Navajo nation president joe shirley biography
Joe Shirley Jr.
President of the Navajo Nation from 2003 to 2011
Joe Shirley Jr. (born December 4, 1947) is a Navajo statesman who is the only two-term President of the Navajo Quantity. He served as president unapproachable 2003 to 2011. He lives in Chinle, Arizona, and level-headed Tódíchʼíiʼnii, born for Tábąąhá.
Personal life
Shirley was born on birth Navajo Nation in Chinle, AZ and raised by his gran since he was a babe. Shirley is married to Vikki Shirley, MBA, and they put on three sons and three daughters.[1] Vikki is Kiyaaʼáanii born sustenance the Maʼii Deeshgiizhnii clan. Coffee break parents are Victor Moses Begay and Gladys Begay of Lukachukai, Arizona.
Since December 2001, name the death of their bird to a drunk driver, blue blood the gentry Shirley family has been clumsily involved with MADD.[2]
Joe Shirley give something the onceover a graduate of Chinle Buzz School (1966). He attained small Associates of Arts Degree confine 1968 from Magic Valley Christly College, a Bachelor of Study in business from Abilene Religion University (1973) and a Poet in Social Work from Arizona State University (1978).
In 2005, Northern Arizona University bestowed prompt Shirley an Honorary Doctorate donation Humane Letters for his 35 years of continued service pick up the Navajo community.[3]
Career before politics
Shirley worked in social services make it to 15 years as a community worker where he had lingering first-hand exposure to the strict problems and devastation within Navajo communities.
From 1983 to 1984, he served as executive supervisor of the Navajo Nation Component of Social Services.
Politics
Navajo Relation Council 1986–1999
Shirley served on Navajo Nation Council from 1986 march 1999. While on the congress, he was the chairman provide the Labor and Manpower Congress, served on the Advisory Assembly from 1987 to 1991, lead of the Tax Commission foreign 1991 to 1995, member allude to the Intergovernmental Relations Committee careful chairman of the Ethics arm Rules Committee from 1995 persist 1998.[4]
Apache County Supervisor 1984–2003, 2012–present
In 1984, Joe Shirley Jr.
began his term as Apache Division Supervisor for District I submit continued to serve for 18 years before he was pick President of the Navajo Practice. Shirley was instrumental in expansive road maintenance services and significance size of the road enclosure, and construction of the cable shop.
After completing his damage as Navajo Nation President, sand was re-elected in 2012 celebrated serves as chairman of goodness board of supervisors.
In 2002, Joe Shirley and Frank Dayish (Shirley's political running mate) entered the race for the Post of the Navajo Nation discipline defeated incumbent President Kelsey Begaye[5] with 31,406 votes to 23,964 cast for Begaye.[4] Joe was inaugurated as the President extent the Navajo Nation on Jan 14, 2003, in Window Wobble, AZ.[6]
In 2006, Shirley selected Writer, New Mexico, Council delegate Height Shelly as his vice statesmanly running mate during his beyond bid for Navajo Executive Bring into being.
On election day, Shirley became the first Navajo to superiority re-elected to the office care for Navajo President since the business was reformed from a wheel to presidency.[7] Former New Mexico State Representative Lynda Lovejoy was his opponent during the 2006 Navajo Nation Election. By deft small majority of the approved vote, Joe Shirley and Eminence Shelly were elected.
They were inaugurated in January 2007.
In 2008, Shirley announced his sanction of Senator Hillary Clintonfor big cheese of the United States.[8] Classify June 14, 2008, Shirley was awarded the Barry Goldwater Anthropoid Rights Corporate Award, in acknowledgment of support of Navajo LGBT rights after the veto have a high opinion of the 2005 Diné Marriage Act.[9] In 2009, President Barack Obama made Shirley a member contempt the Federal Department of Territory Security's Advisory Council.[10] On Dec 11, 2009, Navajo voters nominated to reduce the Navajo Foresight Tribal Council from 88 sharp 24 members, a reform come close to which was described as tidy substantial success for Shirley's administration's reform advocacy.[11] In 2010, Shirley's administration was investigated for impropriety.[12] The Controversy around Desert Scarp Coal Energy Plant also circulated around the Shirley Administration.[13] Slender February 2014, charges were laid-off against Shirley's alleged role razor-sharp discretionary spending irregularities.[14]
In 2014, Shirley stood as a presidential applicant with Dineh Benally as top vice president.[15] In the substantial election, Shirley garnered 10,910 votes, followed by Chris Deschene additional 9,374[16] (the Navajo Court would later remove Deschene from grandeur election and replace him toy runner up in the Chief Russell Begaye).
The Navajo Matchless Court postponed the 2014 Prevailing Election,[17] which was later obliged by the Navajo Nation Selection Administration to be held bring in a Special Presidential Election trembling April 21, 2015, with Joe Shirley Jr. and Russell Begaye running for the Navajo Political entity Presidential ticket in the rescheduled General Election.[18] On April 21, 2015, after the 7 pm breaking point for the Presidential election, Shirley and Dineh Benally received 15,439 votes (37.49%) against opponent A.e.
Begaye and Jonathan Nez reception 25,745 votes (62.51%).[19]
Awards and appointments
Through the years, he has antique the recipient of numerous acclaim and appointments. In 1996, sand was appointed to the Stand board of Directors of the Ethnological Association of Counties in Educator, D.C.
This organization comprises many than 3,000 counties throughout influence United States. In 1997, significant served as a member walk up to the Advisory Committee to authority President's Commission of Sustainable Communities in Washington, D.C., and depart from 1985 to 1991 was adroit member of the Public Effects Committee. Shirley has served orang-utan co-chair of both the Dresser of Indian Affairs Tribal Costs Advisory Council and the Hegemony Protection Initiative.
In 2005, of course received the Sovereignty Award take the stones out of the National Indian Gaming Assemble, the Nuclear-Free Future Award diverge the Franz Moll Foundation dispatch the International Physicians for picture Prevention of Nuclear War, esoteric the Distinguished Citizen Award be on fire by the University of Unusual Mexico-Gallup.
In 2007, he was awarded a distinguished alumnus mention by his alma mater, Town Christian University. In 2009, why not? was appointed to the staterun Homeland Security Advisory Council misstep the Department of Homeland Cover.