Mabel Tsosie is the Procurement Specialist of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) American Indian APEX Accelerator at the Navajo Nation Satellite Office. Her previous positions with the NCAIED and APEX Accelerator include Lead Event Registration Consultant, Event Marketing Specialist for APEX Accelerator Matchmaking events & APEX Accelerator Procurement Specialist Contractor. She has worked with NCAIED APEX Accelerator program since 2008.

Ms. Tsosie is a former employee as a contractor to the General Services Administration (GSA) when Federal Technology Services agency administered federal technology contracts for tribal/federal agencies and military installations. Mabel has over 20 years of experience in business and technology spanning into public and private sectors, having delivered professional services tailored to minority entities utilizing cultural competency with the Native Community with her business, Spottedhorse Infosystems LLC. Her experience with both Federal and Tribal Governments makes Mabel a welcome addition to the APEX Accelerator.

Even since she was young, Mabel was always fascinated with business machines. Her fascination became a passion when she obtained Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems at Arizona State University. Today, Mabel has a passion to infuse digital solutions into organizations with information and business management needs.

Crystal (Cris) Pierce is a Procurement Specialist with APEX Accelerator hosted by the National Center. The American Indian APEX Accelerator assists American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian owned small businesses to effectively compete in government contracting on the federal, state, and local government levels. Cris works with businesses in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Eastern Region.

Cris has a long-standing relationship with the National Center and its predecessor, the United Indian Development Association (UIDA) that dates to the Decade Dinner celebrating the 10th anniversary of UIDA. She was part of the first Indian Progress in Business (INPRO) Awards Dinner, the first Reservation Economic Summit (RES), and so many other firsts for the organization. She served the organization in many capacities including Project Director for the California Indian Business Development Center and for the North Carolina Native American Business Enterprise Center funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency. Cris returned in 2019 to the position of Procurement Specialist with the National Center American Indian APEX Accelerator. On hiatus from the National Center, Cris was Program Manager for the regional APEX Accelerator hosted by the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission in Oil City.

Cris is a member of APEX Accelerator and is a Certified Procurement Professional (CPP). Cris is a graduate of Niagara University. She pursued a career in government and public relations until she was introduced to the organization now known as the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.

Stan is the Colorado APEX Accelerator in the Denver, Colorado satellite office.  In 2011, the APEX Accelerator received the “Economic Impact Award” from the Association of APEX Accelerator for fostering significant economic impact through direct and acknowledged assistance to a APEX Accelerator client business in obtaining government contracts, thereby creating and retaining jobs.

Stan is a member of the Cherokee Nation and brings more than 25 years of business development and management experience to his role with the APEX Accelerator. He is well versed with the 8(a) program and various disadvantaged business certifications, having previously been a client of the APEX Accelerator, and gained these certifications with his own business.  His experience with federal, state, and local contracting procedures makes him a valuable resource for all Native-owned companies in Colorado.

Stan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce and previously served as the Vice Board Chair. He also regularly devotes time to non-profits as a business, marketing, and brand advisor.

Stan holds a BFA Degree in Marketing Communications and Design from Colorado State University. He is also a member of several industry organizations in the marketing and design professions.

Chris Jeansonne is a Procurement Specialist at APEX Accelerator, serving in the APEX Accelerator’s newest satellite office location in Marksville, Louisiana.

Chris is a lifelong resident of Bunkie, Louisiana.  He attended school at Louisiana State University and is a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran. He has worked with the Federal Bureau of Prisons as an instructor and in 2008 received their Director’s Award for Distinguished Service.  He has also been honored by the U.S. Attorney General for Exceptional Heroism. Chris has two daughters, Natalie and Rylee.

Chris has over 20 years of regional operations management, serving as a financial director, sales, marketing and business development coordinator, Chief of Operations, and mentor.  He has been focused on establishing lasting relationships with staff, vendors and, most importantly clients, with one goal in mind: Providing the highest levels of customer appreciation and satisfaction. Chris’ ultimate goal in life is to make a positive difference in as many lives as possible.

LTC Adolfo E. Vasquez, USA, Ret., is currently a Procurement Technical Advisor with APEX Accelerator in New Mexico. He is also the Native American APEX Accelerator counselor and Veterans Advisor for New Mexico. Adolfo has served as the Deputy District Director for the NM Small Business Administration, and he is a former Commander of a Defense Contracts Management Area Office, a former Warranted federal contracting officer and is a Certified Verification Counselor for the Veteran Administration’s Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) program. He has over 35 years of experience as CEO, Procurement Officer, Administrative Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR), Quality Assurance Deputy Director, Deputy Federal Contracts Finance Comptroller and Federal Contracts Payment Operations Director. LTC (Ret) Vasquez is also a retired math and business development teacher in NM public schools for 15 years and an Adjunct Professor at University of New Mexico.

His “in the trenches” experience in logistics and program management, government contracting and procurement, FAR compliance, Quality Assurance, federal contract payments, fiscal accountability and small business development, training, counseling and marketing make him an invaluable consultant to any entrepreneur or seasoned business owner.

He holds an MBA with a minor in Contract and Logistics Management and is a graduate of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Certification Program. He retired as a DAWIA level 2 & 3 in Contracting, Production, Quality and Manufacturing, Program Management, Purchasing and Test and Evaluation. He also holds a Level 3 APTAC Certified Procurement Technical Advisor Certification. In 2014 and 2017 he was awarded the NM SBA Veteran Small Business Champion of the Year and the NM SBA Minority Small Business Champion of the Year awards respectively. LTC Vasquez is married. His wife Shannon and he have 5 grown children and 2 grandchildren and reside in the Placitas, New Mexico.

Kathleen Weeks has been with the National Center APEX Accelerator since February 2013.  She started her position as the PTAC Administrative Assistant and within a few months was promoted to the PTAC Office Manager.  In October 2016, she took on a dual role as both Interim Executive Assistant and PTAC Office Manager until March of 2017 when she returned to her sole role as the Office Manager.  By 2020 she was wearing hats for multiple roles in addition to her previous duties, including marketing, graphic design, bookkeeping & accounting, and IT/computer maintenance, so thus she was promoted to Senior Office Manager.

Mrs. Weeks is a mother of four, which taught her how to organize everything.  Using this skill, she started volunteer work for the school system in the early 1990’s and was referred to as “the person to go to when you want to get things done” by the Superintendent of Marietta City Schools.  Again, acquiring many varied skills, she moved into the work force, with only a few business courses to show on her resume and almost no professional work history.  She went from substitute teaching, to organizing photo shoots for little league teams, to weekend supervisor for a litigation support services company owned by Brown College of Court Reporting.  Then she proved herself to the company manager and started her administrative role at Litigation Technologies in the late 1990s.

Kathleen has since acquired over 25 years of experience in the administrative management arena where she has handled a vast array of responsibilities from assistant positions to supervisory and management roles.  Her motto is, “I don’t claim to know everything, but if I don’t know it, then I WILL find out”.

George Williams is the Program Manager of APEX Accelerator. His previous positions with the NCAIED include Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, Interim Operations Manager & RES Sponsorship Coordinator, APEX Accelerator Program Manager, and APEX Accelerator Procurement Specialist. He has worked with NCAIED APEX Accelerator program since 2000. Mr. Williams is a former employee of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia having worked for over sixteen years in the areas of Procurement, Subcontract Management, and Aircraft Manufacturing.

In 2011, the National Center American Indian APEX Accelerator received the “Economic Impact Award” from the APEX Accelerator centers for fostering significant economic impact through direct and acknowledged assistance to an APEX Accelerator client business in obtaining government contracts, thereby creating and/or retaining jobs.

Mr. Williams holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. He is a Level III Certified Contracting Assistance Specialist with the APEX Accelerator and a Certified Supplier Diversity Professional with the Alliance of Supplier Diversity Professionals. He also serves as the Music Leader at Kingston United Methodist Church and supports other volunteer efforts in the local Kingston, GA area.