Humans of Udall: Noami Tom, MS
Meet former Native Nations Institute Tribal and Direct Services Manager Naomi Tom (Tohono O'odham).
💜 💛 ❤️ Wishing this wonderful human a FANTASTIC next chapter! 🪶
Anyone who has joined the Native Nations Institute for an educational seminar in the last year and a half has had the privilege to meet and learn from the warm, caring, intelligent, and overwhelmingly positive force that is Naomi Tom.
A citizen of the Tohono O’odham Nation, Naomi dedicated her time here to helping Tribal leaders build stronger governing systems as the Manager of NNI’s Tribal and Direct Services program.
She’s taken a new position as program director at a neighboring university to the north which shall not be named 🔱 where she will work to prepare students from her home community for college.
They are lucky to have her.
Congratulations and farewell, Naomi! 👋🏽
Q1: Define the focus of your work in 10 words or less.
A1: "Deliver research-based support to empower Indigenous governance to Native Nations."
Q2: Finish this sentence: "When I was little I..."
A2: "...wanted to grow up to be a country singer."
Q3: What do you like to do for fun?
A3: "Drink coffee and read books!"
Q4: Fun fact!
A4: "Starting at age 13 to about 18 I was considered goth (this is before emo was a thing). I was super shy, and it was my defense mechanism to not engage with people."
Q5: If you were an emoji, which emoji would you be?
A5: "Girl-in-laptop because I work a lot and most of my time is spent in virtual meetings or working on my laptop."