DIRECTOR
Kerry Bird
Kerry Bird is an enrolled citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and of Lumbee tribal heritage. He graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Masters of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Bird is President of Triangle Native American Society and a former President of the National Indian Education Association, the oldest and largest organization that works to advance culturally relevant educational opportunities for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students.
He is a member of the Dix Park community committee, local advisory board for the Ackland Art Museum, N.C. Botanical Garden Foundation Board, and the UNC World View Council of Advisors. He currently serves on the Alumni Committee for Racial and Ethnic Diversity and formerly served on the Board of Visitors for UNC Chapel Hill. Kerry and his husband, Ken, split their time residing in Durham and Carolina Beach, North Carolina.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Quinn West Godwin
Quinn West Godwin was born and raised in Pembroke, NC and is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Godwin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Dramatic Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a J.D. from the UNC School of Law, where he served as president of the UNC Native American Law Students Association in his final year.
In late 2017 and 2018, Godwin completed the University of North Carolina American Indian Center’s Native Leadership Institute as part of its third cohort. He previously served for four years as field coordinator for Gov. Roy Cooper’s Office of Public Engagement and Inclusion where, among other tasks, he served as an outreach liaison to diverse communities across the state.
Since July 2022, Godwin has served as the Associate Director of the North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.