Native American Working Group

With direction from members of the Native American community, the Braves established a formal working group consisting of national Native American leaders. This group provides guidance and leadership with a national perspective on matters of importance to the Native American community.

Native American All-Star Baseball Showcase

At the behest and in partnership with working group members, the Atlanta Braves are proud to host the annual Native American All-Star Baseball Showcase at Truist Park. The top 50 high school baseball players of Native American descent from around the country will be selected to participate in a pro-style workout and a showcase game at Truist Park.

The Native American All-Star Baseball Showcase highlights Native American high school baseball players who aspire to play the game at the next level. Professional scouts and collegiate coaches will be in attendance.

National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day

The Atlanta Braves respectfully recognize National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day on May 5. Tragically, more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women (84.3 percent) have experienced violence in their lifetime. The murder rate is ten times higher than the national average for women living on reservations and is the third leading cause of death for Native American women.*

*2016 study conducted by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention.

Native American Education

Additional efforts to expand Native American education have included working with Jim Langford, president and founder of the Coosawattee Foundation for both internal and external educational programs to introduce Georgia Native American history curriculum to school systems in the state of Georgia, primarily to 8th graders. Jim has also led internal discussions with Braves staff about the history of Native Americans in our state.

Native American Working Group

The Atlanta Braves Native American Working Group provides guidance and leadership to help elevate awareness of Native American Culture while building relationships throughout the community:

Scott J. Davis

Scott J. Davis was appointed Executive Director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission in April 2009. As Executive Director, he serves at a cabinet level between North Dakota's state and tribal governments to address issues regarding education systems, court systems, economic development, social services, gaming, oil-energy, law enforcement, transportation, healthcare systems, veterans and youth. Davis holds an Associate of Arts Degree from Haskell Indian Nations University, and a Bachelor's degree in Business and Masters of Management Degree from the University of Mary, and is graduate of the Bush Foundation Native Nations Rebuilders Program and Executive Education at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.

Ben Keel

Ben Keel served as the Executive Director for the White House Council for Native American Affairs where he worked closely with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to coordinate outreach and policy to Native American Tribes and Communities. Ben served at the lead contact for Tribal Leaders and Native Associations to interact with the Administration. This culminated in the first White House meeting with the President and Tribal Leaders in the summer of 2017. Ben’s efforts led to the White House hosting meeting on Healthcare, Tax and Financial Reform, Energy and the Opioid Epidemic in addition to restructuring the Federal Government’s Interagency workgroup on Native American Issues. Ben has also served in an consultant role at the National Congress of American Indians. Ben attended East Central University in Oklahoma, double majoring in Native American History and Political Science. Ben and his wife April have been married for 19 years and have 4 children. Ben is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

Marian (Vonnie) McCormick

Marian (Vonnie) McCormick has served as Principal Chief of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe for 28 years. Marian believes Native people are strong and honorable people. It is because of this belief that Marian has dedicated her life to serving the Native Community. As a teenager, Mrs. McCormick, began working with tribal elders on genealogical and historical research. During her 48 years of service, Marian has assisted the tribe in grant writing which has led her tribe to receive grants from the Administration of Native Americans as well as the U.S. Department of Education. She strives to educate others on issues facing the native community. Mrs. McCormick serves as the native representative of several advisory boards including U.S.D.A Elders Council and State Independent Living Council. Marian is a member of the National Congress of American Indians as well as the Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation.

Nealie McCormick

McCormick is Chief of Police for the City of Pelham and has more than 40 years of law enforcement experience. He is a Muskogee Creek Indian and a member of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe. He has advised federal, state and local agencies on Indian Affairs. McCormick is a graduate of Albany Regional Police Academy, Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange’s (GILEE) Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Georgia State University, Certificate of Public Management from Carl Vinson Institute University of Georgia. He and his wife, Marian, have two children and four grandchildren. They reside in Pelham.

Mike Stopp

Michael Stopp, Tahlequah, is currently serving as a Chief of Staff in the United States Congress. Mike has worked in communications, constituent relations and external affairs. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Stopp also serves as an Oklahoma Athletic Commissioner. He is a member of Leadership Oklahoma Class 32, Leadership Native Oklahoma Class 2 and Tahlequah leadership Class 16. Volunteering in the community is a passion for Mike. He has volunteered for multiple organizations including the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation, American Indian Merit Award, Help-In-Crisis, and other service and education programs. While a cadet at West Point, he was the co-founder for the Native American Heritage Forum. The Forum was established to recruit American Indian cadets, establish a community for Native cadets while attending the U.S. Military Academy, and to expose cadets and faculty to Native American culture while at the academy. The program was copied and adopted at both the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy. Along with volunteering, Stopp is a high school sports official and has volunteered to officiate the indigenous bowl the last two-years, which is an all-star football game for American Indian, High School football players from across the country.