Lifetime member Tim Purdon was elected president of NAFUSA at the organization’s
annual conference in St. Louis in October, replacing outgoing presidet Catherine Hanaway. He previously served as president-elect after several years as an active member of NAFUSA’s Board of Directors.

Tim served as the 18th U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota from 2010 to 2015,
following his nomination by President Obama and unanimous Senate confirmation.
During his tenure, he chaired the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Native
American Issues Subcommittee. He is now a partner at Robins Kaplan LLP. In 2015,
Tim and former NAFUSA Board member Brandon Johnson founded the firm’s American
Indian Law and Policy Group, which Tim co-chairs, along with the firm’s Government
and Internal Investigations Group.

He received his J.D. from Hamline University School of Law in 1994. After graduating,
Purdon clerked for U.S. District Judge Bruce Van Sickle in North Dakota before entering
private practice at firms in Bismarck, North Dakota. During that time, he was dubbed a
“Great Plains Super Lawyer” by Minnesota Law & Politics magazine.

Tim’s creative energy, keen business sense and leadership skills, as well as his true
appreciation for the value and history of the organization and all its members bode well
for NAFUSA under his leadership.