March 09, 2015 – MAYETTA: Steve Ortiz, former PBPN chairperson, will be honored as a recipient of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Chairman’s Leadership Award at their convention planned for March 31 in San Diego.
Ortiz will be recognized by NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr for his accomplishments and achievements in Indian Country as chairman of the PBPN.
Ortiz was an elected official in the PBPN for approximately 15 years and served his last seven years as chairperson until 2014.
His other accomplishments were serving as the PBPN delegate to NIGA and the National Congress of American Indians, and being a member of the National Indian Gaming Commission Task Force on Health and Safety in Indian Casinos.
Ortiz also served on national government committees including the Department of Health & Human Services Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee, the U.S. EPA Local Government Advisory Committee, and he was selected as one of twelve tribal leaders who met personally with President Obama in 2011 during the White House Tribal Nations Conference held in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 2.
