Dorson Zunie

I was born on the Zuni Indian Reservation in northwestern New Mexico. My father worked for the federal government while my mother took care of the house six children. I graduated high school and attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. I served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era in South Korea. Following my discharge I moved to Portland, Oregon where I eventually found a job with the federal government in the areas of Indian Affairs and Indian Health services. While in Portland I met and married my wife Sharon Kay. Our son, Mark, was born in Port Angeles, Washington. Daughter Kara, was born in Portland, Oregon while we were on a business trip. We adopted our youngest and last child, Krysta in 1994, when we lived in Redding, California.
I received my Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sharon, an elementary teacher, retired, with a degree in elementary education, and a master's degree in Multicultural Bilingual Education.
When we lived in Zuni, I became involved in tribal politics, and served as Lieutenant Governor of the Zuni Tribe for four years. We moved to Sacramento to teach with a local school district, but were offered less money than we were making in New Mexico. Needless to say, I had to find a better paying job, eventually working for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. I retired in 2004 as the Regional Tribal Services Officer in the Pacific Regional Office, of California.
During our life here in California, our daughter, Kara, became the mother of three rambunctious children. Gaven, the oldest, is 14 years, and my fishing partner. Marlowe, the middle child, is a scholar, and a natural leader. Sophia, the youngest is an animal lover. My life revolves around them and my wife.
My fun job in retirement is working for a local triple AAA farm baseball team of the Oakland A's baseball team. As fulfilling as this job is for me, I find it necessary to supplement my retirement income with a worthwhile second career which is monetarily sound and challenging, therefore, Sharon and I have chosen NUMIS as an opportunity to finally fulfill our goals for financial independence.