NIGC

New NIGC Chairman Jonodev Chaudhuri chooses chief of staff

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Shannon O'Loughlin. Photo from NIGC

Jonodev Chaudhuri, the newly-confirmed leader of the National Indian Gaming Commission, has chosen a chief of staff to lead the day-to-day operations of the agency.

Shannon O'Loughlin is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. She comes to the NIGC with more than 16 years of experience in Indian law and policy.

"I am thrilled to be joining the Commission and to be at the NIGC at such a vibrant and exciting time," O'Loughlin said in a press release. "I look forward to getting reacquainted with those in Indian Gaming, as well as the thousands of on-the-ground Indian gaming regulators the NIGC works with day-in and day-out, to ensure the integrity of Indian gaming."

O'Loughlin is Chaudhuri's first major hire since he was confirmed for the NIGC post by the Senate on April 16. The agency oversees the $28 billion tribal gaming industry.

"Shannon brings an extremely strong policy and law background, and she understands the importance of maintaining strong Indian country and stakeholder relationships," Chaudhuri, a member of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma, said in the press release. "She has direct experience working with Indian country, federal, and private sector management teams and has been instrumental in her work with Interior's Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Review Committee."

Despite the Senate's action to confirm Chaudhuri, the NIGC remains without a third member. The Interior Department hasn't appointed anyone new for the agency since September 2013.

Most matters, however, do not need to be decided by the full, three-member commission. But neither the Bush administration nor the Clinton administration let the agency go without three members for prolonged periods of time.

Get the Story:
Press Release: Chairman Chaudhuri announces O'Loughlin as Chief of Staff at the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC 4/28)