History

ADOT and the Hopi Tribe convened the first meeting of the newly established Hopi Tribe Transportation Partnership on September 26, 2007 in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Specifically, the meeting purpose was to promote understanding, commitment, ownership, and identify strategies to initiate the partnership process.  At the meeting a partnership charter was established and signed by all in attendance, goals and strategies were agreed upon, and a Steering Committee was established to support the ongoing partnership process.  The meeting was also an opportunity for officials from the partner groups to identify current and future transportation needs and improvements within the Hopi Reservation. 

In addition to the Hopi Tribe and ADOT, other partners involved in the effort include the Bureau of Indian Affairs - Western Regional Office, Federal Highway Administration - Arizona Division, Coconino County, and Navajo County.  Several representatives from the Navajo Department of Transportation also attended as invited guests.  About 53 representatives from the various partnering agencies were in attendance.   Overseeing the meeting facilitation was Holon Consulting which for the past three years had been instrumental in assisting with a similar partnering process for the Navajo Nation.

Overall, this first partnership meeting was a success.  Comments were positive reflecting that attendees were able to express their ideas concerning obstacles facing the various agencies.  This meeting was deemed an important first step so that a foundation of trust could be built and communication improved.  The Partnership Steering Committee in conjunction with the Hopi Transportation Task Team continues to develop the framework for strengthening the partner group relationships.   Thus far the steering committee has initiated development of a partnership strategic plan that will be used to provide guidance on how the priority issues will be addressed.  The steering committee has also established task teams which work to address priority issues and report back to the full committee for follow-up.  Also, progress on the partnership effort is reported and further guidance is obtained through an annual meeting of the partner group’s executive leadership.