Jeff Atencio (Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblo of Laguna) is from the New Mexico Pueblos of Ohkay Owingeh and Laguna. He has over 20 years of experience working for Pueblos and municipal government, as well as a Navy veteran. He holds a BS in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix.
Within Tribal government he has worked at Ohkay Owingeh as a CHR/Fireman/EMT-A, managed an agricultural cooperative that had a line of dehydrated products and farmed 100 acres. The Agricultural Cooperative was recognized as an “Entrepreneur of the Year” by the State of New Mexico. He was a coordinator within Ohkay Owingeh Environment Department where he helped to set up tribal environmental regulations. He was a Housing Department Director at Tesuque Pueblo. He was a board member on the Tribal Housing Authorities for Ohkay Owingeh and Northern Pueblos, where he was able to initiate a housing development at two different Pueblos. Most recently he was a Tribal Administrator at Picuris Pueblo where he was instrumental in setting up a Boys and Girls club, address infrastructure needs, a new senior center, a new adult day care facility, a travel center, upgrade to a transfer station, assisted with establishing class II gaming, and a 1 MW solar array. His work within the City of Santa Fe ranged from accounts receivable, customer service at the water division, water conservation specialist, and IT department as an Applications Software Specialist (Oracle and AS400). His military service was as a Data Systems Technician in the Carrier Intelligence Center, served during Desert Shield/Storm.
He created Rainstorm Consulting to bring his experience in economic development, grant writing, program development and management, financing/funding to Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations. He is an artist (JD Rainstorm) and has in the past taken part in SWAIA Indian Market and Native Treasures, We are the Seeds Show (Santa Fe), and has shown his work in galleries in Santa Fe and Massachusetts. He currently is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for a native CDFI, Native Community Capital.
