#MediaMonday – Adrian Cheii Dotson
HMA has worked with tribal governments for nearly 30 years. As such, we have had the opportunity to interact with a variety of media outlets and reporters that cover Native American affairs.
Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from Adrian Cheii Dotson, editor of NATIVE A+E, a publication that tells the stories of Native communities in their journey toward sustainable economic development.
Adrian, time to share:
NATIVE A+E is an unprecedented publication dedicated to promoting growth and innovation in Indian Country though stories of planning, designing, and building Native American communities.
When it comes to land and commercial development in Native communities, we often run into “red-tape” bureaucracy and inflated construction costs due to land status and rural locations.
These issues are close to my heart as I grew up in my family’s environmental and construction consulting company. They managed many projects in Indian Country like public facilities, and infrastructure for community and economic development.
After graduating from Arizona State University I started my public relations career where I learned how organizations use the media to share stories about initiatives to keep their customers and stakeholders engaged.
It wasn’t long until I notice that Native American’s were vastly under-represented in mainstream media and that they were not invested into public relations and story-telling like most other organizations.
So with my experience, I wanted to create a space where consultants, contractors, tribes and all interested parties can showcase their projects, connect on a professional level, and create more economic opportunities.
Economic and business development have always interested me and I am fortunate to do something that will promote growth and innovation in Indian Country that will take me across the country and eventually internationally.
This publication is a collaborative effort of native staff, business owners and industry leaders who advise and contribute stories of community growth and innovation to trigger dialogue, share new ideas, and celebrate projects.
I’ve been having a blast since starting the online and print publication last year. I’ve always been naturally very curious and I enjoy going to new places, meeting new people, and trying new things. So whether I am working or not working, I like to stay adventurous, open-minded and inquisitive.
I also love talking to people about faith and spirituality, those conversations are the most enlightening. I love the outdoors so growing up and living in Arizona is an absolute blessing.
Feel free to reach out for any reason, thank you!
You can follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/nativeae, on Twitter, twitter.com/NATIVEAE1 and on LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/company/native-ae
