She was the first woman to be elected to serve on the tribal council and worked toward bringing timber and tourism industries to the reservation to ensure their economic stability.

Riley represented three districts of the reservation[18] and was instrumental in projects, such as the Alchesay-Williams Creek National Fish Hatchery Complex, the Fort Apache Timber Company (FATCO), and the Sunrise Park Ski Resort and Hotel, among others, to expand the tribal enterprises and provide economic stability for the tribe.

By managing their own lumber harvests and operating three saw mills, the tribe was able to provide both jobs for tribal members and goods to sell to a wider clientele.

[20][21] Around the same time, the Alchesay-Williams Hatchery was developed to stock the local lakes which had been created on the reservation and protect species listed as threatened or endangered.

Constructing 20 recreational lakes, campsites, fishing and hunting venues, a ski resort, and hotels, the Tribal Council utilized their lands to generate a year-round tourist industry.

[18][19] Riley was interviewed as part of an Oral History Project sponsored by the Arizona State Department of Libraries and Archives in 1977.