Chris Howell, Executive Director/Tribal Liaison

Chris Howell is the Executive Director of the Kansas Native American Affairs (KNAA) Office and serves as Tribal Liaison for Governor Laura Kelly. Prior to returning to the KNAA Office, Chris most recently served as the Director of Tribal Relations for BNSF Railway located in Fort Worth, TX, and was involved in tribal outreach activities and communications with more than 86 tribal nations located along the BNSF railway system.

Prior to working at BNSF Chris worked to re-establish the Kansas Native American Affairs Office from 2011-2014 and was also a Kansas Supreme Court Mediator from 2011-2014 in Civil Mediation. Currently, Chris serves on the National Advisory Councils of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Chris served as a Co-Chair of the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation subcommittee of FEMA.

Chris is a citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and served as the Pawnee Tribal Representative to the Circle of Tribal Advisors of the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, and was also a board member of the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial based in St. Louis, Missouri.

"To schedule an appointment please call 785-296-1904 or send an email to KNAA@ks.gov"