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Shining A Light On Those Who Serve Tribal Membership:
Meet Mandy Padget, Tribal Health & Human Services Administrator
This week, we feature Mandy Padget, who recently joined our Tribe in a newly created role as Tribal Health & Human Services Administrator. She will work out of the Tribal Center across from President John Johnson’s and Interim Administrator Dee Allen’s offices. She’s there Monday through Friday and looks forward to meeting community members.
As an enrolled member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Mandy is a Wesaw, Turtle Clan, and the granddaughter of Clarence and Dawn Wesaw. Prior to taking this position in Lac du Flambeau, she was a lifelong resident of Michigan until May of 2024 when she moved here to support the work of the Tribe.
Mandy is the proud mother of a 22-year-old daughter who is currently attending Western Michigan University with plans to pursue her Master’s Degree in Social Work. Her husband Ben recently retired after 27 years providing oversight and coordination of programs for adults with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities with a specific focus on Autism. Their rescue dog Bernice rounds out her family.
How would you describe what this new role will do? Part of the vision for this role is to unify the Tribe’s health and human services programs across tribal government to create a cohesive plan to improve outcomes for Tribal Members. This will ensure everyone’s on the same page to maximize tribal resources and community benefit.
What attracted you to this newly created position with the Tribe?
Being an enrolled Tribal Member myself, it is important to use my skills and talent to give back to Indigenous communities by working to improve their health and wellness. I was able to get my education, in part, because I’m Indigenous. So, it’s important to me to give back for getting those opportunities. It’s about honoring my grandparents, because I would not be here without them.
In addition to the opportunity to improve health and wellness outcomes for Tribal Members, we came here in February to interview for this position, and we fell in love with the community and the natural beauty of the Northwoods. It is an honor and a privilege to be here.
What’s your professional background prior to joining the Tribe?
I hold a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work with a specialty in Substance Use Disorder treatment from Western Michigan University. I have 21 years of progressive experience in publicly-funded behavioral health care with special focus on improving outcomes for marginalized populations, including coordinating services and support for tribal people with serious generational trauma. I have specific expertise in merging the use of data and innovation with continuous quality improvement methods to engage stakeholders and improve systems-level processes to meet strategic objectives. I am certified in healthcare compliance.
How do you see your prior experience benefiting Tribal Members?
I believe my experience using data to improve programmatic outcomes will determine who uses programs and why they use programs and what the need is in the community. This should help create the services specific to the needs of this community and continuously improve those programs over time.
What do you like to do away from work? We like to hike and explore the many cultural and other aspects that make up a community. I’m also an avid reader.
What's the best piece of advice you received? Slow down and take time to listen. My mind operates at 100 miles per hour to try to achieve as much as possible for the community. But it’s equally important to take time to listen to inform your actions.
Shining A Light On Those Who Serve Tribal Membership
The Tribe’s mission says it exists to provide leadership for the betterment of Tribal Membership and Descendants in the areas of health, education, welfare, economic and job development, and the protection of natural resources.
As with most governments, the Tribal Administration employs hundreds of people who often provide life-sustaining services silently each and every day. In an effort to help understand the depth of services and consistent commitment by people who work in Tribal Government, it seems a good idea to feature those who serve. If you know of someone who would like to share their department’s story, similar to what you read here, please email communications@ldftribe.com. Miigwetch! Contributed photo
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