Ms. Kraft was hired by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (CPN) upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Oklahoma (1995). She helped negotiate her own nation into self-governance in 1998 and created the CPN’s transportation (Roads) planning and construction program. Kraft earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2004.
After starting a family, she went on to the U. S. Department of Agriculture to become a federal grants and agreements specialist and construction contracting officer. Her ability to manage complex, multi-million-dollar projects and bring in millions in federal grants led to her becoming the Research Manager (Grant Submissions) for the College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma State University in 2009. Kraft has a vantage view of federal grant writing and management from a tribal, state, public higher education, and federal perspective.
Tribal leaders of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation appointed Ms. Kraft to her Nation’s bank Board of Directors of First National Bank and Trust of Shawnee (2002-2008) until she was encouraged to run for elected office. She served four consecutive terms (2008-2021) representing over 15,000 members living in Oklahoma. Ms. Kraft has a pulse on federal capital development grants and tribal governance dynamics. She works well with leadership to realistically plan and create tribal expansion in facilities, programs and enterprises.
As a 14-year legislator for America’s 8th largest tribe, Kraft has experience enacting legislation to support a $450 million tribal operating budget. Kraft has knowledge of tribal issues on both trust and fee-simple lands.
She has spent a career being accountable to federal funding sources and tribal leaders. Kraft’s work ethic is transparent, documented, and detail oriented. When time is of the essence, Kraft consistently meets deadlines and delivers highly competitive grant proposals; as a result, this creates momentum for her clients as their ideas get funded, they expand their sovereignty, and deliver impactful services to their members.
