LorenAshley Buford, a Yamassee descendant, serves as the Senior Director of Operations for United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY). She studied American Indian Studies at Arizona State University, focusing on Federal Indian policy, decolonization, and historical trauma.

Before joining UNITY, LorenAshley was active in community-based prevention and youth development, leading Prevention Services at the Phoenix Indian Center and coordinating tribal outreach programs at Arizona State University through the Office of American Indian Initiatives.

A longtime advocate for Indigenous wellness and youth leadership, LorenAshley has served as a UNITY youth council advisor, Project Manager for the UNITY Wellness Warrior Project funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and supported national youth development initiatives, including the Tribal Youth Development Initiative with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. She also previously served as Events Manager for the biannual National UNITY Conferences, helping coordinate national gatherings of Native youth leaders from across the country.