INTEGRITY | PRECISION | IMPACT
Kerry M. Libby is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a seasoned executive leader with more than a decade of expertise advancing Tribal sovereignty, governance, and sustainable economic development across government, nonprofit, and research sectors.
Kerry's leadership is rooted in her service as Executive Director for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, where she oversaw 64 programs and 103 employees, stewarding diverse funding streams and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and Tribal regulatory frameworks. As External Affairs Director, she served as a primary liaison to federal agencies, congressional offices, and state officials, leading high-level policy analysis, coordinating government-to-government consultations, and helping implement several Tribal co-stewardship agreements with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Kerry's work has shaped national conversations on Tribal governance, public health, and scientific research access. Kerry's background also includes directing the Standing Rock Institute of Natural History, where she secured grant funding, developed research protocols and STEM programming, and built partnerships that expanded scientific education for Tribal youth and communities. Her experience extends to federal disaster recovery through support of FEMA's Public Assistance Program, where she developed fluency in federal compliance, reporting systems, and large-scale infrastructure recovery. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and a Master's degree in Strategic Leadership from the University of Mary, Bismarck, North Dakota.
When she's not working, Kerry enjoys traditional crafts including beadwork, regalia sewing, quilting, and painting, as well as playing softball, hunting, cooking for community events, and visiting with family and friends. These activities keep her grounded in the camaraderie of community and her Dakota cultural practices and customs.
As Executive Director for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe under Chairwoman Janet Alkire, Kerry oversaw 64 programs and 103 employees, stewarding diverse funding streams and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and Tribal regulatory frameworks. Her tenure strengthened organizational accountability, modernized administrative systems, and elevated program performance across health, education, infrastructure, and community development portfolios. She is recognized for her ability to synthesize complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable strategies that empower leadership and protect organizational integrity.
In her role as External Affairs Director, Kerry coordinated the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's response after a Rapid City hotel publicly banned Native Americans from its property. Working across the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association, she helped organize a unified intergovernmental response and called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene, citing violations of the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The efforts culminated in tribal leaders collectively delivering a "Notice of Trespass (Cease and Desist)" to the hotel, citing the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. The unified tribal action drew national attention to the intersection of civil rights, sovereignty, and treaty law.
As External Affairs Director for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe under Chairwoman Janet Alkire, Kerry collaborated on and helped implement several Tribal co-stewardship agreements with the USDA, advancing Standing Rock's role as a sovereign partner in federal public lands stewardship. One agreement included transitioning the Shambo allotment from cattle to bison operations, restoring cultivated lands to native grasslands, planting native woody species, and integrating a youth engagement component, returning the land to cultural and ecological integrity.
As External Affairs Director for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe under Chairwoman Janet Alkire, Kerry served as a primary liaison to federal agencies, congressional offices, North and South Dakota state officials, and national partners. She led high-level policy analysis, coordinated government-to-government consultations and public safety meetings, and advanced Tribal priorities through strategic communication and relationship-building. Her work has shaped national conversations on Tribal governance, public health, scientific research access, and Tribal co-stewardship of federally managed forests and grasslands.
Kerry secured grant funding to establish the first-ever Institute of Natural History, developed scientific research protocols, and built partnerships that brought STEM programming and paleontological research opportunities to Tribal youth and communities, an example of her ability to translate vision into funded, operational programs that advance economic opportunities in Tribal communities.