Peoria Tribe
2024 Election Candidate Statements
March 2
2024
Election
Peoria Headquarters 7am - 12pm
General Council Meeting
Peoria Showplace Doors Open 10am | Meeting Begins 1pm
Table of Contents
Election Notice...........................................................................................................................3 First Councilman Candidate Statements.......................................................................................4 Grievance Committee Candidate Statements...............................................................................8 Other Reminders.......................................................................................................................10
In the event of a RUN-OFF ELECTION In accordance with the Peoria Election Ordinance Article XIII - Section 4 - In the race for First Councilman there are four (4) candidates. One candidate must receive no less than 50.1% of the total vote in order to be declared the winner. Failure to do so will result in a run-off election between the two (2) who have received the most votes. In the event of a run-off election the polls will open thirty (30) minutes after the end of the Annual Meeting shall remain open for a period of two (2) hours.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL ELECTION PEORIA TRIBE OF INDIANS OF OKLAHOMA Saturday, March 2, 2024 The Election Committee of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma announces the Annual Election is scheduled on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Positions to be filled are First Councilman, Treasurer, and one seat on the Grievance Committee, each for terms of four (4) years. Any member of the Peoria Tribe, as defined in Article III, Section 1 – MEMBERSHIP OF TRIBE, of the Constitution of the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, shall be eligible to vote, provided the member is eighteen (18) years of age or over on the date of the election. Each member will be required to show proof of identification at each election in the form of a government-issued photo identification showing their name to match the Official Voters’ List provided by the Tribal Enrollment Office. (Peoria Tribe Election Ordinance, Article VI-VOTERS, Section 1) Polling place on Saturday, March 2, 2024, will be at the Peoria Tribal Administration Building Conference Room, 118 South Eight Tribes Trail, Miami, Oklahoma, from 7:00 a.m. to Noon. Candidates for offices are: FIRST COUNCILMAN:
Scott Allen Nick Hargrove Cheyenne Lasiter Patrick W. Morris
TREASURER:
Billy Hank Downum Jason Dollarhide
GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE:
Stacy M. Lindsly Mark Davey
In the event, no candidate receives a majority vote, a run-off election will be conducted between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes. The Election Committee will immediately proceed to call for a run-off election by announcing the time polls will open. Polls for a run-off election will remain open for a period of two (2) hours. Announcement of the runoff election will be made at the Peoria Tribal Office and the Showplace at Buffalo Run Casino at the Annual Peoria Council Meeting. Balloting will continue until one candidate receives a clear majority of the total votes cast. Voting results will be announced immediately at the Peoria Tribal Office and during the Annual Peoria Council Meeting at the Showplace at Buffalo Run Casino scheduled to convene at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2024.
First Councilman Candidate Statements
Hello fellow Peoria Citizens, My name is Scott Allen. I’m a Candidate for First Councilman on the Peoria Business Committee. I’m a proud Peoria Tribal Member from Edmond, OK. I hold the belief our Tribal Nation is experiencing a great awakening! During this timeframe we need strong leadership focused on building a strong foundation for our future generations. Over the past several years we have seen our tribe invest in sorely needed infrastructure. We’ve established a new, state of the art, campus in Miami. We have added a new Cultural Center, The Woodland Academy, and we’ve capitalized on the opportunity to add real estate properties utilizing federal funds and grants. Our leaders have invested in our cattle program, our upcoming bison program, and many other programs that will benefit our citizens for generations to come. Many of these projects are not flashy items that are easily seen. However, make no mistake; they are necessary! As your First Councilman I will seek, and support, continued growth opportunities to serve our citizens, while simultaneously looking for ways to reduce waste in our spending. My background is working as a businessman in small and large companies. I have a history of building and leading diverse teams of people over the last 30+ years. I spent the majority of my career in the Hospitality Industry, and I’m currently working as a Senior HR Leader in Talent Acquisition where I lead multiple teams, across multiple states, for a global online retailer and tech company. To provide a sense of scope, my direct reports hired a little more than 20,000 people in 2023, and my indirect reports hired just over 150,000 people. I have a keen sense for business and have been developing my business acumen over the past 3 decades. I believe my experience will benefit the Business Committee as we look for ways to grow our Tribal Government in the near future. I’ve been married to my wife, Jennie, for 27 years and we have two children: Maddie and Ryne. They have both utilized the support of the tribe in the form of Peoria Scholarships to help them in their education at the University of Oklahoma. Maddie is in graduate school at OU’s Health Science Center where she is working on her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Ryne is a Junior in OU’s Gallogly College of Engineering where he is majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering. The support of our tribe has been instrumental in their continued education. God has blessed me with the ability to observe my children embrace their heritage and seek to serve their community in their fields of study. I too, want to serve our community! The Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma has an opportunity to grow by focusing on Economic Development in order to better serve our citizens. We need to make decisions for the long term, and work towards making our goals a reality. I know our current leaders have a desire to serve our Tribe and see it prosper. I look forward to working with them and challenging the committee to move forward. In this election, we need a strong, experienced, leader who is willing to make difficult decisions, while managing the difference of opinions in a firm, professional, and polite manner, for the betterment of our Peoria Nation. I am that leader! I respectfully ask for your vote on March 2, 2024.
Aya fellow Peoria Citizens! My name is Nick Hargrove and I am seeking your support for the position of First Councilman. For those of you I have not met, let me introduce myself. I am a passionate advocate of our Tribe and an active member in our government and culture. I believe that clear and open communication from our Tribal government to Citizens should be a priority, as this fosters a healthy system in which people are informed and engaged in their Tribe. To that end, I have regularly attended Business Committee meetings over the past several years and consistently prioritized keeping our members informed on the latest developments by writing and sharing reports. However, I believe that we are currently not communicating as openly as possible with our Citizens and as a result, many are not as involved in their Tribe as they could be. I would like to see that change, and it can. I believe that live-streaming the Business Committee meetings is an essential for our Tribe, as many members live out of state or simply cannot physically attend meetings. By fostering transparency and open communication, I believe that we can build a stronger Peoria Nation. Over the last two years we have seen our Peewaalia language program flourish and that has enabled many people to grow more connected to their Tribe. I have been so happy to hear people speak their language more regularly. I believe we should keep going in this direction and offer more opportunities for people to connect with their Tribe. Hosting regular cultural classes, such as beading or ribbon making, would be a great way to share knowledge with tribal members, empowering our community and culture to flourish. I would also like to see our youth offered more opportunities with our Tribe, such as a Peoria youth group. This would, again, all serve to bring people together and build up our community in a way that will strengthen it in the generations to come. My priority is always the good of the Tribe as a whole, and I believe that all of these goals serve those ends. I believe our Peoria Tribe is great and I would love to see it be even greater. Additionally, these goals are certainly achievable. The success of the language class has been a testament to the positive results of live-streaming events. And with our new community center and early childhood program, the resources are in place to make cultural classes and youth engagement a reality. My commitment to our Tribe is rooted in love and respect, so to serve as your First Councilman would be an honor and a responsibility I would embrace with constant dedication. Together, let us embark on a transformative journey that will shape the future of our Tribe, bringing it to new heights! I humbly ask for your vote on March 2nd and I look forward to seeing all of you at General Council. If you have any questions or would like to reach out to me, please feel free to call or text me at 918-732-9719. Neewe!
After much time and reflection, I am excited to announce that I have declared my candidacy for the position of 1st Councilman of the Peoria Tribe in the upcoming Election on March 2nd, 2024. I am a lifelong resident of Fairland, Oklahoma, Ottawa County. I am married to my wonderful Wife of 26 years and have three children; we have recently adopted two children. We were raised and live in a community of nine federally recognized tribes that are rich with Native American pride, culture, and tradition. The impact of the nine tribes in terms of program services, employment, and economic opportunities to the entire community is significant and evidenced every day. I continue my Education at the University of Ottawa in Elementary Education after my 3 years of education I served our Country in the Military for 6 years and 5 months. My employment after the Military started at the United States Postal Service where I am recently Retire as of January 24th and have service the USPS for 24 years. I am Firefighter of 25 years and EMT for 9 years. One thing that is very heavy on my heart is the leadership and the growth that comes out in our Native youth Children. I am heavily involved in our Tribal Children exploring their options and growing to our way of life, I am very involved in our annual Ottawa County fair that takes place every August. As a parent and a Tribal Native I want to see our move forward as team and growth so our elders, relatives, youth know that they have a place to belong and not to feel left out. It would be my honor to finally be able to serve my own Tribe and use my Services to move the Peoria Tribe forward. It is our job to not only preserve our past but to nurture and care for our present in a way that grows our future. It is a privilege to have this opportunity and I ask for your support at the polls on Saturday, March 2nd, 2024, Your voice, and vote matters. 1st Councilman Patrick Morris #PeoriaProud
Grievance Committee Candidate Statements
My name is Mark Davey and I am a candidate for the Grievance Committee position. With assistance from our tribal scholarships, l obtained an Aerospace Engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in 2002 and went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2004. While in college, I enjoyed attending tribal meetings with my grandmother, Mary Lembcke. I have continued to participate in tribal activities, which are important to me, and regularly make the trip from Fort Worth to Miami to attend tribal meetings. I have served three terms on the Grievance Committee and I would appreciate your vote so I may continue to serve our tribe. Thank you.
Stay Connected with Peoria Tribe
Sign Up!
Gain Access to... Newsletter by Text or Email Program Deadline Reminders Scholarship Opportunities
peoriatribe.com/signup
Scan the QR code to access Sign Up form!