PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

Chief Henry is a direct descendant of Chief Mahpiya Luta and serves as Executive Director of Red Cloud Renewable. A respected Lakota leader, he founded Lakota Solar Enterprises and has trained over 1,100 Indigenous students in solar and sustainable building. He is honored to lead efforts that empower Native communities through energy sovereignty and cultural resilience.

VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

John is a 6th-generation direct-lineal descendant of famed Oglala leader Chief Red Cloud. John was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and as the Director of Programs and Operations for Red Cloud Renewable, is honored to advance the deployment of clean energy initiatives among the Oglala Lakota Nation, and on behalf of Indigenous communities across the country.

VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Lynn Dee Rapp is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Vice President of the Red Cloud Renewable Board of Directors. A longtime leader in finance, economic development, healthcare, and tribal advocacy, Lynn has worked for decades to expand economic opportunity and strengthen financial sustainability in Native communities.

Lynn is the founder and president of Eagle Opportunity, where her work has included advising American Indian tribes on financial management, economic development, and alternative energy. Her financial career has included senior-level work at Morgan Stanley and leadership with SeaCrest Investment Management, with a particular focus on financial solutions for tribal nations and institutional clients. She has also served in leadership and board roles with organizations supporting Native enterprise, education, investment, and healthcare, including the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and the American Indian College Fund.

Her commitment to renewable energy is closely connected to economic development and job creation in Indian Country. Lynn has publicly advocated for utility-scale renewable energy development on the Pine Ridge Reservation, emphasizing the potential for solar and wind projects to create employment, investment, and greater self-sufficiency for tribal communities.

Lynn began her professional career as a registered nurse and holds a bachelor's degree in administration. She also completed graduate-level study in the Critical Elements of Consulting at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She brings to Red Cloud Renewable extensive experience in finance, business development, Native enterprise, healthcare, and renewable energy, along with a longstanding commitment to creating opportunities for Indigenous communities.

SECRETARY OF THE BOARD

Cheryl joined the Red Cloud Renewable Board in 2020, bringing over 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience. Having served as both Director of Administration and Director of Development, she offers deep insight into organizational growth—and an even deeper passion for RCR’s mission to uplift Indigenous communities through sustainability. Cheryl is honored to support a movement rooted in cultural strength and environmental justice.

TREASURER OF THE BOARD

Elsie retired in 2011 as president of The Mountain Institute, which conducted development programs across major mountain ranges worldwide. She previously supervised a 15-year development program in Tibet and connected with Red Cloud Renewable in 2012, introducing compressed earth block. Through The Humanitarian Project, she’s helped fund RCR initiatives. Elsie serves on several nonprofit boards and lives near Washington, DC, with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

BOARD MEMBER

Don is the retired leader of Dakota Rural Action and a longtime advocate for sustainable rural communities. He and his wife Kim are lifelong South Dakotans with a deep respect for the language, customs, and history of the Oglala Lakota Nation. Don is honored to serve on the Red Cloud Renewable Board and support its mission of Native-led climate action.

BOARD MEMBER

Robert Burkybile is the Chief of the Modoc Nation. He was appointed the position of Second Chief before being elected in 2022. Prior to that, he worked for the Nation in many roles including executive director of the financial services authority, housing director, and director of operations for the Nation. His priorities are housing and education for Modoc citizens."

Sonya Begay is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation (Diné). She is Táchii’nii (Red Running into the Water People) and born for Tódích’íi’nii (Bitter Water People). She currently serves as a Program Analyst with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL), where her work supports programs and initiatives serving Native elders, caregivers, families, and communities.

Ms. Begay brings extensive experience in federal program administration, workforce development, employment and training, community engagement, and service to American Indian and Native communities. Her professional experience includes serving as an Employment and Training Counselor and Program Director with the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center, Inc., as well as a Federal Project Officer and Workforce Analyst with the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.

Her commitment to community service includes serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with Brushy Fork Institute in Berea, Kentucky, where she supported Opportunity Youth initiatives, organizational capacity building, and community sustainability efforts throughout eastern Kentucky and the Appalachian region.

Ms. Begay has also advocated for greater awareness of the health and community impacts of uranium contamination affecting the Navajo Nation, particularly communities in and around Tuba City, Arizona, and neighboring Moenkopi. Her professional and community work reflects a longstanding commitment to strengthening Native communities, supporting families, and ensuring that community voices and lived experiences are represented in programs and decision-making.

Ms. Begay earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and continues to pursue a Master of Public Administration with a focus on community development. Her perspective is also informed by her experience of raising 3 grandchildren following an unexpected family tragedy. Through that experience, she has become engaged with grandparents-raising-grandchildren and kinship caregiver communities in Kentucky and Maryland.

Ms. Begay currently resides in Maryland and brings to board service a combination of federal program experience, community-based leadership, advocacy, and lived experience, with a continuing commitment to strengthening Native communities, families, caregivers, and elders.