Jody Olney (she/her) is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and grew up spending summers and her high school years on the homelands of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. She is of Karuk, Nez Perce, and Yakama descent. Capacity building through education about the importance of upholding tribal sovereignty, advocacy, and civic engagement map the way to stronger and more responsive policy, which is the focus of her work as the Tribal Nations Director and as we build out the Tribal Nations Program.

Before joining WCA, Jody worked as a legislative assistant to Senator John McCoy (LD 38) for several legislative sessions. More recently she’s worked with urban Indian organizations in Seattle on affordable housing and providing oversight for direct service programs. Jody has a bachelor’s degree and JD from the University of Washington, where her focus was federal Indian law and environmental law.

When she is not in the office, Jody is with her family, reading, playing board games, hiking in local parks, and aspiring to be a more attentive gardener.