Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
Candace Schmidt is an experienced leader serving as the Chairwoman for the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska since January 2023, providing executive leadership to the Tribal Council. Prior to this role, Candace held the position of Director of Communications for Norfolk Public Schools from May 2021 to August 2023. Candace also worked for the City of Norfolk in various capacities, including Economic Development/Communications from July 2012 to May 2021, and as Economic Development Coordinator with the Norfolk Area (Elkhorn Valley) Economic Development Council from October 2009 to July 2012. Additional experience includes serving as Interim Executive Director for Elkhorn Valley Economic Development and working as a Grant Writer for Ponca Economic Development Corp. Candace's educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Psychology from Wayne State College, along with training from the Oklahoma University Economic Development Institute and recognition as part of the NCAIED Top 40 Under 40.
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Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
Today, the Ponca Tribe is in the process of restoration as is so aptly expressed by its mission statement: We, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, in order to restore all rights previously held by our people and their descendants, promote peace, prosperity, happiness, and the general welfare of the citizens of our Tribe and our posterity: to exercise home rule, to conserve and perpetuate all worthy traditions and cultural elements of our people long established by customs; to improve our social order; to protect our rights as individuals; to promote business enterprise, both cooperative and individual; to promote educational opportunities for all Northern Ponca people; to consolidate our land holdings; and to provide for the inheritance of both real and personal property. Currently, the main concerns of the Ponca Tribe are twofold: 1) To provide for the needs of its people, namely, through the programs offered by the Tribe 2) To preserve what remains of its culture. Although lacking any land base, the Tribe does have designated “service area" counties: twelve in Nebraska, one in South Dakota, and two in Iowa. The Tribe also has office sites located in Niobrara, Norfolk, Lincoln, and Omaha, in Nebraska, and Carter Lake and Sioux City office in Iowa.