About

Staff

Tawney Brunsch
Executive Director
tbrunsch@lakotafunds.org

Tawney Brunsch is the Executive Director of Lakota Funds, the first certified Native community development financial institution on a reservation. Before being promoted to her current position, Ms. Brunsch served as Loan Portfolio Manager at Lakota Funds. Ms. Brunsch brings eight years of experience to Lakota Funds as Black Hills Federal Credit Union Wall Branch Manager, where she successfully juggled duties as loan officer, member service representative, teller, branch security manager, collection officer, and staff motivator. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Commercial Economics from South Dakota State University where she was active in Econ Club and graduated with Omicron Delta Epsilon honors. She was honored to be named Wall Neighborhood Housing Services Volunteer of the Year in 2007. She also served on the Economic Development Committee in Wall, South Dakota, and is a certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance preparer. Ms. Brunsch currently serves on the Board of Directors of Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial and is the Chairperson of the proposed Lakota Federal Credit Union Steering Committee. Ms. Brunsch grew up on a ranch south of Interior on the Pine Ridge Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

LaVonne Randall
Financial Manager
lrandall@lakotafunds.org

LaVonne Randall has a total of 19 years of business and accounting experience, including ten years as an award-winning account manager for Black Hills Corporation. She successfully handled all aspects of accounting, payroll, and tax records for her own private entrepreneurial business for ten years before returning to the reservation and joining the Lakota Funds staff in 2004. As Financial Manager at Lakota Funds, LaVonne is responsible for day-to-day accounting activities and federal programs financial reporting. She prepares all monthly financial statements and reports on all financial activity to the Board of Directors. LaVonne has led Lakota Funds through three A-133 audits with zero negative findings. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from National College and has also completed national certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional by the National Development Council.

David White Bull
Asset Development Manager
dwhitebull@lakotafunds.org

As the Asset Development Manager, David is responsible for overall program management of Lakota Funds' matched savings (Adult and Youth Individual Development Account, and Child Development Account) financial education programs. In this role David delivers programs that are relevant to the community needs through successful marketing tactics and supervising other asset development staff who also provide community trainings. In addition, he tracks and maintains impact data for Lakota Funds' asset development programs.

David graduated from Oglala Lakota College in 2008 where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Social Work. David is also a certified Economic Development Finance Professional and a certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) preparer. He has a strong desire to teach and is certified in Core Four Business Planning, Building Native Communities, and Pathways Home curricula.

Darrel Twiss
Housing/Facility Manager
dtwiss@lakotafunds.org

Darrel Twiss is the Housing/Facility Manager for Lakota Funds. He is responsible for the management of the Lakota Trade Center facility and thirty tax credit rental units in Wanblee, South Dakota. Mr. Twiss has eighteen years of experience in Tribal Housing Management in addition to thirty-five years of experience with the Indian Health Service, Tribal economic development programs, and youth development programs. He is a graduate from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1957 to 1961. Darrel presently lives on a ranch north of Manderson, South Dakota where he has resided and ranched for thirty-eight years. He is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Tony Taylor
Loan Improvement Specialist
ttaylor@lakotafunds.org

Tony Taylor, Loan Improvement Specialist for Lakota Funds, is a certified Economic Development Financial Professional and a certified VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Professional) preparer. Prior to joining Lakota Funds, Tony operated the Security First Bank’s mobile bank that traveled to various communities on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation offering basic banking services. Tony has also been employed as a Housing Counselor for a Community Development Corporation in Chadron, Nebraska. Tony graduated from Gordon High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Chadron State College. Tony is married with four daughters and a stepdaughter and resides in Gordon, Nebraska. He collects rare books and enjoys weight lifting and golf.

Douglas Patton Jr.
Business Success Coach/Youth Involvement Specialist
dpatton@lakotafunds.org

Douglas Patton Jr. currently serves as the Business Success Coach/Youth Involvement Specialist at Lakota Funds. In this capacity, he works with clients and teaches financial literacy, business, and homebuyer education classes. He is certified in Core Four, Building Native Communities, Indianprenuership, and Pathways Home curricula. Doug was born and raised in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and graduated from Red Cloud High School in 1992. After graduating high school, he moved forty miles north east of Pine Ridge on the southern edge of Badlands National Park, where he currently lives on family land. He graduated from Oglala Lakota College in 2007 with Bachelor’s Degree in Lakota Studies and a teaching certification in Lakota Language. Prior to coming to Lakota Funds, he worked as a GED tutor and as an alcohol/drug counselor. Doug currently sits on the Board of Directors for Tusweca Tiospaye Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes Lakota language and cultural revitalization on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Kadem Fisher
Success Coach Specialist
kfisher@lakotafunds.org

Kadem Fisher is a Success Coach Specialist for Lakota Funds. He has certificates of completion in Weaving Your Financial Future through South Dakota State University, Building Native Communities: Financial Skills for Families through First Nations Oweesta Corporation, and credit coaching. Currently, Kadem is taking an on-line class called “Native American Credit Counseling Certification” through Association for Financial Counseling Planning Education to become an accredited financial counselor.

Prior to coming to Lakota Funds, Kadem was a General Contractor remodeling and rebuilding reservation housing on various reservations. He also has worked as a Sales Representative/Market Promotions Coordinator for U.S.S.T.C and hopes this will give him a creative edge in assisting local commerce. Business has always been an interest for Kadem and is excited to be working for Lakota Funds. Kadem is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and has lived in this area the majority of his whole life. In his spare time he enjoys outdoor activities.

Whitney O'Rourke
Credit Union Branch Manager/Loan Officer
worourke@lakotafunds.org

Whitney O’Rourke will be the proposed Lakota Federal Credit Union branch manager/loan officer. Whitney was born and raised on a family ranch located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is an enrolled Oglala Sioux Tribal member. Whitney graduated from Wall High School in 2006 and prior to coming to Lakota Funds she attended college at South Dakota State University and received an economics degree. Business has always been an interest for Whitney and she is looking forward to working with the proposed Lakota Federal Credit Union and Lakota Funds. During her spare time she enjoys rodeoing, helping on the family ranch, spending time with family and friends, and fishing.

Peggy Two Crow
Receptionist and Accounts Payable
ptwocrow@lakotafunds.org

Peggy Two Crow's duties at Lakota Funds include accounts payable, filing, investor files, tending the phone, data entry, as well as taking care of various financial documents and day-to-day office opperations. Before coming to Lakota Funds, Peggy gained work experience at the Oglala Sioux Tribal Department of Public Safety in Pine Ridge as the Communication Supervisor, at Anpetu Luta Otipi as the M.I.S. clerk, and at the Bennett County Sheriff’s Office in Martin, South Dakota, as the Radio Dispatcher. Ms. Two Crow attended Oglala Lakota College in 2006-2007 for related training in her chosen field of work.

Yolanda Garcia-Clifford
Receptionist/Administrative Assistant
yclifford@lakotafunds.org

Yolanda was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and resides near Kyle, South Dakota. During her senior year in high school, she participated in the early-entry program at Oglala Lakota College where she earned her very first college credits.

Yolanda obtained her one-year certificate in Office Technology in the Spring of 2008 and later earned an Associate's Degree in the Spring of 2010 from Oglala Lakota College. Yolanda is currently a full-time student at Oglala Lakota College, working towards a Bachelor's Degree in Management/Accounting.

Marlon Featherman
Custodial and Maintenance Specialist

Marlon Featherman worked at Our Lady of Lourdes and the Little Wound School before coming to Lakota Funds. He's been married for 17 years and has four daughters who attend Little Wound School. His work with Lakota Funds involves maintenance and repair work of the Lakota Funds building and Eagle Nest Housing, which Lakota Funds manages. Marlon enjoys playing basketball and fishing in his spare time.