President Joe Biden plans to nominate Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba, chief of the Mohegan Tribe, as treasurer of the United States, the White House announced Tuesday.
Malerba, whose Native American name means “Many Hearts,” was a registered nurse and served as director of cardiology and pulmonary services at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London.
She is a trustee for Chelsea Groton Bank and chairs the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut’s board.
Her nomination as U.S. treasurer comes as the Biden administration is establishing an Office of Tribal and Native Affairs within the Treasury Department, which Malerba will also oversee, according to the Associated Press.
“For the first time in history, a Tribal leader and Native woman’s name will be the signature on our currency,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
In the role, Malerba will oversee the U.S. Mint, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Fort Knox and be a key liaison to the Federal Reserve, according to the White House.
Malerba will also be a senior adviser to Yellen in community development and public engagement.
Malerba holds the lifetime appointment of chief of the Mohegan Tribe. She previously served as chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribal Council and in tribal government as executive director of Health and Human Services.
The tribe’s reservation is located on the Thames River in Uncasville.
Malerba is currently a member of the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee, which advises the secretary of the treasury on the taxation of Native Americans.
She graduated from Yale University and has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Connecticut.
Biden has taken steps to demonstrate his commitment to tribal nations, including naming Deb Haaland as the first Native American to lead the Interior Department. He also issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, refocusing the federal holiday previously dedicated to Christopher Columbus toward an appreciation of Native people, according to the Associated Press.
The treasurer position has been vacant since January 2020, when Jovita Carranza left to become Small Business Administrator in the Trump administration, according to Reuters.
Malerba is expected to visit the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota with Yellen on Tuesday.
