The Petersburg Indian Association announced yesterday that they have hired a new tribal administrator. Everett Bennett will start work on May 20th. Bennett had been a tribal council member since January, but stepped down from the seat last week. Tribal President Debra O’Gara explained in an email at the time that Bennett was “pursuing a new employment opportunity.”
The tribal administrator position has been empty since January, when Chad Wright stepped down. Wright’s resignation came just two days after the annual tribal election. Four candidates, including Bennett, challenged five incumbents. The challengers ran on a united ticket, and won in a landslide. The challengers have been vocal about frustration with what they saw as a lack of transparency on the part of the Petersburg Indian Association tribal council and administration. They say that lack of transparency created distrust among tribal members.
O’Gara was appointed interim tribal administrator during the council’s first meeting in January.
A press release from the tribe, said “Everett will strive to not only keep Indigenous culture alive, but also to enrich the Petersburg community with its vibrant traditions.”
Bennett wears a lot of hats in the community. They are the co-founder of the nonprofit Humanity in Progress, the Petersburg representative on the SEARHC board of directors, and a volunteer EMT for the Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department. They have been the executive director of Working Against Violence for Everyone, or WAVE for over a decade. The organization is already advertising for a new executive director.
The tribal council is now accepting letters of interest to fill Bennett’s vacant council seat. This is the second vacant seat on the tribal council since January, when council member Joseph Stewart stepped down, citing a desire to create room for young people. 24-year-old Brandon Ware was appointed to that seat last month.
