Staff

Colby serves as Senior Vice President, Legal and Government Affairs for Native Americans in Philanthropy. He has over 18 years of experience in Tribal law and policy, focusing on agriculture, natural resources, and economic development. Previously, Colby worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of the General Counsel, AMERIND, the National Congress of American Indians, the Intertribal Agriculture Council, the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law, the Native American Rights Fund, and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Matz PC.

Throughout his career, Colby has participated in several legal and policy advocacy efforts to protect Tribal lands and resources, including three Farm Bills. During the 2018 Farm Bill, he helped establish the Native Farm Bill Coalition, which supported Tribal leaders’ efforts to secure over 60 Tribal-specific changes and expand Tribal self-determination to USDA.

Colby earned his Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, his law degree from American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC, and a Master of Laws in Agricultural and Food Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He is licensed to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Supreme Court.