Melissa Buffalo, a citizen of the Meskwaki Nation, has nearly 20 years of experience advancing public health and equity for Native communities. As CEO of the American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF), she leads efforts to reduce cancer disparities and improve outcomes for Tribal Nations and Native communities nationwide.

Under her leadership, AICAF has expanded culturally tailored cancer prevention programs, strengthened tribal partnerships, and raised national awareness of Indigenous health inequities. Melissa’s advocacy extends through her service on various boards and committees, where she amplifies Indigenous voices and champions better standards of care.

Kris Rhodes serves as the Director of the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Office of American Indian Health in her permanent role and is currently the Interim Assistant Commissioner of the Health Equity Bureau at MDH. With decades of experience in public health, she has built strong professional relationships and a reputation for strategic, collaborative leadership. Her work focuses on advancing health equity for Minnesotans, particularly through policy, systems change, research, and evaluation across Tribal, academic, philanthropic, and non-profit sectors.

A trusted leader in Indigenous public health, Kris has a proven ability to bring ideas to life with both efficiency and impact. She holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Public Health Administration & Policy from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education from the University of Minnesota – Duluth.