Post on 29-May-2020
NAVAJONATIONVICEPRESIDENTJONATHANM.NEZJonathanNezcurrentlyservesastheVice-PresidentoftheNavajoNation.HewasbornontheNavajoreservationinTubaCity,ArizonaandraisedinShonto,Arizona.VicePresidentNezismarriedtoPhefeliaHerbert-Nezandtheyhavetwochildren,ChristopherandAlexander.HeisthesonofJohnH.NezandMabelH.Nez.Hisgrandfather,H.T.Donald,wastheformerNavajoNationCouncilDelegateforShontoChapter,andhisgrandmotherwasMaeDonaldfromShonto.
InregardstohisNavajoclans,VicePresidentNezisoftheÁshįįhíClan(SaltPeople)andbornfortheTa’neeszahniiClan(Tangleclan).Hismaternalgrandfather’sclanisTódích’íi’niiClan(BitterWaterClan)andhispaternalgrandfather’sclanistheTáchii’niiClan(Red-Running-Into-The-WaterClan).VicePresidentNezbeganhisNavajopoliticalcareerafterbeingelectedasShontoChapterVicePresident.HewaslaterelectedtoservethreetermsasaNavajoNationCouncilDelegate,representingthechaptersofShonto,Oljato,TsahBiKinandNavajoMountain.VicePresidentNezwasalsoelectedasaNavajoCountyBoardofSupervisorforDistrict1andservedtwoterms.VicePresidentNez’stermontheboardofsupervisorswascutshortwhenhewasaskedtobearunningmatetoNavajoNationPresidentRussellBegaye.OnApril21,2015,theNavajopeopleelectedPresidentBegayeandVicePresidentNeztobetheirleadersforthenextfouryears.Withmorethan10yearsofdedicatedpublicservice,VicePresidentNeztooktheoathofNavajoofficealongwithPresidentBegayeonMay12,2015.VicePresidentNezbelievesstronglyineducation.HeiscurrentlyadoctoralstudentinpoliticalsciencewherehecompletedresearchonlocalempowermentandmobilizinglocalcommunitiesoftheNavajoNationtoreinstatetheirinherentlocalwayofgovernance.Hisresearchfocusesonthereductionofdependenceonthecentraltribalgovernmentandupholdingandenhancingthelocalinherentsovereigntyofthechapterareas.HeisanalumnusofNorthlandPioneerCollegeandNorthernArizonaUniversity(NAU).HeholdsaBachelorofSciencedegreeinPoliticalScienceandaMastersofPublicAdministrationbothfromNAU.VicePresidentNezisanavidrunnerandadvocateforhealthyliving.Heenjoystrainingandcompetinginlong-distanceeventsandhascompetedinmultiplemarathons.VicePresidentNezparticipatedinthe2015RunningforaStrongerandHealthierNavajoNation,a435-mileruncirclingtheNavajoNation.Heranmorethan150milesfortheevent.Hiscurrentgoalistorunamarathonineachofthe50states.