Bryan Van Stippen – Program Director

Bryan Van Stippen is Program Director for National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC), an initiative of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) that provides education, training, and technical assistance to American Indian tribes, Alaska Native Villages & Corporations, Native Hawaiian organizations and First Nations in Canada on the development of carbon credit projects on tribal land. A member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Van Stippen previously served for seven years as Tribal Attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Justice in Wisconsin where he was responsible for land acquisition and other land-related issues. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Masters in Computer Information Systems from Tarleton State University in Texas. Van Stippen is a graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Law (J.D.); the University of Tulsa College of Law (LL.M. in American Indian and Indigenous Law); and the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law (S.J.D in Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy). He lives with his wife and two children in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Bryan is a representative on the 1t.org US Stakeholder Council, a representative on the Voluntary Carbon Market Initiative Expert Advisory Group, a Legacy Member of the  Ecosystem Service Marketplace Consortium, and a representative on the Bipartisan Policy Center Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force.

Jake Stanton - Reforestation Project Manager

Jake Stanton is the Reforestation Project Manager for the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC), an initiative of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) that works with Tribal Nations to create nature-based climate solution projects. In his role with NICC, Jake supports tribes to develop reforestation projects on their land that support tribal sovereignty, sequester carbon, and create meaningful community benefits. Prior to joining NICC, Jake was working as a consultant on a carbon project in Ghana where he was responsible for Monitoring & Evaluation of the project’s stakeholder engagement with local indigenous communities. Throughout his work, Jake is motivated by his conviction that indigenous land stewardship offers a way forward in light of the climate crisis. In 2020, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Brown University where he double majored in Mathematical Physics and Africana Studies. Jake has stayed in Providence, Rhode Island since graduation and lives with his fiancé and his bichon-poodle, Teddy. In his free time, Jake loves to spend time outdoors in nature camping, biking, and running.

Quentin Ikuta - Improved Forest Management Project Manager

Quentin Ikuta is the Improved Forest Management Project Manager for National Indian Carbon Coalition, an initiative of the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) that provides education, training and technical assistance to American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages on the development of carbon credit projects on tribal lands. Quentin has a background in remote sensing and geospatial analysis, silviculture, economics, and timber forestry as well as tribal collaboration relating to forest improvement projects. Prior to joining NICC, he was a professional forester with the USDA Forest Service on the Nantahala and Umatilla National Forests. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Applied Economics and a master’s degree in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. Uniquely, Quentin grew up in the St. Croix river valley within a conservation community which focused on restoring ever-shrinking prairie grassland ecosystems. In the river valley, he grew to love rivers, forests, prairies, and the accompanying relationships that develop while actively stewarding native ecosystems. Quentin currently lives amongst the foothills of the Blue Mountains in Pendleton, Oregon. In his free time, Quentin enjoys cycling, trekking, fishing, hunting, cooking, and spending time with family & friends.