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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Gaming
The National Indian Gaming Commission announced Monday that Vice Chair Jeannie Hovland has departed the agency, according to a press release from NIGC. Her resignation is effective immediately.
Hovland, a citizen of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, joined the Commission in 2021 and helped oversee more than 500 Indian gaming operations regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The agency said she played a central role in maintaining the integrity of a nearly $44 billion Indian gaming industry through regulatory oversight and coordination with tribes and states.
Hovland said she is returning to South Dakota after more than two decades in federal service, including eight years in Washington, D.C.
According to the agency, Hovland spent five years with NIGC and focused on strengthening tribal sovereignty, developing future gaming leaders, and raising awareness about human trafficking and other threats to tribal communities.
NIGC Chief of Staff Dustin Thomas said Hovland’s tenure helped shape the agency’s direction, particularly in advancing regulatory standards and tribal sovereignty.
Before joining NIGC, Hovland served as commissioner of the Administration for Native Americans and as deputy assistant secretary for Native American Affairs at the Administration for Children and Families. She previously spent nearly 13 years as tribal affairs advisor to U.S. Sen. John Thune.
Associate Commissioner Sharon Avery remains in her position. NIGC said additional information on leadership succession will be released when available.
The commission has not yet returned to its full three-person commission since the departure of Sequoyah Simermeyer, who left the position in February 2024. Then-President Joe Biden nominated longtime policy advisor and advocate Patrice Kunesh to the position but she did not receive a vote before Congress. President Donald Trump has not announced a nomination.
In a statement, the Indian Gaming Association said Hovland was a “steady and thoughtful leader” and credited her with supporting strong regulatory standards under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The group said her work helped reinforce tribal sovereignty and maintain confidence in an industry that funds tribal governments, jobs and essential services.
