Court Ruark

Court is passionate about problem solving and capacity building. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, before she came to TMC she worked for her tribe and its business arm as the Director of Government Relations. While there, she managed a team of 10 whose work supported more than 9,000 employees and 320,000 citizens. Her leadership resulted in expanded health care access in Indian Country, fully paid maternity leave for Cherokee Nation employees, and the tribe engaging at the international level for the first time. Prior to that work, she was the Director of the Native American Leadership Program for Wellstone Action and worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant for Congresswoman Betty McCollum. Court serves as an Americans for Indian Opportunity Ambassador and was named as one of 40 under 40 Native Americans by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. She lives in Chevy Chase with her children, Ox and Birdie, dogs, Niles and Skittles, and snake, Selu (which was a pandemic compromise gift to her son). When she’s not at work, she’s on her Peloton, baking, or reading contemporary fiction. (Please ask her for a book rec!) Court has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma.