Experience
The experience behind the promise
Dawn Star Consulting advises Tribal Nations on federal compliance, policy, and grant readiness. The record below is the individual career experience of the firm’s principal and founding advisor, earned in prior federal and organizational roles — it is not a list of contracts performed by Dawn Star Consulting, LLC. We state the distinction plainly because contracting officers are right to ask.
Federal policy, oversight & law enforcement operations
Misty Dawn Lakota, Founder & Managing Principal
- Authored national-level policy and conducted program evaluations across multiple federal law enforcement programs spanning four federal departments — and planned and led the compliance reviews against those same standards
- Managed nationwide field operations supporting 187 law enforcement professionals across nine regional offices
- Led Congressional reporting, developed performance metrics, and directed audit compliance responses for federal oversight
- Served as a Contracting Officer’s Representative (U.S.) and Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative I & II (NATO), overseeing procurement on a $220K professional-services portfolio
- Oversaw the conversion of a BIA law enforcement program to a P.L. 93-638 self-determination contract and provided three years of follow-on technical assistance; conducted 638 contract reviews for multiple Tribal Nations
- Served as Acting Chief of Police for a 43-person Indian Country program spanning criminal investigations, uniformed patrol, corrections, and telecommunications
Grants administration & Native-serving program leadership
Marsha Whiting, Founding Advisor — experience from her role outside the firm
- Administers $14 million in annual grant distributions and $1.5 million in scholarships and fellowships for Native-serving organizations
- Managed $5 million+ in federal and foundation grants, including national language preservation and cultural initiatives
- 20+ years of leadership within Native-controlled organizations serving urban, rural, and reservation-based communities
- Fundraising strategy, grants process improvement, and audit-supporting record retention
Client references available upon request.
Full registration data — UEI, CAGE, NAICS, and socioeconomic designations — is on our Capabilities page. To discuss a requirement, get in touch.
