Chey Kuzma

Chey is an enrolled member of the Gitxsan Nation in Hazelton, British Columbia, and currently serves as the Associate Program Officer for Arts and Culture at the Oregon Community Foundation. She began her work at the Foundation in 2014 in the Philanthropic Services Department and has since moved into a role that taps into her performing arts background, supporting thriving and accessible arts communities across Oregon via OCF’s Arts and Culture portfolio. Chey holds a Masters in Social Work from Washington University (St. Louis) with a concentration in both Children, Youth and Families and Indigenous studies. Prior to her role at OCF, from 2001-2005, she worked for the National Indian Child Welfare Association as the Senior Government Affairs Associate focusing primarily on Indian Child Welfare policy and Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance. She then transferred her social work skills into the veterinary world as a Certified Veterinary Technician in Tillamook, OR, but missed working in the nonprofit sector and began looking for a way to reintegrate into the field when she moved back to Portland in 2012. Outside of work, Chey enjoys spending time with her daughter exploring new recipes, spending time outside hiking or just sitting on a blanket reading in the sunshine, attending as many Broadway musicals as possible, and snuggling with any (and all) of her four pets.