Jeff Tomhave, J.D.

Jeff founded the Tomhave Group to facilitate education and partnerships between Indian tribes, Indian organizations and Indian owned businesses with their local, state, federal and private sector counterparts to develop the foundation for sustained fiscal growth and government accountability by utilizing federal land and resource policy and administrative law to promote opportunities for regional economic partnerships, knowledge development, and long range planning for the shared interests of all rural farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs.

While a Legislative Advisor at the Navajo Nation Washington Office, Jeff created a federal legislative strategy for the Public Safety, Judiciary, and Social Services committees of the Navajo Nation Tribal Council. Jeff developed national media campaign to promote improvements in tribal health care, education, and economic priorities through local initiative. Jeff also wrote the Navajo Nation’s responses to Department of Interior’s proposed restructuring, which was the consequence of a pending settlement in the Cobell trust fund class action litigation. Drafted testimony and speeches for Navajo officials to present before the United States Congress and selected tribal events.

As the Executive Director of a national tribal environmental protection organization, Jeff created a national research, policy and advocacy organization dedicated to reducing the human health effects of hazardous waste impacting tribal and neighboring communities. Jeff has extensive knowledge about hazardous waste contamination of tribal communities by active or abandoned municipal landfills, as well as manufacturing, mining, defense and energy activities.

Some of Jeff’s accomplishments there included:

A membership base of over one hundred federally recognized tribes that worked together to reduce the local burden of federal regulation upon solid waste management systems in Indian Country; Inclusion of tribes in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act; and Integration of tribal concerns in the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure implementation plan and Formerly Used Defense Site program.

Jeff’s Public Presentations:

The Seeds of Legal Infrastructure session at the U.S. Dept. of Justice National Weed and Seed Conference. August 23, 2005. Los Angeles, CA.

Sequoia Seminar: Breaking Through: Celebrate the Emergence of Indian Women as Elected Tribal Leaders a two day seminar aboard the historic Sequoia Presidential Yacht, a how to break through institutional barriers to progress in Native American communities for Indian Women leaders. May 23 and 24, 2005. Washington, D.C.

What Has Been your Professional Experience as a Minority Attorney or Representing the Interests of a Minority Group? to the Native American Law Students Association of Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. April 19, 2004.

Information Technology and Financial Growth for Indian Tribes and Tribal Businesses presented at the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 18th Annual National Reservation Economic Summit and American Indian Business Trade Fair. Feb. 11, 2004. Las Vegas, NV.

Tribal Economic Development and the Environment in the New Millennium presented to The Tribal Executive Institute at Georgetown University. March 7, 2000. Washington, D.C.

Environmental Protection in Indian Country presented to the Indian Law Students Association at the University of Wisconsin Law School Conference. Feb. 10, 2000. Madison, WI.

Jeff’s Writings:

Testimony on the Inclusion of Rural Transportation Needs to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing of November 19, 2008, for Navajo County, Arizona and San Juan County, Utah.

“Op-Ed: Calling on Tribal Leaders to Join Fight Against AIDS Epidemic” Ghost written as Yvonne Davis, President of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. Indian Country Today, December 14, 2005.

Testimony on Improving Housing Opportunities for Native Americans, House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, May 2004 field hearing, for the Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council, Lawrence T. Morgan.

“Op-Ed: Senate Energy Bill Exploits Indian Resources” Ghost written as Joe Shirley, Jr., President of the Navajo Nation. Albuquerque Journal, July 18, 2003.

“Race, Sacrifice, and Native Lands” Co written with Jonna Higgins-Freese. EarthLight Magazine, Summer 2002.

“Op-Ed: Baltimore City Should Make Recycling Mandatory” Baltimore Sun, May 21, 2001.

“Answering the Call: Solid Waste Disposal on Tribal Land” Winds of Change Magazine, Summer 2000.