Jim Stafford
Special to Oklahoman
Bill Anoatubby has been governor of the Chickasaw Nation since 1987 and has overseen exponential growth of the tribe’s employment and business interests. In 1987 the tribe had about 250 employees. Today, the Chickasaw Nation employs almost 13,000 people. Gov. Anoatubby took time to answer these questions about the tribe’s economic development efforts.
Q: What are the areas of business development your tribe is focusing on for the future?
A: We plan to continue investing in our entertainment, hospitality and tourism businesses which have proven very successful over the years. We are also continuing to diversify our business portfolio. Chickasaw Community Bank and Chickasaw Nation Industries provide examples of that diversification. Chickasaw Nation Industries focuses on government contracting, engineering, manufacturing and telecommunications support. We are also investing in a number of commercial health care ventures.