Rafael F. Tapia

Rafael F. Tapia, Jr., a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, is the Director of Tribal Community Connections at Local First Arizona. Rafael has over 20 years of economic, workforce, and community development experience. 

Before joining Local First, he was the Vice President of Programs for Partnership with Native Americans, a national non-profit organization serving 60 reservations in 12 states. Services were administered through partnerships with approximately 1,000 community-based tribal partners impacting 250,000 Native American citizens in the Southwest and Northern Plains. Early in his career, he dedicated over a decade to addictions and alcohol behavioral health, social, and residential treatment services. 

Rafael is currently a Mentor in Residence at Native FORGE at the University of Arizona, an expansion project focused on Arizona Tribal economies and entrepreneurship initiatives. His experience includes serving as the senior advisor to the office of the chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Arizona Department of Commerce Tribal Liaison to the 22 Arizona Indian Tribes, business development consultant, and small business owner. Rafael has an MBA from the University of Arizona and an Economic Develop Certificate from the University of Oklahoma.