Glenda Nelson is the Tribal Chairperson and Elder of the Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of the Enterprise Rancheria, a sovereign American Indian nation of nearly 1,000 tribal citizens. Glenda has served on Tribal Council since 2003. She served two years as the Tribal Council Treasurer prior to becoming the Tribal Chairperson in 2005. Her term as Tribal Chairperson was renewed thru 2025, at which time she will have served on Tribal Council for over 22 years.
In addition to her work in in the legal field as a Paralegal, Office Manager and Legal Secretary from 1979 through 1996, she also worked as the Chief Business Official for the Pioneer Union Elementary School District for the past 20 years from 1996 through 2017.
She was born and raised on the Enterprise Rancheria. Her grandmother and father both instilled the importance, honor and duty that she feels to serve her Native People -- to protect the Rancheria lands and sovereign rights of the Native Nations.
Glenda has directly been affected by the Indian Child Welfare Act, who herself had been subjected as a child at the age of nine, a ward of the court to the State Social Services agency along with all her siblings. She was the eldest of her six siblings that were all affected. Upon turning the age of sixteen, she requested an emancipation and was granted it. Coming from a broken home, she was sent to a Native American school for youth, suffered many hurdles, but was one of the very first Native American youth to have graduated College through the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the 1970’s in the State of California. She has a heartfelt passion for children affected by the Indian Child Welfare Act and works passionately in a leadership role to help identify services and programs available.
Glenda has extensive experience working in Indian Country and continues to be actively involved in Government Relations, Development of Educational Programs, Public Relations, Indian Health Care, Housing and National Tribal Organizations, to mention a few:
Vice Chair and Secretary to Enterprise Rancheria Housing Board of Commissioners - (18 years)
President of the Board of Directors for the Ipakanni Early College School - (8 years)
Secretary to California Association of Tribal Governments - (6 years)
Chair and Vice-Chair of Feather River Tribal Health - (16 years)
Tribal Delegate to National Congress of American Indians - (18 years)
California Nations Indian Gaming Association - (18 years)
National Indian Gaming Association - (18 years)
Fee to Trust Advisory Committee - (16 years)
Bureau of Indian Affairs Advisory Committee - (4 years)
Chairperson Nelson brings many years of financial, legal and educational experience to the leadership of her tribe, local community and on national forums.