By UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS<\/p>\n
DURANT, Okla. \u2013 Chief Gary Batton of The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will be the speaker at Southeastern Oklahoma State University\u2019s Spring Commencement.<\/p>\n
Two ceremonies \u2013 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. \u2013 will be held in the Bloomer Sullivan Arena on Saturday, May 11.<\/p>\n
Chief Batton is the 47th Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma,
\nthe third largest Indian tribe in the United States with more than 200,000
\ncitizens. After being sworn into the Office in 2014, Chief Batton set a clear
\ndirection in his inaugural address indicating a specific vision for his
\nadministration. He believes his main purpose is to create a better future for
\nthe Choctaw people. He spends countless hours in the communities with the
\ntribal members he serves. He works to protect their culture, provide
\nopportunities for education, improved healthcare, employment, and ultimately,
\ndo what is best for Choctaws.<\/p>\n
Through diversification, the Nation now has more than 70 businesses in 13 different industries, including hospitality, entertainment, agriculture, defense and more. Chief Batton has established a sound economic base for the Choctaw Nation with annual revenue exceeding $1.5 billion.<\/p>\n
Under Chief Batton\u2019s direction, the Choctaw Nation opened a new tribal headquarters and regional health clinic in Durant, a large expansion to its health clinic in Poteau, three new wellness centers, three Chili\u2019s franchises, three Travel Plazas, an expansion to its resort in Durant, community centers in McAlester and Talihina, three food distribution centers, two Choctaw market and three independent living communities for Choctaw elders.<\/p>\n
Chief Batton also created several new programs to assist tribal members like the Next Step supplemental food program, Reintegration and Job for the Day. The additional facilities and programs added more than 4,000 jobs to southeastern Oklahoma during his first five years in office.<\/p>\n
The growth continues with numerous projects in the planning and construction phases. These include another country market, head starts, independent elder housing and wellness centers just to name a few.<\/p>\n
Chief Batton received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Southeastern in 2013.<\/p>\n
The schedule for Saturday, May 11, will be two ceremonies in the Bloomer Sullivan Arena, is as follows:<\/p>\n
10:00 \u2013 11:00 a.m.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n School of Arts & Sciences<\/em><\/p>\n Master of Technology<\/p>\n Master of Music Education<\/p>\n Master of Science (Native American Leadership)<\/p>\n John Massey School of Business<\/em><\/p>\n Master of Business Administration<\/p>\n Master of Science (Aerospace Administration and Logistics)<\/p>\n Master of Science (Safety)<\/p>\n 2:00 \u2013 3:00 p.m.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n School of Education & Behavioral Sciences<\/em><\/p>\n Master of Arts (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)<\/p>\n Master of Early Intervention and Child Development<\/p>\n Master of Education<\/p>\n Master of Science (Sports Administration)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS DURANT, Okla. \u2013 Chief Gary Batton of The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will be the speaker at Southeastern Oklahoma State University\u2019s Spring Commencement. Two ceremonies \u2013 at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n