Qt Canz

Executive Tribal leader, former elected official, and intergovernmental strategist with over 20 years directing government-to-government relations, legislative advocacy, and federal trust policy. Experienced in sovereign diplomacy, federal Indian policy, budget formulation, congressional appropriations, and cross-jurisdictional statutory execution. Proven track record leading policy teams, delivering legislative testimony, and coordinating bilateral consultation protocols between sovereign Tribal Nations and federal and state agencies.

Grounded in graduate scholarship in the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence, with demonstrated expertise applying responsible AI governance, mitigating bias, and enforcing human-in-the-loop review within public administration. Adept at building bipartisan alliances across legislative bodies, advisory committees, and Tribal governments to protect sovereignty and uphold the federal trust responsibility.

Executive Director | Office of Tribal Public Health and Relations (OTPHR) - Washington State Department of Health - Tumwater, WA

(2022-07 - 2026-09)

• Intergovernmental Strategy: Directed government-to-government relations across 31 sovereign nations, county health jurisdictions, and regional partners, aligning state initiatives with sovereign priorities.
• Ethical AI Integration: Spearheaded generative AI adoption for legislative tracking and briefing preparations; established ethical standards and human-in-the-loop reviews to ensure statutory accuracy and data privacy.
• Fiscal & Statutory Analysis: Evaluated state and federal legislation, assessing budget impacts on trust obligations, agency funding streams, and direct healthcare delivery systems.
• Strategic Briefings & Policy Guidance: Delivered legislative updates, policy analyses, and strategic recommendations to state leadership to navigate emerging statutory priorities and intergovernmental commitments.
• Accord Compliance & Auditing: Directed the annual Centennial Accord Plan and reporting with the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA) to measure consultation benchmarks and policy implementation.

Tribal Policy Director – Policy, Planning, and Evaluation - Washington State Department of Health - Tumwater, WA

(2022-07 - 2023-12)

• Consultation Frameworks: Standardized government-to-government consultation protocols and statutory impact assessments to embed sovereign input into administrative rulemaking.
• Advocacy Preparation: Drafted policy briefs, analyses, and hearing testimony for leadership and Tribal delegates participating in consultation sessions.
• Policy Education: Designed and delivered curriculum on federal Indian law, sovereign trust obligations, and intergovernmental relations for state directors and staff.

Executive Director - Lhaq’temish Foundation - Bellingham, WA

(2018-08 - 2022-04)

• Fiduciary Stewardship: Scaled programmatic assets from $870,000 to over $4 million across 200 community accounts under rigorous audit standards.
• Cross-Sector Partnerships: Built regional alliances with civic leaders, health systems, and foundations to resource community-driven wellness and healthcare capital initiatives.

Tribal and Community Liaison - North Sound Accountable Community of Health - Bellingham, WA

(2018-03 - 2018-11)

• Regional Partnership Coalitions: Served as primary regional ambassador across eight sovereign nations, regional health systems, and county human services departments to align community investments with local health improvement goals.

Tribal Vice Chairwoman & Council Member - Lummi Indian Business Council (LIBC) - Lummi Reservation, WA

(2005-02 - 2013-11)

• Sovereign Governance: Exercised executive and legislative oversight for a sovereign nation, managing operating budgets exceeding $164 million across healthcare, public health, and human services.
• Federal Advocacy: Represented sovereign interests before congressional committees, federal agencies, and national advisory bodies in Washington, D.C.
• Testimony & Appropriations: Delivered legislative testimony and engaged in federal budget formulation to defend treaty-reserved rights and secure programmatic resources.
• Strategic Bilateral Accords: Led sovereign delegations in high-stakes negotiations covering regional transit infrastructure, resource rights, and property jurisdiction, establishing durable intergovernmental frameworks that safeguarded community self-determination.

Master of Public Administration (MPA) - Seattle University

Graduate Certificate in Management Studies (GCM) - California Coast University (2023)

Bachelor of Arts - Tribal Governance and Business Management (TGBM) - Northwest Indian College (2017)