The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) is excited to announce Will Funmaker, MBA, MLT (ASCP)^CM as the new GLITEC Director, effective June 6, 2022. Will is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. He has worked at GLITEC for almost two years as the Program Director for Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC) and as the Executive Director of the Great Lakes Area Tribal Health Board (GLATHB).

“I wanted to bring my education and learned skills back to Indian Country. My passion is to work with Tribes,” Will said. “When the position opened as the GHWIC Program Director and the GLATHB Executive Director, I took a chance to see if I could do my part. In a little under two years, I have met, learned, shared, and found ways to collaborate with Tribes across the Bemidji Area (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago). I will take this approach in my new role, too, as I endeavor to listen and learn. It will be an honor and my privilege to serve as the Director of the Tribal Epidemiology Center.”

Will’s career in the medical field began in the military after high school, where he served as a hospital corpsman. After an honorable discharge from the military, Will worked in various roles in warehouses and factories. “It was there that my hunger began to further my education and put my talents into focus,” Will said.

Will earned an associate degree in medical lab technology from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. He used that education to draw blood and work with blood chemistry and blood products while interacting with people of different ages and in various environments. He furthered his education by attaining a bachelor's degree in applied leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and a Master of Business Administration in management from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. During that time, Will began to oversee individual health clinics and eventually multiple federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) before joining GLITEC, a program of Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC). Through his work experiences, Will has participated in writing grants, grant reports, data collection, reporting of data to funders, and strategic planning.

“We are grateful to have Will in his new role as the GLITEC Director,” said Bryan Bainbridge, CEO of GLITC. “With his professional background and as a proud member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, he is a true fit for the organization. I am more than confident in his ability as a leader, along with his proven dedication to the people whom we serve.”

Please join GLITC in congratulating Will. He can be reached at wfunmaker@glitc.org or 715-588-3324.

Would your Tribal or urban Indian health clinic like to order fentanyl test strips (FTS)?

GLITEC aims to reduce harm with drug use by offering  fentanyl test strips to check drugs for the presence of fentanyl. Tribal clinics can request:

• fentanyl test strips
• educational resources on harm reduction
• trainings on harm reduction.

Tribal or urban Indian clinics can request these resources free of charge. To place an order, submit the form below:

GLITEC produces a data report for the three-state region of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin about every five years. The most recent version is American Indian/Alaska Native Health in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin 2021.

The report presents aggregate, population-level data that provide an overview of the health status of American Indian/Alaska Natives living in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, through a variety of health-related measures. 

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