Chief of Mohegan Tribe, Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, appointed as Treasurer in joint announcement that includes the creation of new Office of Tribal and Native Affairs

On June 21, 2022, it was announced that President Joe Biden has appointed a new U.S. Treasurer, Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, and that a new Office of Tribal and Native Affairs is to be created. The office of Treasurer of the United States has been vacant since January 2020. The Treasurer of the United States oversees the United States Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and is a senior advisor and representative of the Treasury Secretary. As such, this position carries the potential to influence new coins and coin programs, in addition to reforming existing ones.

“In 2024 the United States will celebrate 75 years of women serving in the position of U.S. Treasurer,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “Dr. Malerba continues in the footsteps of sixteen women who have worked in this important office, starting with Georgia Neese Clark, appointed by President Harry Truman in 1949, and most recently Jovita Carranza, appointed by President Donald Trump.”

Chief Malerba is the first female chief in modern memory of the Mohegan Tribal nation and will be the first Native American Treasurer at the Treasury Department. In 2010, Malerba ascended to her position as the 18th Chief of the Mohegan Tribe. Prior to becoming Chief, she served as Chairwoman of the Tribal Council, additionally serving in Tribal Government as Executive Director of Health and Human Services. Chief Malerba also held a career as a registered nurse, becoming the Director of Cardiology and Pulmonary Services at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Yale University, eventually being named a Jonas Scholar. Chief Malerba earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of St. Joseph.

As Treasurer, Chief Malerba will also oversee the newly established Office of Tribal and Native Affairs. The office will be dedicated to communication with Tribal nations and is intended to be the hub for Tribal policy. The Treasury previously created a Tribal team in 2021 to develop the department’s growing relationship with Tribal nations and to administer the $30 billion in programs directed towards Tribes through the American Rescue Plan. The Treasury also plans to work with Congress to ensure this office has the resources it needs to carry out its mission.

“In recent decades Congress has authorized many significant U.S. coin and medal programs relating to American Indians,” Tucker said. “Some of the United States Mint’s best design work and sculpting has come from these programs. The appointment of Chief Lynn Malerba to the office of U.S. Treasurer, and the creation of the Office of Tribal and Native Affairs, continue this national recognition of the importance of Native Americans.”

“I am honored and humbled by Secretary Yellen and the Biden Administration’s commitment to ensuring that all voices are heard by Treasury as we work together to create an equitable and just society,” said Chief Lynn Malerba. “It is especially important that our Native voices are respected. This appointment underscores this Administration’s commitment to doing just that. I am excited to serve our communities as Treasurer and for the work ahead.”

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