Sequoyah Simermeyer, a member of the Coharie Tribe of North Carolina, has been nominated to the position of chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission. Currently Simermeyer serves as an NIGC associate commissioner and director of self-regulation. If confirmed, Simermeyer would serve a three-year term. He would replace Jonodev Osceolo Chaudhuri, who retired May 15.
Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt stated, “Sequoyah Simermeyer has a wealth of experience on tribal issues working in different executive and legislative branch capacities. He is the ideal candidate for this position, and I urge Congress to confirm him quickly.”
S. Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, commented, “Mr. Simermeyer has years of experience that qualify him for NIGC chair, including serving as counselor and deputy chief of staff to the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, as counsel on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and presently as associate commissioner of the NIGC since November 2015. We look forward to hearing about Mr. Simermeyer’s vision for the NIGC during the confirmation process.”
Simermeyer has a bachelor of arts degree from Dartmouth College, a master of study degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School and a juris doctor degree from Cornell Law School.
The NIGC has jurisdiction over 512 licensed gaming establishments operated by 246 Indian tribes in 29 states. In fiscal 2017, tribal gross gaming revenue was about $32.4 billion. Currently the NIGC has 114 full-time employees in seven regional offices and an annual budget of $25 million.
