Patrita "Ime" Salazar is an enrolled member of Taos Pueblo. Ime holds a BA in Distributed Studies with an emphasis in Communications from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has worked in various platforms in fundraising, public relations, project managament, event planning at the national and local stages, youth empowerment and community development. Ime works in the Division of Energy & Mineral Development at the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Ime is a founder of the American Indian Youth Leadership Institute, and she works with the Human Relations Commission in Boulder to implement plans for Indigenous Peoples Day inititative and activities, Boulder Title IV Indian Education program, CU Advisory for CNAIS and American Indian Alumni Relations at CU Boulder. Previous national nonprofit organizations and businesses she has worked with include the Native American Rights Fund, American Indian Science and Engineering Society, International Business Machines (IBM), American Indian College Fund and Echo Hawk Consulting.