee.

Chairperson Treppa’s ongoing efforts have contributed to the process of restoring the Tribe’s land base and working toward the goal of economic self-determination and self-sufficiency. She was an invaluable part of the Tribe’s gaming venture effort, Running Creek Casino, which opened in 2012. Not only did Chairperson Treppa serve as one of the Tribe’s project management representatives for the construction of the casino, but she spearheaded funding negotiations for the casino while working with the county, state, and federal government to secure a gaming compact with California and guide it through the processes of state ratification and Department of Interior final review. Currently, in addition to her Tribal government role, Chairperson Treppa serves as President of the Tribe’s e-commerce businesses, playing an essential role in raising capital, structuring, development, implementation and operations.

Chairperson Treppa has served as Vice Chairperson for the Native American Financial Services Association, for which she is also credited as a founding member; she has also served as a member of the California Indian Legal Services Board of Directors, the National Indian Gaming Association, and National Congress of American Indians delegation. Chairperson Treppa is often called upon to testify in her capacity as an experienced Tribal leader at legislative hearings for a variety of issues with the potential to impact Indian Country. She has been repeatedly recognized for her active commitment to Native American issues and their mission to achieve economic growth and long-term financial stability.

Chairperson Treppa was born in Lake County and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated with a bachelor of science from the University of San Francisco. She has two adult children and currently resides in Napa, California.

Tracey Treppa is Vice-Chairperson for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation located in Upper Lake, California. Vice-Chairperson Treppa was elected into her current position in 2018. She was first elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council in June 2016 as a Member-at-Large. As Vice-Chairperson, Treppa is charged with financial services the efforts towards preserving the Tribe’s Pomo culture and inalienable right to sovereignty, while continually striving for economic self-reliance, through e-commerce, gaming, government-to-government outreach and other economic opportunities unique to tribal lands.

Prior to her elected role, Vice-Chairperson Treppa served as Commissioner of the Tribal Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Commission, a regulatory arm of the Tribal government with oversight over the Tribe’s consumer finance businesses. In this position, she was actively engaged in the regulatory environment and demonstrated a shrewd understanding of the Tribe’s evolving lending enterprises and operations. Today, she remains devoted to ensuring a proper regulatory structure for lending within the Tribe’s jurisdiction and continues to actively engage in ongoing education, such as the Online Lenders Alliance Compliance University that enables her to remain knowledgeable of the changing regulatory environment and potential changes needed in Tribal laws.

In addition to her Council responsibilities, Vice-Chairperson Treppa continues to serve on three tribal committees in different capacities: Chair, Garden Committee; Chair and co-founder of Eastern Pomo Language Advocates Committee; active member of the Tribal Cultural Committee; and active member of the Housing Commission which oversees emergency housing for its membership and provides student rental assistance to those in need. She is also credited with successfully creating a local food system on Tribal lands. This initiative resulted in the formation of the Garden Committee, where the Tribe is now producing vegetables from non-GMO seeds with the intent to become certified organic within a few short years.

She is also immersed in the local community, where she is a community volunteer for the North Shore Business Association and the United Pomo Nations Consortium which continues to work towards preserving Pomo culture and their right to sovereignty.

Vice-Chairperson Treppa was born in California and currently resides in Lake County, California.

Carol Munoz is Secretary for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation located in Upper Lake, California.  Secretary Munoz was elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council in 2020.  As Secretary, Munoz she is charged with the well-being of the Tribe and success of its sovereign enterprises as it continually strives for economic self-reliance through e-commerce, gaming and other economic opportunities unique to tribal lands.  Carol Munoz’s mission is to bring honor to her family and ancestors through hard work and dedication to the Tribe by helping preserve its sovereignty, culture, health and well-being for future generations.  It has been a personal, lifelong goal of Carol to take her aptitude for continuous improvement through hard work and give back to her Tribe.  Carol is now doing just that when she decided to leave the corporate world and eagerly leaped into her Tribal career.

Prior to her elected role, Secretary Munoz worked for Brandvia as a Program Manager where she was responsible for managing a team of Program Specialists and Program Coordinators. In this position she developed and maintained strategic long-term trusting relationships with high value clients to accomplish organic growth and financial objectives.

In addition to her Council responsibilities, Secretary Munoz continues to serve on the Personnel Committee, where she has served since 2002, and the Constitution Review Committee, where she has served since 2019.

Secretary Munoz was born in Lake County and currently resides in San Jose, California.  She looks forward to serving her Tribe and the community in her new role.

Kathleen Treppa is Treasurer for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation located in Upper Lake, California. Treasurer Treppa was elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council in 2018, where she has served in her current role since. As Treasurer, Treppa provides oversight to the Tribal Fiscal Department and its sovereign enterprise operations, where she ensures operational efficiencies and audit accuracy.

Prior to her current position with the Tribe, Treasurer Treppa has worked for the Tribe in various roles. She served as Background Investigator for Running Creek Casino, Secretary for the Tribal Gaming Commission, and also served on the Personnel, Cultural and Housing Committees. Treasurer Treppa also served on the Lake County Terrace Association which helps protect the Lake County piers. She currently serves as Secretary of the Eastern Pomo Advocates Language Committee, on the Lake County Tribal Health Consortium board as an alternate member, and as a Member-At-Large for the North Shore Business Association. She serves as chair of the Constitution Review Committee and also serves as a delegate for the United Pomo Nation Council alongside representatives from 22 other Tribes.

Dedicated to her Tribe and native values, Treasurer Treppa moved back to Lake County in 1998, bringing many years of varied corporate and retail experience to help in her current role. She is a Notary Public for the state of California and continues to give back to her fellow Tribal Members by offering free notary services. Treasurer Treppa also gives back to the Lake County community as a member of the Lakeport Elks Lodge, which offers programs that help children to grow up healthy and drug-free, help veterans, and improve quality of life.

Treasurer Treppa was born in San Francisco, California and raised in Lake County, and attended Chico State University. She has one daughter and enjoys going to cultural beading and basket weaving classes, attending social events, and continuing to learn about her culture.

Veronica Krohn is a Member-at-Large for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation in Upper Lake, California. Member-at-Large Krohn was elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council in 2020.

Prior to her election with the Executive Council, she served on several committees, such as the Parent Advisory, Seven Generation Scholarship Fund Selection and Secretarial Election Board Committees. Krohn currently serves on the Parent Advisory Committee, and plans to continue serving her Tribe in this capacity while serving on the Executive Council. In addition to volunteering, Krohn has worked for the Tribe in various roles since 2012. She served as Human Resource Assistant for Running Creek Casino, Custodian for the Council, and Fiscal Clerk Assistant for the Fiscal Department.

Dedicated to her tribe, she believes her role as a Member-at-Large is to be a part of the overall care and success of the Tribe and its Tribal Businesses.

Krohn currently resides in Clearlake, California with her husband and four children. As a motivated and determined learner, she is currently enrolled in school and on track to receive her Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education by 2022.

Jennifer Burnett is a Member-at-Large for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation located in Upper Lake, California. Member-at-Large Burnett was first elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council in 2020. As a Member-at-Large, Burnett is tasked with the overall care of the Tribe and success of its sovereign business operations.

Prior to her elected role, Member-at-Large Burnett served on the Election Board since 2015. During her service, she helped to expand the role of the Election Board to include elections for the Grievance Review Board, implement the initiative process, and pass revisions to the Election Ordinance to allow for expanded absentee voting. Member-at-Large Burnett also was a member of the Secretarial Election Board in the fall of 2019 where she was part of the process that amended the Tribe’s Constitution and gave the Tribe more independence from the federal government by removing references to the Secretary of Interior.

Member-at-Large Burnett has worked in various industries including as a counselor for youth, as a data analyst in manufacturing, and as a co-owner of a screen-printing business. More recently, she returned to university, eventually earning a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Working as a Registered Nurse and Public Health Nurse, Member-at-Large Burnett has been serving the Native American Community for the past 5 years. During this time, she has led quality improvement initiatives as well as written grants and managed their deliverables.

Member-at-Large Burnett was born and raised in Petaluma, California where she lives today with her husband and two daughters. She has bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Nursing.

Aimee Jackson-Penn is a Member-at-Large for the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a federally recognized Indian Nation located in Upper Lake, California. Member-at-Large Jackson-Penn was first elected to the Tribe’s seven-member Executive Council in 2013 to fill a vacancy position. She was then re-elected in 2014 to a standard four-year term. As a Member-at-Large, Jackson-Penn is tasked with the overall care of the Tribe and success of its sovereign business operations. She currently serves on the Parent Advisory, Enrollment, Housing and Seven Generation Scholarship Fund Selection Committees, where her efforts have contributed to the welfare and betterment of tribal youth and membership. Additionally, she serves as an advocate for the Indian Child Welfare Act and sits on the board for the California Tribal Families Coalition.

Prior to her elected role, Member-at-Large Jackson-Penn held multiple leadership roles in finance and education. In 2004 she assumed the role of Tribal Education Director, where she spent the next nine years dedicated to tribal youth and its opportunity for future success. She has served on the Finance and Housing Committees, and served as Chair of the Parent Advisory Committee. She has also served as a Domestic Violence Advocate on the Inter-Tribal Council of California.

Member-at-Large Jackson-Penn is credited with creating a stronger, more collaborative relationship with the Upper Lake School District, where she dedicated her time and staff to tutor and supervise its youth and was the delegate for the Native Community. She is a spokesperson for suicide prevention and is a Question-Persuade-Refer certified trainer. Member-at-Large Jackson-Penn has sat on the Lake County Suicide Prevention Committee and the Lake County Diabetes Action Council, which works towards prevention and management of diabetes within the community. She continues to provide mentoring and is profoundly involved in social work aspects of the Tribe. She also drafted and successfully secured the Indian Museum and Library Services Grant, which enabled the Tribe to purchase books, computers and hire extra staff, and co-authored the AmeriCorps Planning Grant, which was also awarded.

Member-at-Large Jackson-Penn was born in Ukiah, California and raised on the Upper Lake Rancheria. She currently resides in Clearlake Oaks in Lake County, California with her husband, nine children, and grandchildren.