Terra Branson-Thomas leverages a decade of experience working in federal Indian policy, government relations, and self-governance to advance sovereignty and economic diversification on behalf of tribal nations. Terra is a wealth of knowledge regarding tribal governments, non-profit organization management, federal grant writing and administration, strategic planning, and program implementation. Her professional experiences include national tribal non-profit management, federal compacting and negotiations, legislative development and grassroots organizing. 

Terra joined Clause Law after serving as the Secretary of the Nation at the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In this role she was an important policy, management, and economic advisor to the Principal Chief and Legislative Branch. During her time at MCN, she increased federal funding through existing IHS and DOI self-governance agreements by nearly $18 million dollars. She negotiated multiple 105(l) leases for tribally-operated programs and developed a process to track federal receipts and program expenditures for more than ten tribal programs. Branson-Thomas increased discretionary grant funding by forty percent through strategic grant application development and successful program implementation. She also provided due diligence and business development recommendations in the following areas: agribusiness, tourism, automotive, land acquisition, and property development and management.

Prior to her work with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Terra served as the Executive Director of the Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium and as an independent consultant where she strengthened her self-governance expertise. In these roles, Terra assisted tribal nations in analyzing and assessing self-governance and contracting opportunities, implementing planning and negotiation grants, and responding to federal agency policies.

She began her career in tribal advocacy and policy at the National Congress of American Indians as a Policy and Legislative Associate. She drafted consensus comments and responses to regulations that implemented the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. She also drafted legislative language included in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. 

Terra is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College and a Masters of Public Policy from Georgetown University.