Laura Manthe has worked for the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin at the Environmental Resource Board from 1996 to September of 2020 as the Program Coordinator, Manager, & Director. Her job duties included developing plans, strategies, goals, and objectives in accordance with the needs of the Oneida Nation and Tribal, local, state, and federal laws and regulations. This involves direct community engagement and education through activities, events, and projects. She also facilitated cooperation between the cultural, economic, social, and political spheres of the Oneida Reservation. She does all this while maintaining excellent communication practices to foster constructive partnerships with Tribal, Municipal, State, and Federal entities. This involves establishing and leading interdepartmental teams to advance sustainable design, energy efficiency, and natural resource conservation on the Oneida Reservation.

After work, Laura co-founded Ohe∙láku Among the Corn Stalks, a tribal non-profit White Corn Co-op. She organizes twenty families, 6 acres of corn, three grants and multiple allies who hand harvested over 10,000 pounds of corn last year. No two days are the same and that’s what keeps her on her toes.