OIE Organization and Contacts

Leadership 

Julian Guerrero, Jr. MPA - Director
julian.guerrero@ed.gov 

Discretionary Team

The Discretionary Team works with both the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Professional Development programs. All programmatic and administrative questions on discretionary grant programs may be referred to the members on this team.

Dr. Linda Brake

Dr. Brake is a highly experienced educator and district administrator whose career spans multiple states and includes extensive work in both general and special education. Her federal service began with the Department of Defense Education Activity, where she served as a Special Education Director supporting military-connected children and their families. Her broad expertise and enduring commitment to educational excellence continue to guide her work and leadership with the Office of Indian Education.

Formula Team

The Formula Team reviews all formula grants to LEA applications for approval and answers all programmatic questions from grantees regarding the formula grant program.

Donna (Jay) Bussell, M.Ed., (Apache, Comanche, Caddo)

I am a proud citizen of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, with Comanche and Caddo heritage that continue to guide my path as an educator—honoring countless generations who taught my people long before classrooms existed. My journey in education began as a Title VI (IV) student, later as a Title VI parent and teacher. But what started my career in education formally took shape as a Title VI tutor. Over the past 20 years, I have served students in Head Start, elementary, middle, high school and college, 11 of those years as a classroom teacher. These experiences grounded me deeply in the daily realities of our students and affirmed my commitment to their academic, cultural, and personal success. The future of our communities depends on the success of our students, and I am dedicated to working alongside you—as a former Title VI student, a daughter, a tutor, a parent, a teacher, and now a partner—to ensure our children create their success from home communities to worldwide impact.

Gregory Hindsley, M.A.

Greg serves as a Program Officer on the OIE Formula Grant team and has been with the U.S. Department of Education since January 2022. Greg values engaging with grantees and collaborating closely with colleagues across the OIE team. Prior to joining OIE, Greg worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior, beginning with three years at the Bureau of Land Management followed by 15 years with the National Park Service. During that time, Greg held several positions focused on cultural resources, battlefield preservation project grants, and law enforcement administration. Greg’s experience also includes work in social media, budget analysis, human resources, and inter‑departmental contracting. Greg holds a Master of Arts in History from the University of South Carolina, a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education/Social Studies from Providence College, and a Certificate in Environmental Policy from The George Washington University.

Wanda Lee, M.Ed. (Lumbee)

Wanda has been an OIE Formula Program Officer for over eleven years.  Drawing on her Lumbee heritage, Wanda loves empowering culturally responsive Indian Education and remediation efforts across the Nation via her Office of Indian Education, Education Program Specialist/Program Officer position. Wanda completed her Education Policy, Planning, and Administration Master of Education degree from the University of Maryland, College Park with Summa Cum Laude honors. Ms. Lee's favorite previous positions include the: Baltimore American Indian Center Adult Program, Seminole Nation of FL's Ahfachkee Day School Bilingual Curriculum Development and Baltimore City & Baltimore County Formula Grant Programs.  For over 20 years, she was a Federal Program Director, Maryland classroom teacher of 2 - 4th grades and reading teacher for 6 - 8th grades; and taught literacy, pre-GED and GED classes for six adult education programs. She served as a Maryland State Indian Commissioner/ Education Committee Chair for five years and conducted a MD State Indian Education Conference.  Prior to joining ED, Wanda worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FSA, for six years. She also was a National Honor Society Member, Kappa Delta Pi Fellow (1992-1993), and an Arthur Parsons Scholar (1992-1993).