Kristine Rhodes

As director of the Office of American Indian Health at MDH and as founder and chief executive officer of Asemaake, LLC, Kris leverages her decades of public health experience to provide strategic and collaborative support to improve programs and systems centered on the health of Indigenous communities. Her approach is rooted in tribal values and wisdom, and incorporates relevant scientific data for innovative, sustainable, and culturally grounded solutions.

Prior to founding Asemaake in 2021, Kris was the chief executive officer of the American Indian Cancer Foundation. In that role she focused on raising awareness of the burden of cancer on Indigenous communities, building community capacity, and supporting research and evaluation to identify and develop Native-led solutions.

Kris is an enrolled citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a descendant of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. She earned a Master of Public Health in Public Health Administration & Policy and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Community Health Education, both from the University of Minnesota.

In her free time, Kris enjoys time in, on or by the water and always cherishes sharing new experiences and old traditions with her greatest joys: Jason, and their adult children, Ty and Miigwan.