Comes At Night began working at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) in college as a soil conservationist. After she graduated, she worked in soil conservation planning work for six years before being promoted to District Conservationist of a field office in Shelby, Montana. 

Comes At Night was promoted two years later and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, to serve as the Arizona American Indian Liaison. Though she worked with 21 tribes to negotiate agreements, explain policy procedures, and raise awareness of the NRCS, she was frustrated with her lack of authority and inability to implement her recommendations. These frustrations led her to apply for a position as the Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations. In this role, she supervised 21 offices, including two tribal offices, and managed 63 employees for the Southeast Oklahoma region.  

This job placed her in a decision-making position as a part of a leadership team to implement policies and procedures. Comes At Night was a voice for groups in Oklahoma who had difficulty participating in programs and the policy-making process. She has helped to promote Farm Bill programs and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Through WHIP, the NRCS provides technical and cost-share assistance to private landowners to improve wildlife habitats on their property. Her work with the NRCS has allowed her to grow personally and professionally. She takes great pride in allowing her employees to work how they are most productive and comfortable and adjusts her management style according to each individual. She received a merit award from her employees, and that award means the most to her of any she has received throughout her career.

After five years in Oklahoma, Comes At Night was promoted as the agency’s first American Indian Female State Conservationist of Rhode Island. She worked in Rhode Island for three years and, in 2008, was named the State Conservationist of Washington State. This position has given her great opportunities to build partnerships with Federal, State, nongovernmental organizations, and environmental groups. Comes At Night bridges understanding between cultures to promote collaboration with the 29 Federally Recognized Tribes in Washington. Throughout her career, Comes At Night has strengthened partnerships between agriculture and conservation organizations to increase conservation in each state in which she has worked.

As an American Indian woman, she has encountered many roadblocks in her agency. Sometimes, people in the agency have been unintentionally disrespectful of American Indian culture, yet she has not let this discourage her. She has seen these events as opportunities to educate people on American Indian culture. Another roadblock Comes At Night has encountered is the tendency of the NCRS to request her to lead efforts only when engaging with tribes. Regardless, under her leadership, Comes At Night has led Washington State to a clean financial audit and has implemented new programs like a Hispanic Outreach Committee. Comes At Night faces challenges as an opportunity to prove her determination to never give up on doing the right thing to herself and others.  

Comes At Night says her agency is rare because it allows her to educate people about American Indian culture. She often speaks with young American Indians about their culture. The American Indian/Alaska Native Employees Association for NCRS (AIANEA) also has an elder’s council that keeps employees connected to the community and maintains the important cultural tradition of honoring the knowledge and strength that older members can share with others. She has helped to run workshops on Native culture through the agency, and they have held over 80 workshops with over 7,000 participants. She keeps photos of the workshop participants in her office as a reminder that there are people who are genuinely interested in her culture and traditions. 

Comes At Night has continued to work in the environmental field because she is in a position to raise awareness of American Indian culture and wants her people to be proud of who they are. The fact that the agency’s land preservation work benefits everyone has been a key motivator to stay in the field.