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Tribal Government

Elected Officials

The Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive is elected by Band members every four years. The Secretary/Treasurer, who is the speaker of the Band Assembly, is also elected by Band members every four years. District Representatives to the Band Assembly are elected by the people of their respective districts for four-year terms. Band members who live off the reservation select a home district and vote only for that district’s Representative.

Melanie Benjamin Chief Executive Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin was sworn into office in July 2012. As Chief Executive, Benjamin leads the Band’s executive branch that implements Band laws and administers programs and services. Most recently, Benjamin was interim director of the Pine Grove Leadership Academy, a Minnesota public charter school located in District III of the Mille Lacs Reservation. She previously served the Mille Lacs Band as Chief Executive from 2000-2008, Commissioner of Administration (the Band’s highest appointed position) from 1989-1997, and chief of staff to the late Chairman Art Gahbow. She has also been senior vice president of administration and finance at Grand Casino Hinckley, and has served the American Indian community through numerous boards and organizations at the local, state and national levels.

Curt Kalk Secretary/Treasurer Mille Lacs Band member Curt Kalk serves as Secretary/Treasurer. In this role, he authorizes all subpoenas and official documents on behalf of the Band Assembly and investigates financial irregularities. Kalk also serves as Speaker of the Band Assembly, the legislative body that enacts laws that regulate the Band’s affairs and appropriates money for tribal government programs. Before being elected Secretary/Treasurer, Kalk served as Commissioner of Natural Resources for nine years. He has also worked for the Band’s Department of Natural Resources as a deputy registrar. Prior to his service to the Band, Kalk worked for the federal government for 13 years, owned and operated a resort on Mille Lacs Lake, and worked as a subcontractor in carpentry. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. Kalk graduated with honors from the Band’s Nay Ah Shing High School in 1981, and he is the first graduate from that school to become an elected official for the Band.
Miskwaanakwadooquay Sandra L. Blake District I Representative Band member Sandra Blake was born and raised on the Mille Lacs Reservation, where she and her husband raised their three children. Blake has a bachelor’s degree in organizational development from the College of St. Scholastica and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education. Blake was elected Mille Lacs Band District I Representative in 2008 and again in 2012; she previously served as District I Representative from 2000-2004. Blake most recently served as executive director of education for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. She has also held numerous positions within the Minnesota Historical Society at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum, as well as other positions with the Mille Lacs Band.

Marvin Ray Bruneau District II Representative Band member Marvin Bruneau, a husband and father of three daughters, is a lifelong resident of District II on the Mille Lacs Reservation. He graduated from McGregor High School and attended the College of St. Scholastica. Bruneau has been the Mille Lacs Band’s District II Representative since 1990. He has also served the Band as a member of the Housing Authority Board of Directors, a community health representative, and a drum society member. In addition, Bruneau has been an emergency medical technician and a factory worker in the McGregor area.

Diane Gibbs District III Representative Band member Diane Gibbs has lived in Lake Lena for nearly 20 years. Gibbs and her husband Oliver have four daughters, 14 grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, and have had seven foster children. Gibbs is currently attending Central Lakes Community College and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science. Gibbs was elected District III Representative in 2010. In addition to that role, Gibbs is a member of the Pine Grove Leadership Academy school board, the Blandin Foundation Community Leadership Program's advisory board, and an Indian Child Welfare Act qualified expert witness. Prior to serving as the District III Representative, Gibbs served the Band in other roles for almost 20 years. Gibbs became interested in politics after she served as a legislative liaison in District III for six years. She has also worked for the Band’s tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the Aazhoomog Clinic and Hinckley Assisted Living Unit office manager, and District III program administrator.

Appointed Officials


John Gerdener Commissioner of Finance John Gerdener was appointed Commissioner of Finance in May 2011. As Commissioner of Finance, Gerdener is the chief financial officer for the Mille Lacs Band and oversees the Band’s Office of Management and Budget. He is responsible for the financial activities of the Band, including financial reporting, handling investments, overseeing tribal government accounting, and he administers the Band’s taxation activities, loan programs, and burial insurance program. Prior to his appointment with the Mille Lacs Band, Gerdener owned his own financial consulting practice and held senior leadership roles in a number of large public accounting firms. Gerdener earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin. He also is a certified public accountant. Throughout his career he has been active in professional organizations, and has held national and state offices in the American Institute of CPA’s, the Institute of Management accountants, the Wisconsin Institute of CPA’s, and the Association for Strategic Planning. Gerdener is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an honorary business fraternity.

Brad Kalk Commissioner of Natural Resouces Mille Lacs Band member Brad Kalk became the Commissioner of Natural Resources in January 2011. He is responsible for overseeing the Band’s natural resources and environmental programs; forestry, fish and wildlife improvement activities on tribal lands; and other natural resources management duties. Kalk has been a longtime advocate for Ojibwe treaty rights and the preservation of the Band’s hunting, fishing and gathering traditions. As Commissioner, Brad assesses how each natural resources decision impacts conservation. He works with state officials on managing the Mille Lacs Lake fishery, and he also serves on the board of directors and the lake taskforce for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wild Commission (GLIFWC). Brad’s community involvement includes service on the Woodlands National Bank board of directors and previous service on boards for ML Wastewater Management and the Mille Lacs Reservation Housing Authority. Brad and his wife of 25 years live in District I of the Mille Lacs Reservation. They have six grown children and 11 grandchildren. Brad credits his mother, Loretta Kalk, as the source of his enthusiasm for the outdoors.

Todd Matha Solicitor General Todd R. Matha was appointed Solicitor General in May 2011. As Solicitor General, Matha advises and represents the Mille Lacs Band on tribal, state and federal legal matters. He also leads the Band’s Department of Justice, which includes the Department of Public Safety and the Tribal Police Department. Prior to his appointment with the Mille Lacs Band, Matha worked for the Ho-Chunk Nation in Wisconsin. He served on the tribe’s Trial Court as an Associate Judge from 1999-2005 and a Chief Judge from 2005-2011. He will continue to serve as Associate Justice for the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court. Matha graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1996 and received a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania in 1991. A member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Matha has a wife and two children.
Sam Moose Commissioner of Health and Human Services In September 2012, Sam Moose was appointed Commissioner of Health and Human Services, a position he previously held from 2001-2009. In this role, Moose oversees the Band’s three clinic locations and other services in the areas of public health, behavioral health, family services, and community support services. Moose previously served as Commissioner of Community Development and was in charge of the Band’s public works and facilities departments and housing development initiatives. He has also served as the Band’s director of housing. Moose is active in traditional activities within his community. He grew up near East Lake and graduated from McGregor High School. He has a bachelor of applied science degree in community health with a minor in Indian Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth and is pursuing a master’s degree in tribal administration and governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Joseph Nayquonabe Jr. Commissioner of Corporate Affairs Joseph Nayquonabe Jr. was appointed Commissioner of Corporate Affairs in September 2012. In this role, Nayquonabe serves as the chief executive officer and chair of the board of directors for the Mille Lacs Band’s Corporate Commission, which analyzes new business opportunities and oversees the Band’s existing businesses, including Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Grand Casino Hinckley, and numerous small businesses. Previously Nayquonabe oversaw Grand Casinos’ marketing efforts as corporate vice president of marketing after serving in various marketing positions at Grand Casino Mille Lacs. Nayquonabe has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Cloud State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. He is currently working on his master’s degree in tribal administration and governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Nayquonabe and his wife, Christina, live in Onamia with their daughters, Bella, Phoenix-Rose, and Xiana. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, golfing, listening to music, and reading.
Peter Nayquonabe Commissioner of Administration Mille Lacs Band member Peter Nayquonabe was sworn in as the Commissioner of Administration in September 2012. In this role, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the tribal government, including administering grants and contracts and overseeing personnel matters and lobbying activities as directed by the Chief Executive. Prior to being appointed commissioner, Peter held several positions within the Band government, including Assistant Commissioner of Administration and most recently deputy assistant to the Chief Executive. Nayquonabe holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from St. Cloud State University and is pursuing a master’s degree in tribal administration and governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is married to Kristina Nayquonabe and has two daughters named Kayla and Avery.
Michele Palomaki Assistant Commissioner of Administration Michele Palomaki was named Assistant Commissioner of Administration in August 2011. In this role, she acts in a deputy-level capacity to the Commissioner of Administration to help manage the day-to-day operations of the Mille Lacs Band government. Her duties include managing human resources, finances, and contracts for the executive branch of Band government. Palomaki will also act as Commissioner of Administration when the Commissioner is absent and will assist other commissioners with day to day operations as needed. Palomaki joined the Mille Lacs Band in 2001, first serving in the office of management and budget. Most recently, she was the director of Circle of Health, a program that pays for deductibles, copays, and health insurance premiums for Band members. Prior to working for the Band, Palomaki held several positions in the accounting and medical industries in Michigan. A Mille Lacs Band member, Palomaki has an associate of science degree from Northern Michigan University and an associate of arts degree from Central Lakes College. She lives in Isle with her husband, Bruce, and son, Jacob. She also has stepchildren and a granddaughter who live in Michigan.