During her tenure as an employee with the Hopi Tribal Government, Barbara Poley made an insightful observation. She determined the need to build both capacity and leadership among the Hopi tribal membership to better serve the Hopi people. This was the beginning of her inspiration to build a program to do just that. As she transitioned to work in the Hopi Foundation, she seized the opportunity to create the Hopi Leadership Program. She identified expert and creative collaborators from inside and outside the community, and the Hopi Leadership program was realized in 2006. During the following years of the program, Hopi participants contributed to its evolution as a uniquely Hopi model.
