When Ernie Stevens was re-elected to a sixth two-year term as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association last April, it was not without changes in his administration. Last month, Mark Van Norman was replaced as executive director of the association that represents gaming tribes in the nation’s capital. Jason Giles, previously NIGA’s general counsel and deputy executive director, was named to replace Van Norman.

In 11 years with NIGA, Van Norman spoke forcefully and effectively for Indian gaming. His sometimes-strident defense of tribal sovereignty was well-known.

Giles, a member of Oklahoma’s Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a well-respected legal expert who attended the U.S. Military Academy and graduated from law school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Giles began his legal career as an associate attorney at a labor law firm in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he focused on labor law, real estate law and bankruptcy issues.

By GGB Staff

Staff writers for Global Gaming Business magazine. Las Vegas, Nevada.