Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American History Month – a time to pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. Here in Chicago (originally stemmed from the Native word shikaakwa) the Native American influence and history is strong. We celebrate all Native American business leaders in Chicago by spotlighting Chicago’s very own,  Shelly Tucciarelli.

Shelly Tucciarelli has over 30 years of experience in management, training, administration and development of affordable housing and community development. Shelly is a Native American tribal member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, and owns Turtle Clan Development Services.  Shelly provides real estate development and affordable housing consulting services. TCDS focuses on professional services to increase the supply and quality of housing and economic development in Indian Country nationwide. Shelly is also the Executive Director of Visionary Ventures NFP Corporation (VVNFP), a 501(c) 3 Native American nonprofit with over 51% Native American board. Shelly is working with our Native American community members in the Chicagoland area to advocate and promote affordable housing, and provide opportunities for jobs and services.

Shelly previously worked for the State of Illinois’ housing finance agency for over 20 years. Shelly worked for the Multifamily Department where she managed and administered the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and State donation tax credit (STC) programs.

She is active within the community and serves on the Advisory Board of several New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) Community Development Entities (CDE’s): Enterprise Financial, Southside Community Optimal Redevelopment Enterprise (SCORE), Central States, Prestamos and Community Hospitality Healthcare Services. Shelly is a Board member for NFP Economic Growth Corp. a national entity serving disadvantaged communities nationwide.  Shelly is also a member of the American Indian Center in Chicago, the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative and the Native American Chamber of Commerce of IL.

Shelly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Governors State University, and an MBA in Real Estate Finance and Investment from DePaul University.