Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.

"Making life better!"

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VICE-PRESIDENT: Dr. AnnMaria De Mars Principal Investigator for four Small Business Innovation Research projects on computer-based training Written funded proposals for a total of over $15 million Performed evaluations for Talent search, vocational rehabilitation, HCOP, Even Start Family Literacy and SAMHSA Grants Doctorate in educational psychology Specialization in statistics and assessment Taught at Minot State University, Jamestown College, Cankdeska Cikana Community College and the University of California, Riverside Click here for C.V. including partial list of publications

I have been working on the Spirit Lake Reservation since 1990. Back then, I wrote the first federal grant to tribes for Early Childhood Tracking with special education staff from all the reservations in North Dakota. I also wrote and taught the first course offered over the Internet by a tribal college. I think the fact that I was first on these things proves mainly that I am getting old.

I have a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of California. I lived in North Dakota for seven years, but moved back home to California after my husband died. Professionally, I did all the things you are supposed to do - earned a Ph.D., published scientific articles, did a year of post-doctoral research, got promoted through the professor ranks and eventually ended up in the corporate world as a well-paid statistician bored out of my mind. One day, Erich asked me, 'Do you really want to spend the rest of your life driving up and down the 405 freeway working inside of a box?' Three months later, I had quit my safe, corporate job and we were shaking hands inside the tribal administration building, having signed the incorporation papers for Spirit Lake Consulting, Inc.

I live in Santa Monica and usually work with my partners back in North Dakota by fax and email, but I do come to the reservations seven or eight times a year. I have four children, aged eight to twenty-four. My second child has epilepsy, which was diagnosed when we were living in North Dakota. She takes medication daily to prevent seizures. Since this works pretty well, she does not considered herself to have a disability unless it looks like it might get her out of helping around the house,

“I can’t do the dishes. I’m disabled, remember, I have epilepsy!”

In case you are wondering, this line does not work and she still has to do the dishes.