5/2/2012 First Person Radio

Andy Hestness is the Interim President & CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI). He grew up in South Minneapolis and earned a BA in Architecture from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Andy has an MA in Real Estate from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a concentration in Urban Planning.

Andy previously worked at the Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation in Chicago as the Director of Construction Management where he oversaw the design, construction, and compliance of affordable and mixed-income housing developments. Prior to working in Chicago, Andy worked at Seward Redesign in Minneapolis, Minnesota conducing research and outreach in the development of the Franklin Light Rail Transit Station Implementation Plan.

Daniel Yang is a Community Engagement Specialist at the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) in Minneapolis, MN. He grew up on the East Side of St. Paul and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, reflecting his multi-cultural heritage of both Hmong and Anishinabe (Ojibwe) ancestry. He earned a BA in Political Science and Social Justice from Hamline University.

Some of his current work at NACDI includes the “Paint the Ave.” Community Mural Project, bringing American Indian artists and local American Indian youth to complete community murals in the American Indian Cultural Corridor. Daniel also founded the inaugural NACDI Community Organizing and Leadership Institute a training program that focuses on identifying, developing and building the capacity of emerging American Indian community leaders. For the past several years, Daniel has facilitated a community-based organizing committee to plan the largest Minnesota American Indian Month event in the state. The Minnesota American Indian Month Kickoff Parade and Celebration has drawn more than 1,000 community members each year who spend the day honoring their American Indian heritage.