A Ponca City banking professional is now seated on the Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board after her appointment by Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear.
Natalie Prather (Osage) is filling one of two recent vacancies on the five-member gaming board. With other board and commission appointees, Prather will be subject to confirmation consideration by the Eighth ON Congress during the 2023 Hun-Kah Session starting in late March.
Standing Bear announced Prather’s appointment in a Feb. 14 executive memorandum to Congressional Speaker Alice Goodfox. If confirmed, Prather will serve a three-year term on the gaming board.
According to her professional resume, Prather holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcasting from Oklahoma State University and served as Vice President of Business Development for Community National Bank from 2018 to 2021.
Currently, Prather serves as Vice Chair for the Ponca City Planning Commission, according to the city government website. She also serves on the University Center (at Ponca City) Foundation Board, Ponca City Education and Workforce Committee and the PO-HI Alumni Hall of Fame Board.
Prather’s prior work experience includes serving as Vice President Business Specialist at Eastman Bank also in Ponca City (2008-2018). She also previously worked as a public school substitute teacher for school districts in Ponca City and Katy, Texas.
Standing Bear addressed the board during their Feb. 22 meeting where Prather also attended, but did not participate in board actions with the three current members Geoff Hager (chair), Claudette Carnett (vice chair) and Bruce Pollock. Prather will be scheduled at a later date to take her oath of office to serve as an interim board member with an ON Judicial Branch judge presiding.
“Thank you for your leadership,” Standing Bear told the board members. “You do important business, you are gaming leaders, I support you completely. Welcome Natalie, thank you again for accepting this position and I am looking for another person to fill that other space. I’d like to get that done before the next Congress regular session. Natalie will hopefully be on their agenda and the next person will be too.”
Prather’s appointment comes after the recent board member resignations of Mark Simms and Julie Malone. Both resignations took place as the Congressional Commerce, Gaming and Land Committee met Feb. 7-9 for hearings to investigate Osage Casino management expenses noted in an ON Gaming Commission report released as a public document in December 2022.
Also at the Feb. 22 gaming board meeting, the three members voted for Pollock to serve as Secretary/ Treasurer, which was the officer position held by Simms until his resignation.
According to the Nation’s code on the Gaming Enterprise Board of Directors: “Any Board candidate who is at least 30 years old, who shall not have been convicted of a felony, and who can demonstrate the credentials of a qualified professional, is eligible to serve as a member of the Board. The Principal Chief shall apply Osage preference in appointing Board members.” The law also states all appointees must apply for a gaming license issued by the ON Gaming Commission and must undergo a background check as a primary management official.
For more Congressional information on sessions, committees and to view meeting agendas, filed legislative bills/ resolutions, visit the Legislative Branch website at: https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/legislative-branch
