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HomeGovernmentCongress confirms board appointees during 2020 Hun-Kah Session

Congress confirms board appointees during 2020 Hun-Kah Session

By

Benny Polacca

With the Sixth Osage Nation Congress meeting for its 2020 Hun-Kah Session electronically for the first time, legislative business continued as usual including consideration and confirmation of individuals to serve on various boards.

Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear appointed the individuals to vacant seats on the ON boards and those appointments are then subject to Congressional confirmation to serve three-year terms. Congress voted to confirm the following individuals:

Veterans Memorial Commission: Retired ON Trial Court Chief Judge Marvin Stepson received a unanimous 12-0 confirmation vote to serve on the five-member Veterans Memorial Commission.

Election Board: Shannon Lockett and Terry Hazen are reappointments to the three-member Election Board. Both were confirmed unanimously.

Home Health Board: Debbie Cheshewalla and Carla Brown are reappointments for the three-member Home Health Board. Both were confirmed with a 12-0 vote.

Gaming Enterprise Board: Former ON Congressman Mark Simms is unanimously reconfirmed to serve on the five-member gaming board.

Foundation Board: Monte Boulanger is unanimously reconfirmed to serve on the five-member foundation board.

Utility Authority Board: Mike Wellner, Gary Burd and Paul Bemore are reappointments to the five-member board. All three received unanimous votes.

Health Authority Board: Nancy Keil is a reappointment to the five-member board and her confirmation passed with 10 “yes” votes, one “no” vote from Congresswoman Brandy Lemon and one abstention from Congressional Speaker Joe Tillman who is Keil’s nephew.

Michael Bristow is a board reappointment and was confirmed with 10 “yes” votes, one “no” from Lemon and one abstention from Congresswoman Shannon Edwards.

Cindra Shangreau is a first-time appointment, who received 11 “yes” votes and one “no” from Lemon.

Osage Nation Environmental Services (ONES) LLC Board: Former Congressman Eddy Red Eagle Jr. and Anthony Webb are reappointments to the five-member board. Both received 10 “yes” confirmation votes and two abstentions from Edwards and Congressman Eli Potts.   

For more information on the Legislative Branch, filed legislative bills/ resolutions and committee meetings, visit: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch


Original Publish Date: 2020-05-19 00:00:00

Author

  • Benny Polacca

    Title: Senior Reporter

    Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

    Instagram: @bpolacca

    Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

    Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

    Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

    Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

    Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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Benny Polacca
Benny Polaccahttps://osagenews.org

Title: Senior Reporter

Email: bpolacca@osagenation-nsn.gov

Instagram: @bpolacca

Topic Expertise: Government, Tribal Government, Community

Languages spoken: English, basic knowledge of Spanish and French

Benny Polacca (Hopi/ Havasupai/ Pima/ Tohono O’odham) started working at the Osage News in 2009 as a reporter in Pawhuska, Okla., where he’s covered various stories and events that impact the Osage Nation and Osage people. Those newspaper contributions cover a broad spectrum of topics and issues from tribal government matters to features. As a result, Polacca has gained an immeasurable amount of experience in covering Native American affairs, government issues and features so the Osage readership can be better informed about the tribal current affairs the newspaper covers.

Polacca is part of the Osage News team that was awarded the Native American Journalists Association's Elias Boudinet Free Press Award in 2014 and has won numerous NAJA media awards, as well as awards from the Oklahoma Press Association and SPJ Oklahoma Pro Chapter, for storytelling coverage and photography.

Polacca earned his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and also participated in the former American Indian Journalism Institute at the University of South Dakota where he was introduced to the basics of journalism and worked with seasoned journalists there and later at The Forum daily newspaper covering the Fargo, N.D. area where he worked as the weeknight reporter.

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