Back in June of this year, President Joe Biden announced his appointment of Lynn Malerba, Lifetime Chief of the Mohegan Tribe, to serve as the next Treasurer of the United States. It would make her the first Native American to serve in the position and would simultaneously be announced alongside the formation of a new Office of Tribal and Native Affairs which would be led by the new Treasurer.
Making it official, a ceremony was held on September 12th in the Cash Room at the Treasury Department to swear in Chief Marilynn Malerba. U.S. Secretary Janet Yellen swore her in alongside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Director, Len Olijar. This new position makes her the first Tribal leader and Native American woman to have a signature on the nation’s currency.
In addition to the newly established Office of Tribe and Native Affairs where the staff will dedicate their time to the communication with Tribal nations and act as a hub for Tribal policy, the office will work with the Treasury’s portfolio with issues regarding and relating to Tribal nations. It will also work with Congress to make sure the office has the resources it needs to be successful in its mission. Chief Malerba will oversee the new office and the United States Mint, the BEP, Fort Knox, and will be the key liaison with the Federal Reserve. She will also be a senior advisor to Secretary Yellen on community development and public engagement.
Chief Malerba became the 18th Chief of the Mohegan Tribe in 2010 and is the first woman to serve the position in the Tribe’s modern history. The position is a lifetime appointment made by the Tribe’s Council of Elders. Prior to becoming a chief, she was Chairwoman of the Tribal Council and worked in the Tribal Government as the Executive Director of Health and Human Services. She has had a career as a registered nurse and was the Director of Cardiology and Pulmonary Services at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. In addition, she earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Yale University and was a Jonas Scholar. She has a honorary doctorate in science from Eastern Connecticut State University and one from the University of St. Joseph in humane letters, a master’s in public administration from the University of Connecticut, and a bachelor’s in nursing from the College of St. Joseph.
Source: Treasury.gov; bep.gov
