Barak Myers

Barak N. Myers, MBA, is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians 
(EBCI) and resides on the Cherokee Indian Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Mr. Myers currently serves as the transportation/strategic planner for the Coushatta 
Tribe of Louisiana, where he works on long-range planning efforts that include both 
transportation infrastructure and transportation safety, along with various other areas 
such as land use, community development, and utilities. Mr. Myers also serves as one 
of the chief grant writers for the tribe.

Mr. Myers is also the sole owner of Raven’s Fork Consulting Inc. (RFC). RFC is a 100% 
Native-owned company providing long-range strategic planning and implementation, 
grant writing expertise, project management services, and grant program 
implementation. RFC is an EBCI- Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) certified 
company.
Mr. Myers has served in many capacities for EBCI in Cherokee, North Carolina. His 
most recent position for the EBCI was as the ethics officer, where he oversaw the 
enforcement of the tribe’s code of ethical behavior for all tribal officials. During his 
tenure Mr. Myers created policies and procedures and implemented the strategic plan 
for the ethics department. He also obtained his certification as a leadership professional 
in ethics and compliance.
Prior to his position in the ethics department, Mr. Myers served as treasurer for the 
Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise (TCGE) board of advisors. This board oversaw the 
implementation of the master plan and strategic plan for both casino properties of the 
EBCI. During his tenure he worked on the opening of the new Harrah’s Cherokee Valley 
River Casino & Hotel. Mr. Myers also oversaw three of the largest distributions to the 
tribe in the 20-year history of Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos.
Prior to his appointment to the TCGE board of advisors, Mr. Myers served as the 
manager of the Cherokee Department of Transportation. In his tenure as manager, Mr. 
Myers oversaw the completion of more than 30 roadway and bridge projects, as well as 
an increase of funding by 250%. Mr. Myers oversaw the completion of a long-range 
transportation plan update for the EBCI on two different occasions, a roadway safety 
audit of key intersections on the reservation, and the completion of several tribal 
transportation improvement plans. 
Mr. Myers also oversaw all funding requests and grant submissions for the Cherokee 
Department of Transportation, including funding from the Federal Highway 
Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Transit Administration, North Carolina 
Department of Revenue, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Federal Lands 
Highway – Emergency Relief on Federally Owned Roads, and Federal Emergency 
Management Agency. Mr. Myers helped obtain more than $65 million in funding while at 
the Cherokee Department of Transportation.
Mr. Myers serves on several different boards and committees dealing with 
transportation in Indian Country. He is currently the chairman of United South and 
Eastern Tribes Transportation Committee, the Eastern Region Representative on the 
Tribal Transportation Program Coordinating Committee, and the Eastern Region 
Representative on the Intertribal Transportation Association. Mr. Myers has also served 
on the Tribal Transportation Safety Subcommittee and the Tribal Transportation Issues 
Committee at TRB. He currently serves as a friend of the committee. He is also a 
member of the Transportation Subcommittee for the National Congress of American 
Indians. Mr. Myers is a member of the American Planning Association both nationally 
and for the local North Carolina state chapter. 
Mr. Myers earned a master’s degree in business administration from Western Carolina 
University. His studies focused on financial management, quantitative business 
analysis, statistical analysis and data configuration, project management, and strategic 
management and planning. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in business 
administration from Western Carolina University. His studies focused on financial 
management and planning, marketing research, and marketing management. Mr. Myers 
is currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee studying for a master’s degree in 
civil engineering with a concentration in transportation and infrastructure.