A-dae Romero-Briones
Vice President, Policy & Research, California Tribal Fund, Nourishing Native Foods & Health
Cochiti/Kiowa
Cochiti/Kiowa
A-dae first joined First Nations as associate director of Research and Policy for Native Agriculture. She formerly was the director of community development for Pūlama Lāna‘i in Hawaii, and is also the co-founder and former executive director of a nonprofit organization in Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico. She currently serves as Vice President of Research and Policy, Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative.
A-dae worked for the University of Arkansas School of Law Indigenous Food and Agricultural Initiative while earning her LL.M. degree in food and agricultural law. Her thesis was on the Food Safety Modernization Act as it applied to the federal-tribal relationship. She wrote extensively about food safety, the Produce Safety Rule and tribes, and the protection of tribal traditional foods. A U.S. Fulbright Scholar, A-dae received her Bachelor of Arts degree in public policy from Princeton University, and received a law doctorate from Arizona State University’s College of Law, in addition to her LL.M. degree in food and agricultural law from the University of Arkansas.
A-dae continues to influence positive change through her board participation on various organizations dedicated to food justice, animal welfare, and maternal health. As a member of the board of directors for FACT (Food Animal Concerns Trust), FACT advocates for the humane and healthy treatment of food-producing animals by supporting humane farmers, promoting policies that ensure animal products are safe and healthy to eat, and helping consumers make informed food choices. Including, the National Academy of Sciences Maternal Health board. Additionally, A-dae forms part of the advisory board for Civil Eats, an award-winning news site dedicated to broadening and deepening the conversation around food and agriculture, amplify underrepresented voices, hold power–both government officials and corporations–to account, and inspire a more equitable, sustainable future.