Red Earth Staff

Connie Hart Yellowman, Executive Director
(cyellowman@redearth.org)

Connie Hart Yellowman , Executive Director of Red Earth since December 2004, is Cheyenne, and an enrolled member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. An accomplished leader and manager, she is also an active presenter and lecturer, teaching courses for the National Preservation Institute and the University of Nevada at Reno on consultation with Native American tribes.

Before becoming Executive Director of Red Earth, Inc., in 2004, Yellowman had been associated with the organization in a variety of capacities. A juried artist at the Red Earth Festival since 1995, she won several awards for her beadwork and quill work. She also received awards from the Lawrence Indian Art Show and the Chickasaw Nation Native American Art Competition and Show. She was a participant in the Red Earth Museum 's First Annual Master Artist Show. Yellowman has worked with several museum collections and served on museum exhibit planning committees locally and nationally. She was a member of the Content Development Committee for the Native American Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma , and a member of the Native American Advisory Committee for the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

Ms. Yellowman has worked in a range of senior management and education positions, including serving as Director of the Fort Reno Visitor Center in Oklahoma for seven years. She has presented throughout the United States on topics including the history of the Cheyenne and consultation with Native American Tribes on issues ranging from preservation to protection and repatriation.
Yellowman holds an M.A. in history from Purdue University and a J.D. of Law from the Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Eric Oesch, Deputy Director
(eric@redearth.org)

Eric was named Deputy Director for Red Earth, Inc. after returning to the organization in May 2006. He previously worked for Red Earth, Inc. from 1993- 1999. He is responsible for promoting Red Earth programs to larger audiences through feature articles, news coverage, relationships with school districts and educational associations, and other museums. His work is crucial to the success of the project in expanding audiences, and sustaining the funding and revenue streams. His work at Red Earth has resulted in significant coverage of Red Earth Festival and programs nationally and internationally. Red Earth was the recipient 1995 Redbud award for Outstanding Public Relations Campaign, 1996 Redbud award for Outstanding Marketing Campaign, 1997 Redbud Award for Outstanding Event, 2007 Redbud Merit Award for Outstanding Event, and 2007 Redbud Merit Award for Outstanding Marketing Campaign. Eric has a Bachelor of Arts from University of Central Oklahoma in Journalism Public Relations. His work has been published in numerous publications including Southwest Art, Native Peoples, Dallas Morning News, Kansas City Star, and The Oklahoman.

Erin Merryweather, Associate Director
(erin@redearth.org)

Erin is a member of the Choctaw Nation.  She joined the Red Earth staff in March 2008 and serves as Associate Director.  Merryweather has over fifteen years of experience working in programming and special event planning for non-profits and was previously associated with Red Earth as a staff member as well as a volunteer Festival Chairman.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Oklahoma Christian University.

Lindsay DuPriest, AmeriCorp Member
(Lindsay@redearth.org)

Lindsay is a graduate student in Museum Studies at OU. She has interned with the Oklahoma Arts Council, Red Earth and the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum. She will select objects and art from the Museum’s permanent collection to support the curriculum and work with the project director with research, photography, and written descriptions.

Lahoma Burd, Museum Host