Sequoyah Simermeyer Nominated for Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission

E. Sequoyah Simermeyer of Maryland

Published June 26, 2019

WASHINGTON— On Tuesday, E. Sequoyah Simermeyer, a tribal citizen of the Coharie Tribe, was nominated to chair the National Indian Gaming Commission. Simermeyer, previously advised the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, served under the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, and worked for the National Congress of American Indians.

“Sequoyah Simermeyer has a wealth of experience on tribal issues working in different executive and legislative branch capacities,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “He is the ideal candidate for this position, and I urge Congress to confirm him quickly.”

“We appreciate the President quickly nominating a new Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission,” said Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “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.”

In his current role as a Commissioner and the Director of Self-Regulation for the National Indian Gaming Commission, Simermeyer works with federal, state, and tribal bodies on national gaming regulatory policy and compliance as well as self-regulation petitions.

Simermeyer formerly advised the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and as a Counselor to the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. He also advocated on national and international policy issues with the National Congress of American Indians and holds a law degree from Cornell Law School.