Dr. Buu Nygren
Navajo Nation President
Táchii’nii nilį́, Naa’ádaalts’ósí yáshchíín
Tódích’íi’nii dabicheii, Naa’ádaa’ts’ósí dabinálí
President Buu Nygren is a carpenter, public servant, and father. After serving Navajo communities throughout the pandemic, President Nygren committed himself to securing the basic necessities for every Navajo home: Water, power, and reliable roads. President Nygren’s focus on combating poverty is a guiding principle for the Navajo Nation Executive Branch programs.
Dr. Buu Van Nygren, EdD was elected the 10th President of the Navajo Nation in the Navajo Nation General Election held November 8, 2022. Dr. Nygren took the Office of the President on January 10, 2023, at 12PM pursuant to the oath of office provisions of the Navajo Nation Code.
Dr. Nygren is married to Arizona State Representative Jasmine Blackwater Nygren, and together they have a young daughter. They live together in Red Mesa, Arizona.
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Education
Dr. Nygren’s educational background includes:
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Graduate of Red Mesa High School (2006)
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Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Arizona State University (2012)
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Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University (2017)
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Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California (2021).
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Background Information
Prior to announcing his candidacy for Navajo Nation President, Dr. Nygren was the Chief Commercial Officer for the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority (NECA), a quasi-independent tribal enterprise headquartered in Shiprock, New Mexico. His tenure at NECA began in 2019.
In 2018, Dr. Nygren was selected as the vice presidential running mate on the Shirley-Nygren ticket in the Navajo Nation General Election.
In the prior eight years, from 2010 to 2018, Dr. Nygren was a national operation trainer and a project manager at a multi-billion dollar construction company that built schools, senior living homes, and public safety facilities from Nevada to Florida.
Dr. Nygren’s earliest work experience includes: construction laborer, carpenter, dishwasher, and, at the age of 14, custodian at his local high school. As a youth, Dr. Nygren developed a strong work ethic as a small vendor offering baked goods and hand-made jewelry in and around the communities of the northern Navajo Nation.
Dr. Nygren also served as the first president of the Change Labs Board of Directors, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that continues to support Navajo and Hopi entrepreneurs with tribal-specific technical assistance.
Dr. Nygren is 35 years old (Dec. 25).