Phil Hogen to step down as chairman of NIGC

Thursday, September 24, 2009  

Phil Hogen will step down as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission on October 2, two sources told Indianz.Com.

Hogen, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, has served on the NIGC since December 2002. He has said he would stay on until President Barack Obama nominates a replacement.

But don't expect an announcement on the position from the White House. soon. Instead, George Skibine, a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, will serve as acting chairman of the NIGC.

Skibine is a long-time career employee at the Bureau of Indian Affairs with a wealth of gaming experience. He has served as director of the Office of Indian Gaming Management, where he reviewed Class III gaming compacts and dealt with other tribal gaming matters.

Most recently, Skibine has been serving as acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the BIA. His status at the agency has been a source of some confusion, as most thought the second-in-command position was being held by Del Laverdure, a member of the Crow Tribe of Montana. Laverdure's official title, however, is Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.

Skibine's new role indicates the White House might not be making an official nomination for the NIGC chair position for a couple of months. By law, he could serve as acting chair of NIGC for up to 120 days.