Advisory Panel

An enrolled Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe member, Rob is an attorney licensed to practice in Minnesota and Leech Lake Tribal Court. He is a certified as a Building Native Communities Financial Trainer and Financial Coach. Serving as Executive Director of Leech Lake Financial Services since 2012, Rob has trained and coached hundreds of Leech Lake Reservation community members on building credit, home buying, car purchases, and basic finance. Under Rob’s direction, Leech Lake Financial Services has grown from a $75,000 program to a 501c3 Non-Profit worth over $5.4M.

Rob’s law degree is from the University of North Dakota School of Law, where he graduated with distinction and served as the President of the University of North Dakota Native American Law Students Association. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management from Gustavus Adolphus College, where he captained the football team as a four-year letter winner at outside linebacker. Rob is in the Bemidji High School Athletic Hall of Fame, where he played football, hockey, and baseball on state tournament teams for hockey and baseball.

Rob is an adjunct professor at the Leech Lake Tribal College, teaching Personal Finance and Tribal Governance classes. Rob also owns Two Cloud Corp., a vehicle for Rob’s attorney practice. After coaching high school football and hockey for over a decade, Rob is the play-by-play broadcaster for the Bemidji State Women’s Hockey team on the Beaver Radio Network. Rob is still involved in hockey at the high school level as the Section 8 General Manager for the Minnesota High Performance Program. He has a boat and uses it, so Rob can be found on the waters of the Cass Lake chain all summer long with his wife, Julia, and sweet golden-doodle, Abby.

Rachel is the President and CEO of the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX), a private sector-led business development organization with 90+ investor-members from leading regional businesses. The organization leverages private-sector resources to drive investment throughout the APEX region of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

Throughout her career, Rachel has built relationships with community stakeholders while educating and informing the public on our industrial economy, the importance of energy infrastructure and promoting workforce opportunities in the trades. Her ability to bring people together to drive impactful change is a powerful catalyst for climate solutions and economic growth.

Since 2019, Tamara has served as the President of the Itasca Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) in Grand Rapids, MN, where she has fostered remarkable growth. Under her leadership, IEDC has secured over $2.5 million in grants for The Forge—a transformational facility that supports business incubators, workforce development, education, and training, officially opening its doors in 2023. 

Additionally, Tamara actively serves on the boards of Northspan and Propel Nonprofits and is currently the Chair of the State of Minnesota Energy Transition Advisory Committee.

Paul Peltier serves as the Executive Director of the Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS). RAMS members are the Cities, Townships, and School Districts in the 7-county, 13,000 square mile area of northeastern Minnesota called the Taconite Assistance Area. As executive director, Paul is charged with assisting 70 local units of government on issues or concerns specific to their municipality or school district. 

Prior to joining RAMS, Paul has primarily worked in education and comes from a family of educators and miners. He has been active in education, local government, and rural policy. 

Paul earned his Bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) and his Master's degree in education from the University of Mary (Bismarck, ND). 

A formidable voice calling for understanding and the preservation of the Arctic and the Earth, Will Steger is best known for his legendary polar explorations. He has traveled tens of thousands of miles by kayak and dogsled over 50 years, leading teams on some of the most significant polar expeditions in history, including the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica (the historic seven month, 3,741-mile International Trans-Antarctica Expedition) in 1989–90.

Will is also an educator, author, entrepreneur, and eyewitness to the effects of climate change. Will established a number of education and environmental nonprofits, including Climate Generation. Drawing on his knowledge as an expedition leader, Will Steger designed the Steger Center in Ely, Minnesota, dedicated to solving the problems of our age at a place that inspires clarity and break-through innovation. It is built to be a living example of ecological stewardship, a demonstration center for devising new solutions to the seemingly intractable issues we collectively face.

Will has been the recipient of a number of prestigious awards including the National Geographic Society’s prestigious John Oliver La Gorce Medal for “Accomplishments in Geographic Exploration, in the Sciences, and Public Service to Advance International Understanding;”  and the Lindbergh Award for “numerous polar expeditions, deep understanding of the environment and efforts to raise awareness of current environmental threats, especially climate change.” Steger has been invited to testify before the Minnesota Legislature and U.S Congress and has advised world leaders on environmental protection. In 2023, he received the 19th Hubert H. Humphrey Public Leadership Award for educating and motivating generations of people to care for the earth and live their lives with a sense of exploration, curiosity, and adventure.

Steger holds a Bachelor of Science in geology and Master of Arts in education from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, in addition to five Honorary Doctorates.

Kristen Vake is the Executive Director of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Superior and a master’s degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. As a former TV news anchor and journalist, Kristen brings vast storytelling experience to her role at the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota, sparking meaningful conversations about iron mining and its role in our future.

Kristen grew up in the charming town of Chisholm, Minnesota. A proud Iron Ranger, she is driven to influence positive growth and change across the region and beyond. She helped create a nonprofit called ReGen to make sure young people in the region have a seat at decision-making tables. She serves on the Minnesota Center for Mineral Resource Education Board as well as the Northland Foundation Board, volunteers for the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota, and serves/volunteers on several chambers of commerce.

Kristen's journey from journalism to leadership in the mining industry reflects her passion for the place she calls home and her excitement for a future that celebrates responsible industrial development.

Jason currently serves as a Mining, Energy, and Climate Policy Advisor for the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board (IRRR), where he plays a pivotal role in shaping regional energy and economic policy. In this capacity, he provides strategic guidance on issues related to mining, energy transition, and climate policy, working to ensure that Northern Minnesota’s resource industries remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global market. In 2024, he participated in a trade mission to Sweden, focusing on the hydrogen economy and green steel production, which reflected his dedication to advancing sustainable industrial practices and shaping the future of energy-intensive industries. His insights into decarbonization, critical mineral supply chains, and industrial transition policies have positioned him as a thought leader in energy policy and economic development. 

Prior to his work in policy advisory, Jason served as Owner and Vice President of Jasper Engineering & Equipment Company, where he spearheaded the transformation of a legacy industrial distribution business into a high-performing, strategically positioned enterprise. Committed to lifelong learning, Jason is currently completing a Master of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and graduate certificate program in Tribal Sovereignty and Federal Indian Law at the University of Minnesota Duluth. His academic pursuits complement his professional work by enhancing his understanding of regulatory frameworks, policy-making, and economic sovereignty—critical elements in today’s evolving business and governmental landscape.