St. Louis’s Christy Finsel and Pete Coser, Jr. named as 2014 Native American “40 under 40” award recipients
Oct 30, 2014 | Native American National News, NCAIED.org News, News
BY ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH / STLTODAY.COM / 03 OCTOBER 2014
Finsel, of the Osage Nation, and Coser, of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, among honorees for prestigious award from the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
MILWAUKEE, WI – Emerging Native American leaders from across the country will be honored for their outstanding leadership during the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s upcoming Reservation Economic Summit (RES) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The “Native American 40 under 40” is a prestigious award that is bestowed upon individuals under the age of 40, nominated by members of their communities, for showing initiative and dedication to providing significant, positive contributions to business or in their respective communities. Christy Finsel, a member of the Osage Nation, and Pete Coser, Jr., a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, are among the 2014 award winners to be honored during a gala at the leading Native American business event in the country, taking place at the Potawatomi Hotel and Casino in Milwaukee.
“The 40 under 40 award showcases the accomplishments of both current and future Native American leaders,” said Gary Davis, President and CEO of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. “The future of Indian country will be shaped by exceptional leaders such as Christy and Pete who have proven their unrelenting dedication to enhancing the lives of those around them. It is truly an honor to bestow this award on such a deserving group of young leaders.”
Christy Finsel is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition and an independent consultant. As Executive Director, she works with 39 tribes across Oklahoma in an effort to build Native assets. Finsel graduated from Saint Louis University with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Theology; she then went on to earn her Masters in Social Work from Washington University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Religion and Culture from the Catholic University of America.
Pete Coser, Jr. is the Program Manager at the Buder Center for American Indian Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. Previously, he was an adjunct instructor at the College of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma. He was also a Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Native American Congressional Intern in the Office of Senator Jon Tester of Montana. Coser is an Oklahoma State University graduate.
Award winners will be officially honored during the 39th Annual Indian Progress in Business Awards (INPRO) Gala, which will take place during RES Wisconsin on Wednesday, October 8th. For more information about Reservation Economic Summit, please visit http://res.ncaied.org.
About the National Center: The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. With over 40 years of assisting American Indian Tribes and their enterprises with business and economic development – we have evolved into the largest national Indian specific business organization in the nation. Our motto is: “We Mean Business For Indian Country” as we are actively engaged in helping Tribal Nations and Native business people realize their business goals and are dedicated to putting the whole of Indian Country to work to better the lives of American Indian people- both now… and for generations to come.
