By BBBB
The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has announced the appointment of Associate Commissioner Sharon M. Avery as the Acting Chair of the Agency, effective May 15, 2024.
News of the change follows her recent appointment by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to a three-year term as Associate Commissioner, starting May 6, 2024.
Avery will now simultaneously serve as both Associate Commissioner and Acting Chair until a new Chair, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, is in place.
As Acting Chair, Avery will possess the same statutory authority to lead the Agency and perform official duties as a Senate-confirmed Chair.
Speaking of her new role, Avery said:
“I am humbled the administration has entrusted me with the distinguished opportunity to serve as the NIGC Acting Chair. In this capacity, and to the best of my abilities, I will diligently execute my duties and responsibilities designated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to continue the Agency’s regulatory oversight of tribal gaming facilities without disruption, until a permanent Chair has been confirmed.”
Avery is an enrolled member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. She has been with the NIGC for over four years, serving as an Associate General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel.
Prior to joining the NIGC, Avery spent more than a decade in the legal department of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, most recently serving as the Tribe’s General Counsel for Tribal Operations.
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