The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation) has announced the appointment of Aimee Balthazar as IAIA’s Vice President of Operations, effective, May 5, 2025. As a member of President Martin’s leadership, Balthazar will oversee finance and operations.

“I see the operational departments that the vice president oversees as the backbone of the Institute of American Indian Arts. These departments provide the structure that supports all the other branches of the college,” said Balthazar. Along with Financial Services, the vice president of operations oversees Facilities and Conference Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, the Campus Bookstore, and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) Store.

Aimee Balthazar

“In working towards our mission, the vice president’s role is to act as a conduit between the departments to ensure that there is both communication and strategic planning for the needs of IAIA as a whole,” said Balthazar. “This includes working directly with each area of the college and the museum to develop a budget that addresses their operational needs and planned activities within our available resources.”

“I also deeply believe in the power of choice and personal responsibility. We have all made a personal choice to come to the Institute of American Indian Arts, whether it is as a student or as an employee. Along with that choice, comes the responsibility of doing what we can to support the college and the community. We can choose how to use the resources that are allocated to our areas, and we can all be personally responsible for ensuring that those resources are used in the best possible way. The choices and decisions we all make will contribute to IAIA’s sustainability in the long run.”

Balthazar began her career with IAIA in 1996, in accounts payable, when the school was yet to find a home at its current campus location. Two years later, she was promoted to senior accountant, a position she held until she was promoted to accounting manager in 2000, and then to controller in 2012. In 2024 she was made IAIA finance director.
In 2024, Balthazar participated in the NACUBO Emerging Leaders Program. The Emerging Leaders Program of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) is a comprehensive leadership development program for finance and business professionals from NACUBO-member colleges and universities.

Balthazar earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Boston University in 1989.