New Eastern Cherokee chief fires director of gaming commission

Monday, October 12, 2015

Patrick Lambert on the campaign trail in August 2015. Photo from Facebook

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The new leader of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina fired the executive director of the tribe's gaming commission after all of the commissioners were dismissed.

Chief Patrick Lambert sent a termination letter to Michell Hicks last Thursday, The Cherokee One Feather reported. Hicks had been hired as the director of the regulatory body after serving three terms as chief.

"This is no way to do tribal business," Hicks told the paper. "This is not the Cherokee way."

The move came after Lambert introduced a resolution last Monday to remove all three gaming commissioners, who had agreed to hire Hicks. The tribal council approved the measure.

"I got elected to make change, to make change happen and that is what I fully intend to do," Lambert told the paper.

Before Hicks stepped down, he interviewed for the executive director position at the gaming commission. He was not the first choice but was hired after the top candidate rejected the offer, The One Feather reported in an earlier story.

Lambert was the first executive director position at the gaming commission. He worked there for 22 years before stepping down in January to run for chief. He won election as chief last month with 71 percent of the vote.

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