AMERIND exists due to a void in the commercial insurance marketplace. In 1986, the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) created AMERIND in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. At the time, a crisis in the insurance marketplace was affecting everyone. To maintain affordable and sustainable insurance coverage in managed housing, these organizations had the vision to create a pool of self-funded insurance.
AMERIND’s Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program currently serves over 400 Tribes, Tribal Housing Authorities and Tribal Designated Housing Entities (TDHE) in the United States. To be an eligible member (owner) of the IHBG program, you have to be a federally recognized Tribe and receive Native American Housing Assistance Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) funding.
In our ongoing webinar series Trusted Voices, we’ll discuss some important upcoming changes to AMERIND’s IHBG program.
Presenters:
Shannon Lastyona, AIC, AINS, Underwriting Manager at AMERIND
She has 21 years of experience working with tribally designated housing entities, tribal governments and businesses throughout Indian Country on various matters. Shannon also held a position in AMERIND’s Claims Department where she was responsible for field adjusting assessments, claim negotiations, response to catastrophic events, and overall, claim file management. She attended New Mexico State University and has obtained her AAS in Computer Information Systems, currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science. She holds professional insurance designations with an Associate in Claims (AIC), Associate in General Insurance (AINS) and Bell Leadership Achiever and Communication certifications. Shannon is honored to be a member of the Zuni Pueblo, located in New Mexico.
Troy Romero, Underwriting Tech, AMERIND
Troy earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Haskell Indian Nations University in 2016. He’s been at AMERIND for two years as an Underwriting Tech. Troy is from the Pueblo of Acoma. About his work he says “AMERIND has really opened my eyes to show what happens behind the scenes; all the time, effort, and teamwork it takes to write and maintain policies. Since day one with AMERIND, it has been non-stop learning and challenging, which I like and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Jordan Naranjo, Underwriting Tech, AMERIND
Prior to coming to AMERIND, Jordan worked in Tribal gaming in a variety of roles including management. Jordan is from the Santa Clara Pueblo and has been at AMERIND for over two years. He credits his skills and work ethic from learning on the job.
