Maria Dadgar
Maria Dadgar is an enrolled member of the Piscataway (Pi-Scat-Away) Tribe of Accokeek (Ack-Ko-Keek), Maryland. Maria has worked in the fields of Higher Education, Non-Profit Executive Management and Tribal Economic Development for more than 20 years. Throughout her career, Maria has been involved in advocating for public policies and legislation on behalf of Tribal nations regarding Economic Development, Education, Health Equity, Social Justice, and Environmental Quality.
Currently, Maria serves as the Executive Director of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) which is one of the oldest and largest Tribal consortiums in the United States. Under Maria’s leadership, ITCA has grown in the number of federal grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and jobs creation. ITCA has 71 subject matter experts on staff and has an annual operating budget of approximately $26.5 million. Maria reports directly to 21 Tribal Leaders which serve as the governing board for the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona and are the highest elected officials for 21 of the 22 Tribes in Arizona.