Outlook Magazine - Fall 2025

Helping Indigenous Students Become Industry Ready Smith leading Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University as CFO, dean

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ith more than 30 years of field experi ence, Zhawaanukwe Jodee Smith (’22, ’24) is leading as interim Chief Finan cial Officer and Dean of Career and Technology Education at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU),

health, self-esteem and cultural identity,” Smith said. “It’s essential to recognize and address these issues to create a more supportive and equitable educational environment for Native American stu dents.” Before LCOOU, Smith was an instructor for Emer gency Medical Response, First Aid, and CPR at Wis consin Indianhead Technical College-Rice Lake, and worked in the field providing training to busi ness personnel to meet their requirements. She was a certified business plan writer for the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and was the founder and co-owner of Spirit Winds Consulting LLC, a busi ness development consulting firm. Continue your lifelong learning, and learn more about UW-Stout's undergraduate and graduate degrees at UWStout.edu . "I have been involved in many alternative training efforts to help individuals become industry ready." Jodee Smith (’22, ’24)

located on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation and serving three additional tribal communities in north-central Wisconsin. The university’s mission is to provide Anishi naabe communities with post-secondary and con tinuing education while advancing the language, culture and history of the Ojibwe. As dean, Smith is dedicated to providing students with hands-on education to prepare them for careers in technical fields, and to build partnerships with the commu nity and businesses to meet workforce needs. “I have been involved in many alternative training efforts to help individuals become industry ready — from marketing a business, to how to run daily operations. It is in my combined professional expe rience and UW-Stout education that readied me for this role,” she said. Smith earned her dual degrees in B.S. in manage ment and M.S. in operations and supply manage ment from UW-Stout. She began as dean of CTE at LCOOU in June 2024 and as interim CFO last Febru ary, overseeing financial planning, budgeting, grant management, and more to ensure the university’s financial health and overall success. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to serve as interim CFO. More importantly, I’m able to use my skills to move the university forward,” Smith said. Her goals as dean are to support students’ Indige nous values, traditions and lifestyles while achiev ing their education goals and to address challenges faced by Native Americans, including mental health issues and historical trauma brought on by the Native American boarding schools. “The history of Native American education is marked by trauma. The consequences of this trau matic experience persist today, affecting mental

Read the full story at UWStout.edu/Jodee-Smith

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Outlook 2025