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ON Congress confirms new CDFI board member

Alan Brown was confirmed for a three-year term during the November special session

A Pawhuska petroleum geologist is now serving on the Osage Nation’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Board after receiving a confirmation vote from the 9th Osage Nation Congress during its second special session.

Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear appointed Alan Brown to serve on the CDFI Board to fill a vacancy after Penelope “Penney” Johnson stepped down from the board. Earlier this year, Johnson was appointed and received a Congressional confirmation vote during the 2024 Hun-Kah Session.

Brown’s confirmation to serve on a Nation’s board or commission is the first time Congress has confirmed an individual during a special session following the 2024 General Election when voters approved a Constitutional amendment question to allow appointees to be confirmed by the Legislative Branch during special sessions in addition to the two regular sessions each year.

According to his professional resume, Brown is a consulting petroleum geologist and previously worked at Blue Sky Bank as an assistant vice president and loan officer from 2016 until 2021. Brown holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Oklahoma State University

The Congressional Commerce, Gaming and Land Committee met during the special session and initially discussed Brown’s appointment and confirmation consideration on Nov. 18. Brown did not attend the meeting due to a medical appointment that day, Congressman and committee Chair Scott BigHorse said, adding he would speak on Brown’s behalf.

“I’ve known the Brown family for about 50 years. I knew Alan and a couple of his cousins and worked for one of them,” BigHorse said. “At that time, Alan was into drilling, he had a couple of drilling rigs, he had a pulling unit and their whole family has been successful in the oil and gas field. He is a very non-biased person and I think a lot of him whenever I have questions on something dealing with oil and gas. I usually give him a call because he’s so familiar in that realm.”

Congresswoman and committee member Jodie Revard said she did not know Brown, but was pleased after reviewing his submitted application and resume that appointees must submit as part of the confirmation vetting process by Congress. She added “I’m glad to see that we have somebody with experience joining our board.”

Congressman Joe Tillman said he knew Brown and called him a “solid person and very knowledgeable,” acknowledging his banking experience as well, adding “I think we’re blessed and lucky to have a man like Mr. Brown (serving).”

After discussion, the committee voted Brown as a qualified individual by experience and education. On Nov. 20, the Congress voted 10-0 on Brown’s confirmation with two absences that day from Congress members Alice Goodfox and Eli Potts.

Brown will serve the remainder of Johnson’s three-year term. The CDFI Board is overseeing development of the Nation’s financial institution known as “The Place to Borrow Money” (PBM) Lending located in the former First National Bank building along Pawhuska’s Main Street.

For more information, call (918) 287-0001 or email Info@PBMLending.com. Check out their website at: www.pbmlending.com

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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