Assistant Vice President for Indigenous and Native American Affairs

Patrese Atine is a citizen of the Navajo Nation with diverse experience in education and federal Tribal policy. As Assistant Vice President for Indigenous and Native American Affairs, she leads CSU’s outreach to Tribal communities, works with the CSU community on Indigenous and Native American issues on campus, and fosters partnerships with Tribal leadership to increase student recruitment and retention. Prior to joining CSU, she developed and managed national advocacy efforts as the Director of Congressional and Federal Relations at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) in Washington, D.C. During her five years at AIHEC, she increased partnerships with federal agencies and advocated for legislation to meet unique needs of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), students, and Tribal nations.

As a government and legislative affairs associate at the Navajo Nation Washington Office, Patrese developed legislative strategies to advance Tribal priorities related to education, health care, social services, and veterans affairs. Prior to her position with the Navajo Nation, Patrese worked at the Corporation for National and Community Service, Bureau of Indian Education, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

She has served in several higher education roles as a teaching fellow at Harvard University, an Instructional Assistant at The George Washington University, and as an Equity and Inclusion Associate at the Lumina Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Science Education from Brigham Young University, and a master’s degree in Education, Policy, Planning and Administration from Boston University.

Patrese Atine
Patrese Atine