top of page

About

Native American Development Corporation (NADC) serves as the host to the APEX Accelerator program. We work with Native American businesses in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains Regions providing counseling, technical assistance and training to perform federal, state and local government procurement contracts. We aim to empower and support the overall growth and competitiveness of Native American enterprises.

 

NADC APEX is operated through a cooperative agreement with the US Dept. of Defense (DoD) Office Of Small Business Programs (OSBP).

Our Experience

Our team is ready to share our diverse bank of knowledge with you to help you achieve your goals.

​

Begin by applying so we can learn about you.

 

Next, one of our specialists will reach out to you to discuss next steps, provide resources, and get you on the path to success.

​

We will continue to be a helping hand as you grow your business endeavors. As a trusted partner you can contact us with questions along the way. And don't worry, we'll also follow up to see how you are doing.

Our Mission

We seek to maximize the number of capable Native American-owned companies in the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains Regions in the government marketplace.

​

We provide an understanding of the requirements of government contracting and the marketing know-how to successfully obtain and perform federal, state, local and tribal government contracts. We also collaborate with government agencies in order to connect them with optimal Native American business resources in our communities, further progressing overall growth and competitiveness of Native American enterprises.  

Meet Your Team

With 50+ years of combined expertise and a pristine record of success stories spanning our 30+ years of operations, our team is ready to help you.

Leonard Smith

CEO, NADC

Leonard is a tribal member of the Assinaboine & Sioux from the Ft Peck Reservation in Montana. As the founder and CEO of NADC (Native American Development Corporation), he holds over 30 years of experience in business and economic development with various tribes and Native American organizations. Overseeing the vision and direction of NADC, the parent organization for technical assistance and training to Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota Native owned businesses, Leonard has a passion to create business opportunities for tribes and Native-owned businesses.

​

Email: apex@nadc-nabn.org

​

Phone: 406.259.3804

Leonard Smith photo
Mary Walks Over Ice image

Mary Walks Over Ice

COO

Mary Walks Over Ice is an enrolled member of the Assiniboine (Nakoda) Tribe from the Ft Belknap Indian Reservation located in north central Montana and is a descendant of both the Gros Ventres (Anii) and Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Mary has been with NADC for well over ten years in several capacities including providing direct technical assistance to tribes and Native-owned businesses. She is the COO, overseeing the organization’s ongoing operations and procedures. She has extensive experience in project management of construction projects on reservations that includes contract administration, bid preparation and compliance review to several funding agencies including Housing and Urban Development, USDA Rural Development, Indian Health Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and several tribal governmental entities throughout the region. Mary brings a value of information, focusing on marketing, proposal writing and bid evaluation, contract negotiation, project management and small business operations. Mary is married with four children and several grandchildren.

​

Email: mwalksoverice@nadc-nabn.org

​

Phone: 406.259.3804

Robert Much

Government Contracting Specialist

Prior to his time at NADC, Robert served as the Program Manager for the SBA 7(j) Technical Assistance Grant in 2020, working for the SBA for 21 years from 1990 to 2011.  During his time at SBA as a Commercial Loan Specialist, Business Development Specialist and Business Opportunity Specialist, he focused on underwriting and approving commercial loans, assisted people with business start-up information, and assisted businesses in the area of government contracting and business development.  Robert also has 20 years of experience in running his own tax preparation and bookkeeping business.

Having first worked for NADC as a private consultant in the government contracting arena for about a year and a half, he joined the organization for its people. He considers himself a people person and enjoys helping Native businesses with government contracting. 

​

Email: rmuch@nadc-nabn.org

​

Phone: 406.442.8543

Robert Much photo
Heather Latray photo

Heather Latray

Procurement Specialist

Heather has been with the program since 2020, using her skillsets honed as a previous small business owner to guide and mentor Native entrepreneurs toward longstanding viability and success in the government contracting arena.  Born and raised on the Blackfeet Reservation, Ms. LaTray is also of Little Shell descent, and accordingly appreciates the hurdles faced by minority business owners who are often developing their ventures under socioeconomic and geographic constraints unique to Indian Country.  She considers it a sincere honor to partner alongside Native entrepreneurs and offer her experience in leveraging contracting knowledge with available business development programs to create a leg-up for our region’s Native small business proprietors.  In addition to having operated ventures in the construction, transportation and energy industries, Ms. LaTray is also an industrial/environmental engineer by education, maintaining various technical certifications and continuing education credits in procurement, project management, and for-profit/non-profit business operations.  

​

Email: hlatray@nadc-nabn.org

​

Phone: 406.690.6147

Josh Arzy

Procurement Specialist

Josh brings a vast amount of experience to the role as he has worked in information technology, retail management, construction, purchasing and procurement. After spending nearly the last decade working in purchasing and procurement positions for large manufacturing companies like Vacutech LLC and MRL/Federal Signal, Josh is leveraging his experience and knowledge in the purchasing field to assist clients with the complexities of the government contracting market with NADC Apex Accelerator.

​

Email: jarzy@nadc-nabn.org

​

Phone: 406.702.2320

Josh Arzy photo
Abby Omdahl photo

Abigail Omdahl

Procurement Specialist

Prior to joining NADC, Abigail developed an extensive background in operations management working for over ten years as a multi-unit manager in the restaurant and retail industries within notable brands such as Wal-Mart, Dairy Queen, Starbucks and Applebee’s. She then pivoted into government contracting, working 3 years in government and provider relations at a large prime Medicare contractor. Now with NADC APEX as a procurement specialist, Abigail enjoys sharing her skillsets from the private and government sectors with her clients and watching them grow.

​

Email: aomdahl@nadc-nabn.org

​

Phone: 406.696.4039

Velvett Rock Above Cummins

Procurement Specialist

Born and raised in Baupua (Pryor) Montana, Velvett is a member of the Apsaalooke Nation (Crow Tribe). Recently joining NADC, she has over 15 years of experience as a Contract Specialist for the federal government. Velvett received her Bachelors of Science from Rocky Mountain College with a double major in Business Administration and Economics. 

​

Email: vcummins@nadc-nabn.org 

​

Phone: 406.259.3804

Velvet Rock Above Cummins photo
bottom of page