Michelle Salgado for nearly 50 year has served the Cahuilla Band of Indians in various elected and appointed positions within the Tribe. As a past chairwoman of the Tribe, her leadership resulted in the first Tribal-State Compact for Cahuilla, paving the way for economic self-sufficiency. She currently serves as the Chair for the Cahuilla Band of Indians’ Cultural Committee and is a Commissioner for the Tribal Emergency Response Commission. She has a lifetime of service and leadership in the past with regional, state, and national organizations. She worked for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Washington, D.C. Her business experience includes ownership of an all-native women owned business that paved miles of tribal roads in Southern California, a beach erosion project in Oceanside, and work on the Domegoni Reservoir (Diamond Vally Lake) project. She is currently retired, but continues to commit herself to her family and the Cahuilla people.