Media Contact:
Monique Fontenot
(301) 751-4981
Monique.Fontenot@nigc.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NIGC Announces Acting Chair
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16, 2024 – The National Indian Gaming Commission today announces the President's appointment of Associate Commissioner Sharon M. Avery as Acting Chair of the Agency, effective May 15, 2024. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland recently appointed Avery to a three-year term as Associate Commissioner, effective May 6, 2024. Avery will serve both as Associate Commissioner and Acting Chair until a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed Chair is in place.
As Acting Chair, Avery has the same statutory authority to lead the Agency and take official actions as a Senate-confirmed appointee.
“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,” said Avery.
Avery is an enrolled member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. She has been with the NIGC for over four years where she has served as an Associate General Counsel in the NIGC Office of General Counsel. Before joining the NIGC, Avery served for more than 10 years in the legal department for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. Most recently, she served as the Tribe’s General Counsel for Tribal Operations.
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The National Indian Gaming Commission’s mission is to support tribal self-sufficiency and the integrity of Indian gaming through effective regulation. Together with tribes and states, the NIGC regulates more than 500 gaming establishments operated by nearly 250 tribes across 29 states. To learn more, visit www.nigc.gov and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.
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