Simermeyer Named Newest NIGC Commissioner

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell appointed E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, a member of the Coharie tribe, as associate commissioner of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). Simermeyer will join Chairman Jonodev O. Chaudhuri (Muscogee Creek) in carrying out the federal Indian gaming regulatory responsibilities of the commission. He will serve a three-year term.

“Sequoyah joins a team of talented and hard-working public servants who are committed to creating greater economic opportunities and upholding the highest ethical standards when it comes to Indian gaming,” Jewell said. “His wide range of experience and expertise in Indian affairs makes him a very well qualified person to help the commission oversee these important responsibilities in Indian Country.”

Prior to joining the NIGC, Simermeyer was the deputy chief of staff to the assistant secretary for Indian affairs. In this position, he focused on a wide range of national policy issues, including land into trust, tribal governance and economic development.

Simermeyer recently completed a one-year assignment with the Majority Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, where he authored legislative proposals, wrote committee reports and conducted extensive briefings on legal and policy matters related to Indian Country. Simermeyer also served as counselor to the assistant secretary for Indian affairs at the Department of the Interior, first appointed during the Bush administration in 2007.