PWNA Welcomes New President and CEO Joshua Arce

Published December 10, 2019    By Helen Oliff

Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Joshua Arce as their new president and chief executive officer (CEO) effective Jan. 6, 2020. Arce will join PWNA in its 30^th year as a Native-led, Native-serving nonprofit.

Arce previously served on PWNA’s Board of Directors and will now oversee operations for PWNA. He is a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and brings more than 20 years of experience in education management, social work, and business development to PWNA.

He most recently served as the first chief information officer (CIO) of Haskell Indian Nations University, over 12 years advancing IT infrastructure and services to better meet their mission. Earlier, he worked at the University of Kansas Tribal Law and Governance Center, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Court, and the tribe’s Entertainment Corporation Board.

Arce actively supports the advancement of Native communities, most recently as a volunteer of the court-based Citizen Review Board, a member of Lawrence Memorial Hospital Board’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee, and a Board member of the Citizen Review Panel of Kansas for child welfare.

Arce is from Kansas and earned his B.A. in social work from the University of Kansas and then his J.D., specializing in tribal law, applied indigenous leadership, federal Indian law, and Indian gaming law.

PWNA’s current president and CEO Robbi Rice Dietrich announced her retirement this month after seven years with the organization. Since 2013, Robbi has been an integral part of championing PWNA’s mission to serve Native communities and she leaves her legacy within the organization. Robbi will also continue to help raise awareness and funding for Native causes.