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Deana Jackson joins the American Indian Cancer Foundation’s board

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MINNEAPOLIS - The American Indian Cancer Foundation has named Deana Jackson (Navajo) to the foundation’s board of directors.

Jackson brings an impressive set of energy, passion, partnerships and skills to the board that will help AICAF, a national nonprofit, advance its mission of eliminating cancer and its impact on American Indian families.

“We are honored to have Deana Jackson join us,” Kristine Rhodes, Executive Director of AICAF, said. “Her commitment to serving Native communities and extensive communications experience make Deana an excellent addition to the American Indian Cancer Foundation.”

Jackson has nearly 30 years of professional experience in broadcasting, news reporting, public relations, marketing, events management and organizational and special events consulting.

She was one of the original broadcasters hired upon the opening of KTNN Radio Station enterprises in 1986, and was the former communications director for Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr.

She has also worked with other Navajo Nation leadership, including Chairman Peter McDonald and Chairman and President Peterson Zah. Her extensive public relations and spokesperson experience includes consulting the Gila River Casino, the Indian National Finals Rodeo and the North American Indigenous Games in Denver, Colorado, a multi-sport event involving indigenous North American athletes.

She has worked with prestigious events such as the VIP Tailgate Party at the 2008 Native American Village at Super Bowl XLII, the Native American Basketball Invitational, “Chasing the Sun” 10K & Health Fair, and The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 2011 and 2012 Reservation Economic Summit (RES Vegas).

Jackson also served as manager of the Navajo Nation Fair, the largest Native American fair event in North America. And as the Marketing and Public Relations Manager for the XIX Olympic Winter Games, she led Discover Navajo: People of the Fourth World, an official event of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Most recently she served as a public relations consultant for Ernie Stevens Jr., Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, and currently assists NIGA in the development and coordination of the training seminar series program, as well as events of the annual Indian gaming tradeshow and golf tournaments.

She also provides event and public relations services to clients including Arizona State University’s Construction In Indian Country, the United National Indian Tribal Youth organization, the Native American Contractors Association and the Women Empowering Women for Indian Nations.

Jackson holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Radio and Television with an emphasis in Marketing and Public Relations from Eastern New Mexico University. She has two children, Brandon, 37. and Paige, 28, and is a proud grandmother of seven grandchildren. In 1992, Deana lost her father the late Dr. Dean C. Jackson to cancer and dedicates her AICAF service to her father.

Her contributions to reducing the cancer burden on American Indians are much needed. The U.S. has witnessed declining rates of cancer mortality over the past two decades, yet American Indians face increasing cancer mortality. Today, many American Indians face alarming inequities in cancer incidence and mortality. According to a 2014 American Journal of Public Health special issue, cancer is now the leading cause of death for American Indians in many states, and for all American Indian women in the U.S.

AICAF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to address the tremendous cancer burden faced by American Indians.

Visit: www.americanindiancancer.org

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