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Person

Roger Fragua

Nationality:

American
Occupation(s):

Executive Director, Flower Hill Institute

President, Cota Holdings LLC

Principal Officer, Tribal Energy Consortium

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Roger Fragua is a Native American entrepreneur who has been involved in numerous projects focused on developing energy infrastructure and similar capabilities for Native American tribes. 1 2

Fragua-affiliated groups are notable for receiving substantial federal awards, including a $50 million award to the Tribal Energy Consortium and $10 million to the Flower Hill Institute. 2

Background

Roger Fragua is involved in various groups. He is the president of Cota Holdings LLC, a co-founder and executive director of the Flower Hill Institute, the chairman of the board of Climate Advocates Voces Unidas, and the principal officer of the Tribal Energy Consortium. 3 4 2 1

Previously, Fragua was a manager at the Houston-based Enron Corporation, where he worked to create “innovative business concepts and promoting partnerships between Tribes and Enron,” according to his biography on the website for Cota Holdings. In 2001, Enron entered the largest bankruptcy in American history to that point. Fragua was also the president of a seemingly defunct organization called NDN Energy, however that group shares its name with the domain name at which the Tribal Energy Consortium website is hosted. 3 1 2

Fragua has also been deputy director of the Colorado-based Council of Energy Resource Tribes and has worked with the Western Governors’ Association and the National Tribal Environmental Council, focusing on environmental concerns, according to his biography on the website for Cota Holdings. 3

Affiliated Organizations

As of 2025, Roger Fragua was involved in multiple organizations focused on Native American tribal concerns, particularly regarding tribal energy development; these companies include Cota Holdings LLC, the Tribal Energy Consortium, and the Flower Hill Institute. 1 2

Flower Hill Institute

Fragua is a co-founder and executive director of the Flower Hill Institute, a nonprofit that claims to be focused on preserving Native American tribal culture, developing tribal economies through agricultural techniques, and addressing climate issues. 5 Additionally, the Flower Hill Institute partners with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Processing Technical Assistance Program, working as one of the Technical Assistance providers of the program, as well as the program’s Technical Assistance Coordinator. 6

The Flower Hill Institute claims its “underlying mandate” is tribal cultural preservation. For this purpose, the institute hosts gatherings and other events. 7 Part of the Flower Hill Institute’s mission is to combine traditional tribal customs with more modern scientific techniques; in part, the group claims this understanding is adopted to adapt to concerns over climate issues. 8

Cota Holdings

Fragua is the president of Cota Holdings LLC, a Native American-owned consulting firm. The firm specializes in areas including economic and energy development for Native American Tribes. 9 Cota Holdings advertises its expertise in “Strategic Investing,” “Grant Writing,” “Business Organization,” and “Energy Development/Regulations.” 10

The Flower Hill Institute contracted Cota Holdings in 2022 and 2023, according to tax documents. Besides Fragua, there is other personnel overlap between the groups including board chair Leslie Elgood and then-board member and current staff member Atherton Phleger. In a 2022 audit of the Flower Hill Institute’s tax returns, a third-party auditor found that the group had “material weakness in internal controls,” partly regarding the group’s methods for vetting independent contractors, according to the Washington Examiner. 11 3 12 13 2

In 2023, Fragua received over $400,000 in compensation from the Flower Hill Institute. He reported working an average of 10 hours a week for the group and maintained a volunteer status for his role as executive director, according to explanations by the group provided on its tax return. Therefore, all compensation came from “contracted services rendered under specific service agreements” and does not pertain to his duties as executive director of the group. 14 15

Tribal Energy Consortium

The Tribal Energy Consortium is a coalition of Native American tribes that partners with private companies and nonprofits. The coalition is focused on expanding Native American tribal energy interests, especially through developing energy infrastructure via natural gas, oil, coal, and hydrogen. 16 17 The organization’s annual revenue in 2022 and 2023 was below $50,000, however in January 2025 it received a $50 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy; as of February 2025, this award was reportedly being further investigated by the Trump administration, according to the Washington Examiner. 18 2

Cota Holdings, the Tribal Energy Consortium, and the Flower Hill Institute share an address for communications.  19 20 21

Federal Funding

In January 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $50 million to the Tribal Energy Consortium. The Flower Hill Institute has received over $10 million in federal funding obligations from the United States Department of Agriculture, and Cota Holdings LLC has received $3,000. 22 23 2

Furthermore, the Tribal Energy Consortium claims to be partially funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The exact amount of this funding is unclear. 24 25

References

  1. Roger Fragua – executive director – Flower Hill Institute. Accessed February 28, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-fragua-4b806228.
  2. Kaminsky, Gabe. “Biden Awarded $50m to Self-Dealing Activist – Washington Examiner.” Washington Examiner – Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, February 14, 2025. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/investigations/3311236/in-final-days-biden-awarded-50-million-to-self-dealing-charity-leader/
  3. “Team.” Cota Holdings LLC. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://cota.holdings/partners.
  4. “Roger Fragua.” CAVU, September 18, 2023. https://cavu.org/people/roger/.
  5. Flower Hill Institute. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/.
  6. “USDA MPPTA.” Flower Hill Institute. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/usda-mppta.
  7. “Cultural Preservation.” Flower Hill Institute. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/culturalpreservation.
  8. “Climate Action.” Flower Hill Institute. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/climateaction.
  9. Cota Holdings LLC. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://cota.holdings/.
  10. “What We Do.” Cota Holdings LLC. Accessed March 3, 2025. https://cota.holdings/what-we-do.
  11. “Flower Hill Institute,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2022, 2023. Schedule L.
  12. “Who We Are.” Flower Hill Institute. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/who-we-are.
  13. “Board of Directors.” Flower Hill Institute. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/board-of-directors.
  14.  [1] “Flower Hill Institute,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule J.
  15. “Flower Hill Institute,” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990) 2023. Schedule O.
  16. “Home: Tribal Energy Consortium.” Tribal Energy Consor. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.ndnenergy.org.
  17. “Priorities: Tribal Energy Consortium.” Tribal Energy Consor. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.ndnenergy.org/priorities.
  18. “Tribal Energy Consortium,” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990 N) (e-postcard) 2022 and 2023.
  19. “Contact.” Flower Hill Institute. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://flowerhill.institute/contact.
  20. “Contact.” Cota Holdings LLC. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://cota.holdings/contact.
  21. “Tribal Energy Consortium,” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990 N) (e-postcard) 2023.
  22. “COTA HOLDINGS.” USAspending.gov. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/d5865c1f-958d-d1e7-8ffb-917c59214c51-R/all.
  23. “FLOWER HILL INSTITUTE.” USAspending.gov. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/recipient/25afe4e9-4213-c9da-11a4-f943cd0d2744-R/all.
  24. “Resources: Tribal Energy Consortium.” Tribal Energy Consor. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.ndnenergy.org/resources.
  25. U.S. Economic Development Administration. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.eda.gov/.
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