Aron Wahkinney

Aron has worked at the intersection of social change and process equity for years. His work in grants management started in his community as a member of the Comanche Nation. As he worked with tribal youth, he saw the impact dollars could make on the lives of those he worked with. He moved into managing budgets and using the aid to develop programs, and since then, he has worked as a grants and project manager.

As Aron found ways to apply for support to bring dollars to the community, he also discovered how to redistribute that aid to different tribes. Growing up in a tribal community and as a member of a tribal nation, Aron has seen the barriers that prevent people from having what they need to put health within reach. As a result, he comes to the Foundation to remove the obstacles to getting grants so that underrepresented communities can experience the impact of having agency over these dollars.

Aron strategically supports members of our Community Investment and Impact team by reviewing grant applications, preparing grant agreements and assuring that our agreements comply with grantmaking rules. His goal is to be the ultimate advocate for the relationships program officers have cultivated with potential applicants and grantees. He helps navigate the challenges the Native community experiences in accessing funding from organizations like ours and applies this knowledge to help us create better, easier-to-navigate grant application processes.

Aron approaches grant management with an equity lens, with the intention of being responsive to the experience of grantees and applicants and optimizing processes to be transparent and accessible. He works to remove barriers to grant dollars so that organizations statewide can create robust programs that are responsive to the needs of their community members.

Aron has lived in Colorado since 2020. For him, life is good when he does anything outside or spends time with his friends and family. His healthiest moments are hiking with his wife and two dogs in the mountains. He also finds time to relax and return to himself by watching the extensive library of music documentaries on Netflix.

Education

BA – Communications Media, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

MS – Wellness Management: Health Promotion, University of Central Oklahoma