WASHINGTON – The National Indian Gaming Commission has appointed Gary Pechota, a South Dakota native and member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, as its new Chief of Staff.
“We are fortunate to attract someone with Gary’s background and experience to help us sharpen our management operations and streamline our systems,” said Philip Hogen, NIGC Chairman, in an Aug. 27 press release. “Every efficiency gained here at the Commission supports the regulatory process that ultimately strengthens the confidence and trust in Indian gaming operations.”
Pechota replaces Richard Schiff, who had been serving in an “acting” capacity.
Pechota most recently served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bath, Penn.-based Giant Cement Holding Inc., a publicly traded building products and hazardous waste management company. Between 1983 and 1992, he was President and CEO of Dakota Cement in Rapid City, S.D.
“I’ve spent 30 years in business and my underlying goal has always been to find an opportunity to work on Indian issues,” Pechota said.
The new Chief of Staff holds a master’s in Business Administration from Stanford University and a bachelor’s of science in Business and Social Science from Black Hills State University.
NIGC was created by the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to be an independent federal regulatory authority for tribal gaming operations nationwide. Its mission is to “meet congressional concerns that tribal, state and federal regulation are adequate to shield Indian gaming from organized crime and other corrupting influences, ensure that Indian tribes are the primary beneficiaries of their gaming operations, assure that Indian gaming is conducted fairly and honestly, and protect the use of gaming by tribes as a viable means of generating governmental revenue and promote tribal economic development and strong tribal government.”
