By
Benny Polacca
Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear appointed a seasoned Muscogee (Creek) accountant as Treasurer for the Osage Nation, who will serve an interim term.
Samuel S. Alexander took oath as Treasurer on May 5 at the ON Trial Courthouse with Chief Trial Court Judge Marvin Stepson presiding. Alexander will be subject to a confirmation vote by the Fifth ON Congress, which meets for its first 24-day regular session in September with the 2016 Tzi-Zho Session.
Alexander managed his own accounting practice in the Tulsa area and graduated from Northeastern State with a bachelor’s degree in business accounting, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also served as an elected MCN National Council representative and has worked as an outside auditor for several tribal and local governments.
According to a news release, Alexander is also a U.S. Army veteran and served as Speaker while on the MCN National Council. He also served as Tax Commissioner for the tribe and chairman of the MCN Gaming Operations Authority Board. Alexander is a state-certified public accountant, according to the Oklahoma Accountancy Board.
In a statement, Standing Bear said: “Sam Alexander has been appointed to this position of great responsibility. I had the privilege of working with Sam when he was the Muscogee (Creek) Tax Commissioner and also later when he was Chairman of the (MCN) Gaming Operations Authority Board at a time when Oklahoma gaming was transitioning from paper bingo to electronic gaming and table games. I have known him for years and look forward to working with him.”
According to Osage law establishing the Department of Treasury, the ON Treasurer shall be appointed by the Principal Chief and confirmed by Congress. The law also states the Treasurer shall be at least 25 years old, have no felony convictions and shall have obtained a bachelor’s degree with a certified public accountant’s license and degree preferred. If a vacancy occurs in the Treasurer’s post, any person appointed and confirmed to fill that vacancy shall serve the remainder of the post’s four-year term and be eligible for reappointment and confirmation for a subsequent full term.
Original Publish Date: 2016-05-12 00:00:00