Strategy Elevation Alliance
Executive Preview · Pre-Operational Readiness · April 28, 2026

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation

Sovereign Nation · Mayetta, Kansas · Values-Aligned Multi-Front Transition
Built for Chairman Joseph Rupnick and the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Council.
The Onliness
Strategy Elevation Alliance is the only strategic operating partnership where three enterprise practitioners run the full ILLUMINATE → FOCUS → PERFORM arc as one continuous discipline alongside the leadership team driving the enterprise. The same practitioners read the conditions, shape the priorities with leadership, and install the operating cadence inside the work. The methodology is SEA's to run. The enterprise is leadership's to operate. The operating rhythm is built together.
Climb Higher. See Further. Execute Intentionally.
Strategic Context · May 2026

The Values-Alignment Operating Window

The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is running three strategic transitions at once: a federal contracting rebalance after divesting an ICE contract, an acquisition pursuit at the Shawnee Indian Mission State Historical Site for cultural revitalization, and an ongoing health center expansion. The window to install the operating system that carries the values-alignment work across all three is open right now.

3
Strategic Transitions in Motion
Jan 2026
Council Values-Alignment Work
SB 518
Shawnee Mission Pursuit
2026
Rupnick Term Expires
What Just Happened

Three transitions, one operating system.

Values alignment surfaced organically at the January 2026 council table. The operating system is the structured framework that converts that alignment into discipline across multiple transitions running simultaneously.

  • Federal contracting pivot. The Tribe divested its federal ICE contract in response to community engagement on values alignment, requiring a rebalance of the federal contracting portfolio.
  • Cultural-economic acquisition. The Tribe is pursuing acquisition of the Shawnee Indian Mission State Historical Site for cultural revitalization, language preservation, and ceremony, with SB 518 spoken in favor in early 2026.
  • Health center expansion. Medical and behavioral health expansion is ongoing, alongside the January 2026 tribal council values-alignment work that frames the multi-front transition.

Why Now

Every decision made before opening is cheaper than every decision made after. Governance, leadership bench, operating cadence, guest-experience standards, member accountability structures. All of these are easier to install on a pre-operational enterprise than to retrofit on a running one.

The federal contracting pivot, the Shawnee Mission acquisition pursuit, the health center expansion, and the 2026 election cycle raise the visibility of every operating decision in the next 12 months. The operating system installed during the values-alignment phase is what carries the multi-front transition cleanly.

Why SEA, Why READY™

The READY™ diagnostic was built for exactly this profile: an enterprise in transition with a committed leadership team, a funded plan, and a defined window to act. It reads the five conditions that shape how strategy lands inside an operating enterprise: Reason for Change, Executive Sponsorship, Alignment, Decision Authority, and Yield.

SEA's three partners have personally carried tribal enterprises through values-alignment and multi-front transitions at Chumash, Choctaw Nation, and Pinnacle. The Prairie Band profile, with a Chairman in second term running three strategic transitions in parallel, is the profile READY was designed for, with leadership teams we recognize.

Sources: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation public communications · Tribal Council January 2026 records · Kansas state legislative records (SB 518) · Tribal Business News. All figures sourced from public record as of May 2, 2026. Any figure cited in a subsequent engagement proposal will be confirmed directly with the Tribal Council.
The Partnership

Three Practitioners. One Accountability.

SEA is not a firm that deploys associates. The three partners below own the work end to end, together. What you see below is what shows up in the room.

John Elliott
Principal, Strategy Elevation Alliance · Economic Development · Transformation Leader · Executive Coach
Innovative Venturer · Analytical Machine · Entrepreneurial Builder · Inspiring Storyteller · Future-Oriented
35+ years leading organizations through transformation as CEO, COO, CFO, and consulting practice leader. Career spans Big 5 consulting across Asia, Native American Tribal economic development, and corporate leadership in manufacturing, defense, and utilities. Known for navigating complex, regulated environments and delivering measurable growth. Established strategic partnerships and completed $1B of economic development transactions alongside Native Nations.
Core Expertise
  • Organizational Transformation & Strategy Execution
  • Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Integration & Growth
  • Economic Development Initiatives
  • Operations, Supply Chain & Outsourcing
  • Shared Services & Enterprise Performance Systems
  • Change Management & Cultural Transformation
[email protected] 508.272.4710
Teri Hill
Principal, Strategy Elevation Alliance · Strategic Advisor · Journey Architect · Executive Coach
Strategic Persuader · Vision Translator · People Optimizer · Alignment Builder · Outcome-Focused
Trusted business advisor with 35+ years helping executives grow and transform. Former Accenture Managing Director brings enterprise-grade expertise typically reserved for Fortune 500 companies to small and mid-sized organizations. Architected Chumash Enterprises' shift from functional silos to self-directed teams. Grew Accenture practice team 5x and Fortune client base across healthcare and energy. Predictive Index® Consultant, The Leadership Challenge® Advanced Facilitator, and licensed Line-of-Sight℠ practitioner.
Core Expertise
  • Enterprise Transformation & Strategy Execution
  • Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
  • M&A: Integration, Growth, Divestiture
  • Organizational Design & Operating Models
  • Talent Optimization & Behavioral Analytics
  • Strategic Planning & Expert Facilitation
  • Change Management & Cultural Transformation
[email protected] 602.831.0051
Tommy Rhoads
Principal, Strategy Elevation Alliance · Transformation Leader · Master Black Belt · Performance Integrator
Natural Persuader · Energetic Innovator · Change Catalyst · Visionary Trailblazer · Equality-Focused
Proven leader in hospitality, tribal enterprises, and corporate transformation. Built enterprise-wide transformation roadmap at Chumash Enterprises delivering $3M+ recurring value. Transformed customer and employee experience at Choctaw Nation: CSAT +39.5%, ESAT +31 points; launched Hoshin Kanri strategy system. Progressive leadership at Pinnacle Entertainment from F&B to Regional Ops with multiple Leader of the Year awards. Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner.
Core Expertise
  • Enterprise Transformation (people, process, digital, cultural)
  • Organizational Change & Leadership Activation
  • Hoshin Kanri & Strategy Deployment
  • Customer & Team Experience Strategy
  • Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Performance
  • Operational Excellence (Lean Six Sigma® Master Black Belt)
  • M&A Value Realization
[email protected] 469.475.4277
Next Step

A Thirty-Minute Conversation About the Next Twelve Months.

No slide deck. No pitch. A direct working conversation about your twelve-month priorities, the operating system the tribe needs to lock them down, and whether a partnership with SEA belongs in that room.

Email the Partners to Set Up a Conversation Email John Elliott Directly