Indian Country 101: Tax and Economic Development Opportunities for Tribes (2025 Edition)

Kenneth W. Parsons | Holland & Knight

Kenneth W. Parsons is an attorney whose practice focuses on resolving critical tax and business structuring issues for Native American governments and nonprofit organizations. Based in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office, Mr. Parsons provides tax planning and compliance advice, and regularly represents clients before the IRS in audits, tax penalty matters and other controversies. He also advises on Section 1202 qualified small business stock issues and the tax-related aspects of energy.

Leila S. George-Wheeler | Holland & Knight

Leila George-Wheeler is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice, and a member of the firm’s Government Contracts and White Collar Defense and Investigations Teams. She focuses her practice on white collar defense, government and internal investigations, government contracts (GovCon) disputes and regulatory compliance, as well as complex civil litigation. She represents clients in heavily regulated sectors, including government contracts, healthcare, finance, information technology, transportation and infrastructure.

Amy L. Fuentes | Holland & Knight

Amy L. Fuentes is a government contracts (GovCon) attorney in Holland & Knight’s Tysons office and a member of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice. She is experienced in all principal aspects of government contracting and focuses her practice on government contracts litigation, counseling, small business issues and transactional work.

Kayla Gebeck Carroll | Holland & Knight

Kayla Gebeck Carroll is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Washington D.C., office, and a member of the firm’s Public Policy and Regulation Group. With nearly a decade of experience in the D.C. area, Ms. Gebeck Carroll provides counsel to Tribal governments, Alaska Native Corporations and Tribal organizations on critical matters impacting the well-being of their members and Indian Country as a whole. Ms. Gebeck Carroll’s areas of focus include agriculture, trade, natural resources, environment, transportation, tax, appropriations, economic development and diversification, self-governance, social services, trust land, and treaty rights related to Tribal member crossing at the United States-Canada border.

Tribal clients call on Ms. Gebeck Carroll to assist them in complying with federal legislation and agency guidance, influencing federal policy priorities, advocating for legislative changes, testifying before Congress and the administration, negotiating contracts and forming coalitions, among others matters. To achieve client results, Ms. Gebeck Carroll maintains close relationships with an array of congressional and agency staffers. She has particular experience working with the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Gebeck Carroll served as a policy analyst for the Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA). In this position, Ms. Gebeck Carroll advocated the views and concerns of Tribal governments in the areas of access to capital, tax and finance policy.

I. General Welfare Exclusion Plans | 1:00pm – 1:30pm

II. Tax Status of Tribally Chartered Enterprises | 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

III. Government Contracting | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

IV. Section 105(l) Leases | 2:40pm – 3:10pm