As Special Assistant to the Chief, Julia directs the Chiefs schedule and accompanies him when needed on trips for the Nation.  Like any government leader, the Chiefs time is critical.  His calendar is normally scheduled two months in advance and with very little open time.  Julia stays ahead of him clearing the way for him, acting as liaison to make the most out of his schedule.

Hepsi Barnett, Chief of Staff. Hepsi grew up in the Grayhorse district before moving with her parents to Edmond, Oklahoma. Over the past year she became a well known fixture around the Osage Campus during the Government Reform. Hepsi was hired by the Government Reform Commission as Coordinator for the Reform Project. She proved herself not only as a facilitator, but as woman of broad vision and determination. Hepsi dove in head first as Chief of Staff. The transition from a Council operation to the Executive Branch has been strange for some of our programs, but Hepsi and the Chief have a like philosophy that Directors should direct and they should be responsible for all aspects of their programs. This initiation has been tough, the first task has been to develop a budget process. 

Hepsi had taken an 80% leave of absence from her job as Project Manager for the New Mexico Supreme Court to develop our new Government. Now her experience and expertise, her knowledge of our Government Structure has been put to the test over and over since taking her appointment as she steps into her new full time role as Chief of Staff. She is anxious and optimistic about the work we will be able to accomplish.

David Conrad, Government Affairs Specialist. David, also hails from New Mexico. David Conrad comes to the National Tribal Environmental Council from the Grand Canyon Trust having served as Director of Tribal Governmental Affairs for the conservation organization that focuses on the Colorado Plateau.

Prior to serving the Trust in Flagstaff, he served the City of Seattle as its Tribal and Legislative Liaison. In this Executive Department Office he was responsible for guiding and implementing tribal inter-government functions for the City of Seattle, including liaison work on behalf of the Mayor with the urban Native community. In his capacity as Director of the Environmental Program for the Council of Energy Resource Tribes he helped to research and develop policy recommendations regarding environmental needs of CERT member tribes. David began his professional career as Policy Analyst for the Nez Perce Tribe's Department of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management. The Nez Perce Tribe participates in the Department of Energy's national defense related nuclear waste clean up. David helped the Nez Perce Tribe protect it's treaty rights and interests from nuclear contamination.

He has made numerous presentations regarding his work in environmental and cultural resource issues at professional conferences and as part of his work on various federal, state and local advisory groups.

David is married and has two young sons. David dances in the Osage Inlonshka Dances from the Pawhuska District. His wife Jill is Nez Perce from Lapwai, Idaho. He and his wife Jill have had their sons named in the Osage tradition, and they retain close ties to their Osage and Nez Perce relatives.

Carrie Rogers, Administrative Assistant and Finance Officer. Carrie grew up in the Fairfax area, she is married and has three children. She came to work for Chief Gray in 2004 as an assistant. She had a work background in banking and immediately took on the task of the Chiefs expense reports and travel arrangements. She handles all of the communication between the Chiefs office and accounting to see that the Chiefs accounts are always in order. She also works as assistant to the Special Assistant, meeting correspondence deadlines and helping to oversee the clerical staff. In her new appointment she will also undertake the financial oversight of our Branch budget. Our office is really a team effort. Each of us supports the other and our main goal is to always fulfill the task at hand. 

Paula Stabler, Communications Officer. As Communications Officer, she will deal with all forms of media. Develop internal and external controls for communication between the Executive Branch and the other Branches of Government and then to the outside world. Paulas most recent background is working for the Federal Government at the Osage Agency. Her previous backgrounds include, business operations, event planning, small business management, project management, marketing and public relations. As project developer for the new website, she presented a plan that would enable the Nation to stair step into a website that is self sustaining by the departments, therefore, there is no need for a full time webmaster. Each department will oversee their own personal website under the Nations website.

Her first experience in working directly for the Chief was as event planner for the 1^st Osage Nation Oil & Gas Summit. While working for the BIA, she stepped in and aided the tribal staff and worked as liaison between all of the event staff to put together a very successful event. After accepting a staff position in the Chiefs office in November of 2005, she took up as publisher and editor of the Osage News. The first change was to go to a regularly scheduled monthly paper, adding a little more continuity and flow. Since then she has taken on many tasks and projects for the Chief.