Tribal Ambassador Honored for Lifetime Achievement

Joel Frank Receives Award From UIDA, NABL

By Chris Jenkins

ATLANTA — A lifetime of achievement spans a large amount of work. For Tribal citizen and businessman Joel Frank Sr. his work is yet to be completed, but what he has accomplished thus far was honored among guests and friends at the Cobb Galleria Centre on April 18.

“To have this lifetime achievement bestowed upon me — I feel this is not the end of my life, I’ve still got many more years to go, and I’m looking forward to the future,” Frank said.

The United Indian Development Association and Native American Business Leaders presented its Business Services’ Lifetime Achievement Award to Frank and the Seminole Tribe at a special luncheon. The award is given each year to the outstanding individual or Tribe contributing to the tradition and economic advancement of American Indian/Tribally owned businesses.

Receiving such an honor was a surprise to Frank, but long overdue for most who know of his work in his community and for his people. The Hollywood, Fla. native and member of the Panther clan has worked for the Seminole Tribe since the early 1970s.

As director of the Grants Formulation and Government Relations Department for more than three years, he oversees funding opportunities and development for grant applications as well as maintaining relationships among federal agencies and Native American organizations.

“I was surprised because all the things that I’ve done are to be considered for the benefit of the Seminole Tribe, for Tribal members and Indian people in general, and on all the different boards that I’ve sat on I always assumed that this is what I’m supposed to do,” he said. “I’ve never really looked or thought of [my efforts] as something that would be considered achieving; I just assumed it was a way of life.”

Fellow department and Tribal employees Tom Gallaher, Yolanda Liesdek, Robert Delorimiere and Clifford Boodram joined Frank at the ceremony.

Frank said receiving an award was a unique experience for him: “I’ve been involved in helping identify people [for their accomplishments], but never did I ever think about me as identified as one of those,” he said.

The guest of honor said the main goal for him has always been the continued support and welfare of native people — children in particular. As one of the first Indians to attend college, education is an important issue to him.

“The Tribe’s very existence is through the children, because that is the future of the Tribe,” Frank said. “As a warrior of the Seminole Tribe, I want to protect the people, making sure that they have a … decent life”.

Part of his passion toward change and prosperity for natives was sparked by an incident involving a fellow Tribal citizen in years past. As many children were being taken from their reservations and placed in foster homes through state or private organizations and agencies, Frank decided to do something about it.

“The highlight of my career was being involved in creating the Indian Child Welfare Act, back in the late ’70s,” Frank said. “It gives Tribes and families an opportunity to say where their children should be placed and still maintain their identities.”

Those efforts led to other opportunities including stints as president of the National Indian Gaming Association, Executive Administrator for the Tribe, a commissionership with the National Indian Gaming Commission and becoming Executive Director of the Seminole Tribal Housing Authority.

His work continues on a different course now, but for the same causes. Frank said all the efforts of the Grants Formulation and Government Relations staff are geared toward education, housing and other areas that promote Tribal welfare.

“We’re a small staff in this department, but we have a hefty responsibility,” he said.