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Welcome Address by Betty Ojay,
Executive Director of Navajo Preparatory School. Play

Introduction of the Panel Play

Part 1. Presidential Candidates Play

Thank you to our sponsors:

APS
Four Corners Power Plant, NM.

BHP Billiton
New Mexico Coal, and San Juan Coal. Farmington, NM.

Raytheon, New Mexico Diné Operations
Located at the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI) Industrial Park south of Farmington, NM.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Left to right: Name, Robert Joe, Tom Arviso Jr.

Moderator, ROBERT JOE, a Navajo native, is a Senior Manager with Raytheon Company which had net sales of $25 billion in 2009 and 75,000 employees worldwide. Raytheon Missile Systems is the world leader in missile defense technology. As the Site Executive for Farmington, New Mexico Diné Operations, he leads 300 employees.

Robert started his career with Allied-Signal Aerospace in Phoenix, AZ. He relocated from the "hot desert" to Farmington, NM where he has called home for 21 years. Robert, his wife, and children enjoy gardening, camping, and ranching. He has an appreciation and understanding of manufacturing engineering processes and business development. Through his leadership, he took a plant site with only 50 employees, expanded the facility and grew the employee base to over 300.

He is a 1988 graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering, 2009 graduate of Leadership New Mexico, a Board of Director for San Juan County Big Brothers Big Sisters and recently appointed by Governor Richardson to the

State of New Mexico’s Economic Development Commission.
Growing up in a diverse community has allowed Robert to appreciate diversity of thoughts and opinions. Achievement for Robert is “creating your own opportunities and doing what you like to do, not because you have to, but because you want to.” He appreciates John Quincy Adams quote about leadership, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more, learn more, and become more, you are a leader.”

Moderator TOM ARVISO, JR., a Navajo native, is originally from Window Rock, AZ.  He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Navajo Times Publishing Company, Inc. and the Publisher of the Navajo Times newspaper. The Navajo Times is a weekly publication and is the largest Native American owned newspaper with a circulation of 24,000 and over 150,000 readers each week.

Arviso began his career with the Navajo Times in 1983 as a college intern.  He later worked as a sports writer, sports editor, reporter and photographer for the Navajo Times.  He was hired as the managing editor of the Navajo Times in October 1988 and assumed the duties of editor and publisher in 1993.

A staunch believer and advocate for Freedom of the Press, Arviso fought many battles with tribal government leaders and officials over editorial control and censorship of the Navajo Times for a number of years. To seek independence from tribal government ownership, Arviso convinced the Navajo Nation Council to approve the for-profit incorporation of the Navajo Times. The tribal council voted unanimously in favor of this official legislation on October 23, 2003.  On January 1, 2004, The Navajo Times officially began operation as the Navajo Times Publishing Company, Incorporated.

Arviso majored in journalism at Arizona State University and at Mesa Community College. He is a former board vice president and treasurer of the Native American Journalists Association’s Board of Directors and is currently a member of the Arizona Newspapers Association’s Board of Directors.

Arviso, his wife Brenda, their children and grandchildren currently reside in St. Michaels, AZ.

Moderator, Heather Anderson

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Lynda Lovejoy, Presidential Candidate
Lynda Lovejoy is from Crownpoint, N.M., and is a candidate for Navajo Nation President. Her clans are Ts’ahyisk’idnii, born for Kinyaa’aani, her maternal grandfather is Tse’nahabilnii and her paternal grandfather is To’dich’ii’nii.

She is a Democratic member of the New Mexico State Senate representing District 22 since 2007. She served in the New Mexico House of Representatives for 10 years from 1988 to 1998 and she served in various regional and national legislative committees.
For eight years from 1999 to 2006, she served on the New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission (PRC) as a Commissioner and served as the chairwoman three times. In the PRC, she focused on issues related to electricity, renewable energy, transmission, natural gas, pipeline safety and telecommunications at the state, regional and national level.

She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from Northern Arizona University and an Associate of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico. She is currently in a graduate program for an MBA at New Mexico Highlands University.

Ben Shelly, Presidential Candidate
Ben Shelly is from Thoreau, NM and is the current Navajo Nation Vice-President, and is running for President. He is born into To'aheedliniiand for Ts'ah Yisdk’idnii. His maternal grandfather is Ashiihi and his paternal grandfather is Totinii.

After graduating from Snowflake High School, Mr. Shelly pursued higher education in Chicago, Illinois, where he received a degree in business management and certification in heavy equipment mechanics. Using his talent and skills, Mr. Shelly managed his own small business on the Navajo Nation for over a decade.

Elected in 1991, Mr. Shelly began his public service as a Navajo Nation Council Delegate from Thoreau Chapter.  He served as a member of the Transportation and Community Development, Economic Development, Intergovernmental Relations, and Budget/Finance Committees. Mr. Shelly also served twelve years as a McKinley County Commissioner and Chairman of the McKinley County Democrats.

After serving four years as chairman of the Navajo Nation Council Budget and Finance Committee, Mr. Shelly was elected by the Navajo people and sworn into office on January 09, 2007 as the Vice President of the Navajo Nation.

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