Coalition Member Recognized on National Stage
Stephanie Provost received the Industry Achiever Award from Oweesta Corporation.
On Wednesday, June 28th, during their 2023 Native CDFI Capital Access Convening’s Native Awards Night, Oweesta Corporation recognized two individuals at the Native CDFI staff level for their outstanding commitment to service in Native CDFI industry. One of the awardees was Stephanie Provost of Mazaska Owecaso Otipi Financial, a long-time Coalition member.
Oweesta awarded the Industry Achiever Award to Stephanie because she exemplifies excellence in the Native CDFI industry, excells at her position within Mazaska, and helps the organization meet their mission. As Loan Officer of Mazaska, Stephane plays a crucial role in creating affordable housing opportunities. Her dedication and passion have allowed Mazaska to provide over $4.8M in housing loans to 43 borrowers in just six years.
The Coalition would like to congratulate Stephanie, not only for her commitment to Mazaska, but also for all the contributions she makes within the Native homeownership field. She has helped innovate lending models to make the Native American Direct Loan (NADL) more accessible and has been an integral part of the USDA 502 Relending Demonstration Program. Stephanie recently went to the Hill to advocate for policies that promote Native homeownership, and recently became a homeowner herself. This award acknowledges Stephanie’s passion and hard work for the industry and people she has helped to make homeownership a reality.
Welcome Kimberly!
Kimberly Long Soldier joined the Coalition’s staff as our Homeownership Program Manager in May. We are glad she is on board!
Growing up in Kyle, South Dakota, Kimberly joined the military at 17 years old. During her time in the Army, she was stationed at various locations throughout the globe and served as a Military Policeman. Kimberly holds an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, and has several years of experience in case management and directing nonprofit programs with a focus on homelessness, job connection services, and veterans.
In her position as Homeownership Program Manager, Kimberly is managing the Wells Fargo Wealth Opportunities Restored Through Homeownership (WORTH) grant, which was awarded in partnership with cdcb, Fahe, Communities Unlimited, HOPE, RCAC, and Oweesta, collectively known as Partners for Rural Transformation. The grant project will create 5,000 new BIPOC homeowners over the next four years, and 400 of them will be located in South Dakota. Since she has come on board, Kimberly has been focusing heavily on developing the Coalition’s new down payment assistance program, which will be launching soon. The program will work with Coalition member organizations to deploy up to $10,000 in down payment funds to tribal members who are purchasing homes, making homeownership more affordable for Native American families.
“I’m really looking forward to helping people. I know how hard it can be to purchase a home because of the land issues, jobs, and housing availability. But, the Coalition is helping people overcome those barriers, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to see that,” says Kimberly.