The Daniel Perry Founder’s Award is presented to an individual or group who is helping to change the paradigm of how we view aging and well-being as we age. This year’s honorees are President Jonathan Nez and Jill Jim, Ph.D., MPH, MHA, on behalf of the Navajo Nation.
Jonathan Nez is the President of the Navajo Nation.
Jonathan Nez was born in Tuba City, Arizona and raised in Shonto, Arizona. He is married to Phefelia H. Nez and they have two children, Christopher and Alexander. He is the son of John H. Nez and Mabel H. Nez. His grandfather, H.T. Donald, was the former Navajo Nation Council Delegate for Shonto Chapter, and his grandmother was Mae Donald from Shonto.
Nez began his public service after being elected as Shonto Chapter Vice President. He was later elected to serve three terms as a Navajo Nation Council Delegate, representing the chapters of Shonto, Oljato, Tsah Bi Kin, and Navajo Mountain. He was also elected as a Navajo County Board of Supervisor for District 1 and served two terms. In 2015, Nez was elected Navajo Nation Vice President.
Nez believes in education. He is currently a doctoral student in political science and completed research on local empowerment and mobilizing local communities of the Navajo Nation to reinstate their inherent local way of governance. His research focuses on the reduction of dependence on the central tribal government, upholding and enhancing the local inherent sovereignty of the chapter areas. He is an alumnus of Northland Pioneer College and Northern Arizona University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from NAU.
Dr. Jill Jim, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and fluent Navajo speaker, will be coming home to the Navajo Nation from Albuquerque, N.M. to serve as the Executive Director for the Navajo Nation Department of Health.
Dr. Jim has a Doctorate in Public Health, a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration, a second Master’s in Public Health from the University of Utah. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Promotion and Community Health Education from Northern Arizona University.
Some of her work experience includes serving as a Health Care Analyst for HealthInsight in Albuquerque, N.M., consultant for Navajo Area Indian Health Service, and Epidemiologist for the Utah Department of Health.
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