Corlee Thomas-Hill has been with SGI since 2023. Corlee is a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and is located in Western North Carolina. She received her BA in History from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and previously worked for the EBCI as a GIS Technician, and as the Remember the Removal bike ride coordinator. In her current role as a Tribal Liaison, she works to build lasting relationships with Tribal Nations and citizens throughout the Southeast to better understand tribal needs in restoration and conservation. She is interested in learning more about the conservation needs of culturally significant plants found within grassland ecosystems, cultural fire, and better ways to uplift Indigenous voices in conservation. In her free time Corlee volunteers with BIPOC groups to promote diversity and help make the outdoors more accessible to all.

Email: corlee.thomashill@segrasslands.org

Katie Smith-Easter is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She has a background in fisheries and wildlife biology, a Master of Public Health, and is pursuing a master's in geographical information systems (GIS). Her research focuses on public health and wildlife issues throughout the Cherokee Nation Reservation such as the environmental and cultural implications of poultry farms, describing the epidemiology of Oklahoma’s only freshwater parasitic jellyfish, degrading water quality on tribal lands in the Spring Creek watershed, and exploring the reasons why private wells are testing positive for E.coli using GIS. Katie also works part-time as a federal contractor for the United States Geological Survey looking at the potential socioeconomic effects of chronic wasting disease in Native communities.

Email: katie.smitheaster@segrasslands.org