Dr. Charles “Monty” Roessel had a clear vision for the Navajo Nation’s institution of higher learning. As the president of Diné College he passionately believed that in order to “meet the future” and the aspirations of the Navajo people “we need to think boldly about what is out there, what is possible, and what we can do now.”

In a 2022 interview Roessel said there are roughly 29,000 people on the Navajo Nation with some college education. Imagine if even a quarter of them could come back to school and be supported by a community to continue on a learning path. That collective effort is aspirational yet is true to the founding of his college on the principles of Navajo philosophy.

Roessel’s life was all about being bold. He died surrounded by family on the morning of January 6, 2025. He was 63 years old. He was the 18th president of the Dine’ College – a school founded by community members, including his parents, Dr. Robert A. Roessel Jr. and Ruth Roessel, in 1968. His father served as the college’s first president.

Roessel was a photographer, an author, a journalist, all before he became an educator. He earned his bachelor’s degree in photography from the University of Northern Colorado in 1984. In 1995, Roessel earned a master’s degree from Prescott College and in 2007 he was awarded a Ed.D from Arizona State University in Tempe.

Roessel was originally from Round Rock, Arizona, and was a graduate of Chinle High School.

A statement from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said Roessel led the college’s “transition from a two-year institution to a four-year college.”

“Under his leadership, the college established four new transdisciplinary schools. These include the School of Diné Studies and Education, the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, the School of Arts, Humanities and English, and the School of Business and Social Science,” the president’s office said. “Significantly, Dr. Roessel guided the college to begin the Navajo Sovereignty Institute, the Navajo Cultural Arts Program, and the creation of the Navajo Law Program.”

“Dr. Roessel’ s leadership was transformative. He elevated opportunities for Diné College students while creating pathways that connected education to the broader goals of the Navajo Nation,” stated Theresa Hatathlie, chair of the Diné College Board of Regents. “He left an indelible impact on our institution and on tribal colleges across the country.”

As a journalist, Roessel worked as a photojournalist at the Greeley Tribune in Colorado and then became the managing editor of the Navajo Times Today from 1985 to 1987. He later was co-owner of an independent newspaper, the Navajo Nation Today. In that role, Roessel created an environment where more Navajos were hired to report about the nation. Prior to his appointment, most of the journalists working at the Navajo Times were not Navajo.

Roessel was a contributor to a wide-range of magazines, ranging from National Geographic to Arizona Highways and his work has appeared in New Mexico Magazine, Newsweek, Time, Sports Illustrated and Native Peoples. 

He published a widely-acclaimed children’s book, “Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave,” in 1995.

Starting in December 1997, Roessel worked for the Round Rock Chapter AmeriCorps program followed by several posts, including executive director, of the Rough Rock Community School. He succeeded his father Dr. Robert A. Roessel Jr., as director of the school. While at Rough Rock, Roessel also taught photography and coached baseball.

Then in 2002 Monty collaborated with Peter Iverson on an important book, “Diné: A history of the Navajos.” In 2007 Roessel published his second children’s book, “Kinaaldá: A Navajo girl grows up.”

Roessel served in the Obama administration in 2012 as the director of the Bureau of Indian Education. In that role he oversaw 66 federally-funded schools across the nation.

After returning to the Navajo Nation from Washington, D.C., Roessel was named the 18th president of Diné College in 2017.

Roessel is the first tribal college president to be elected in 2020 as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

He is survived by his children Jaclyn, Bryan, Bobby, Robyn and Kimberly and his best friend Karina Roessel, their six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, one daughter-in-law, two sons-in-law, his brothers and sisters Robert, Raymond, Faith and Mary, and many nieces and nephews.

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later time at Diné College.

Obituary submitted by the Roessel family.