- Details
- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Gaming
Just days after leaving his post as chairman at the National Indian Gaming Commission, E. Sequoyah Simermeyer has taken a job at private gaming company FanDuel.
Simermeyer, a member of the Coharie Indian Tribe of North Carolina, joins FanDuel in the newly created position of vice president of strategic partnerships, where he will lead efforts to “build sustainable commercial relationships across the United States with a focus on promoting economic development that supports tribal sovereignty,” per a FanDuel release.
Simermeyer departed the NIGC on Saturday, Feb. 26 after taking the position in 2019, appointed by then President Donald Trump. As chairman, Simermeyer led the commission through pandemic-era regulation shifts that supported a multi-year recovery from colossal revenue losses.
“Sequoyah Simermeyer has been at the forefront of shaping and safeguarding tribal gaming, focusing on priority issues and public policy for close to 25 years,” FanDuel Senior VP Rikki Tanenbaum said in a statement. “We are very honored to welcome Chairman Simermeyer to the FanDuel leadership team, as he brings a career dedicated to addressing tribal economic development. With his guidance we look forward to learning how to best partner with and support native sovereign nations across the country.”
Simermeyer is the latest in a widening pool of executives from Native-serving organizations to join FanDuel’s executive team. Per a report from trade publication Sports Handle, Simermeyer joins former San Manuel Band of Mission Indians COO Rikki Tanenbaum and former San Manuel Vice President of Operations Frank Sizemore, who were hired by FanDuel in October and January, respectively.
Simermeyer said in a statement that the FanDuel position represents his first job in the private sector, where he hopes to leverage his expertise to build relationships with tribal partners. FanDuel has existing partnerships with the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut, and the Suquamish Tribe in Washington.
“It mattered to me to join a team where I could use my background as a former regulator, legislative staffer and public servant to Indian Country,” Simermeyer said. “FanDuel is the leader in mobile gaming and has helped shape the rise of the legalized and regulated marketplace in the U.S. Mobile gaming remains a very young and dynamic industry, and I’m excited to help the team build out our capacity to work within Indian Country nationally to take advantage of opportunities ahead.”
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