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Key Tribal Government Affairs Officials
James A. Crawford - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Tribal Government Affairs
US DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary James A. Crawford is a member of the Forest County Potawatomi Community located in Northern Wisconsin. He was awarded the Madison 365 Wisconsin’s most Influential Native American Leaders 2023 and the BizTimes Media Wisconsin 275 Most Influential Business Leaders in 2024. James was the initial Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, which is now Potawatomi Ventures. James has spent the past 39 years working for his Tribe including being elected to the roles of Vice-Chairman, Council Member, Secretary and most recently resigning his Tribal Chairman position to take on the role of US DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary. As Tribal Chairman James was the fourth tribal leader to sign a Self-Governance Compact with the US DOT. A strong advocate for Tribal Sovereignty James enters this role from the viewpoint of a Tribal Leader and looks forward to advancing the Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program.
Milo Booth - Director of Tribal Government Affairs
Mr. Milo Booth is the Director of the Office of Tribal Government Affairs in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Transportation. As the Director Mr. Booth leads the new Tribal Government Affairs Office and serves as advisor on tribal affairs to the Secretary and all DOT leadership as DOT implements the Tribal Transportation Self Governance program, and works collaboratively with tribes to strengthen our government-to-government relations. Additionally, he assists DOT programs to assess, coordinate, and advise regarding impacts of current and proposed policies and actions on tribes, help ensure real and meaningful engagement takes place with tribes, and assists DOT programs with Tribal Consultation. Additionally he supports Tribal Liaisons and programs in all DOT Modes in strengthening their relationship with tribes, and works with tribes to improve their capabilities to effectively work with DOT.
Mr. Booth has over 25 years of experience working with Tribal, state, and Federal agencies on infrastructure, land management, energy resource development and emergency management. He is an Alaska Native and a Tsimshian (Sim Shee Ann) enrolled in the Metlakatla Indian Community, Raven Clan.
Eldridge Onco - Senior Tribal Affairs Advisor
Eldridge Onco is the Tribal Affairs Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Tribal Government Affairs. Mr. Onco serves as the lead negotiator in USDOT’s Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program. He also served as a federal technical representative and a federal member on the negotiated rulemaking committee that developed the implementing regulation for USDOT’s Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program. Prior to his joining the Office of Tribal Government Affairs, he served as an attorney for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) where he was FTA’s subject matter expert on Federal Indian law issues regarding FTA’s Tribal Transit Program. Mr. Onco received his bachelor and law degrees from the University of Oklahoma. He is an enrolled citizen of the Kiowa Tribe.
Michele McCoy - Administrative Support Specialist for the Tribal Government Affairs Office.
Michele joined the Department of Transportation as a contractor in 2013, where she worked for the OCIO office and later became a federal employee in 2017 while working in the immediate Office of the Secretary. After serving in the Secretary’s Office, she joined the OST Office of Budget Office and later joined the Department of Tribal Government Affairs in April 2023, where she has supported the team in many ways. With her administrative skills, Michele assisted the team with expert administrative duties such as determining, developing, evaluating, and interpreting administrative processes and policies, as well as procedures to use throughout the organization/unit. Through these activities, she examines, analyzes, and ensures that the administrative processes are operating at the greatest level of effectiveness and efficiency. Where she identifies deficiencies, she makes clear and complete recommendations for improvement and develop new policy, guidance, and standard operating procedures as warranted.
Ocfuske (O.J.) King – Tribal Affairs Specialist
Ocfuske (O.J.) is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. He obtained his master’s degree in Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma and has served Indian Country for nearly 15 years. He began his career in the Indian Health Service where he served for 14 years and now continues his service to Indian Country with the Department of Transportation. He spent his entire federal career representing Indian Country and is excited to continue that service in the DOT, Office of Tribal Governmental Affairs.
Eli Sessions – Tribal Affairs Specialist
Eli Sessions is a Tribal Affairs Specialist in the Office of Tribal Government Affairs for the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). He is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste Marie Chippewa Tribe of Michigan. Eli graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in Indigenous and American Indian Studies. He excelled in his studies earning Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude honors in every individual semester of his undergrad. Eli also received a Circle of Scholars honor from the American Indian College Fund for his outstanding academic achievements. Sessions has a great background and knowledge of Tribal and Federal Government policies, Tribal Self Governance, History of Tribal Governments, and Tribal/Federal Treaties and Agreements.