Washington DC –
The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Thursday, approved the nomination of Lillian A. Sparks to be the Commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans at the Department of Health and Human Services.
President Obama nominated Sparks for the post on October 23, 2009. She has served as Executive Director of the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) where she has been an advocate for American Indian education, language preservation and Indian health. She is an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. She is a graduate of Morgan State University and Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to her leadership role at the NIEA, Sparks served as a Staff Attorney for the National Congress of American Indians
The Administration for Native Americans, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, promotes self-sufficiency and cultural preservation of Native Americans and tribes in the United States, through community-based projects that are designed to improve social and economic development, and advocate for language preservation.
Her nomination now goes to the full Senate for its consideration.