Ned Norris Jr. (born 1955) is
chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
of the
Tohono O'odham Nation of southern
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
. He previously held the office for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2015, and was returned to the office in 2019. Norris previously worked as the director of
marketing
Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce.
Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...
and
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
for the O'odham Gaming Authority.
Biography
Early life
Ned Norris Jr. was born in 1955 and raised in
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
.
[ Norris attended both ]elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
and middle school
Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school.
Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, middle school includes g ...
in Flagstaff, Arizona
Flagstaff ( ), known locally as Flag, is the county seat of Coconino County, Arizona, in the southwestern United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 76,831.
Flagstaff is the principal city of the Coconino Cou ...
before graduating from Sunnyside High School in Tucson.[ He received a certification in ]social work
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...
from Pima Community College
Pima Community College (PCC) is a Public university, public community college in Pima County, Arizona. It serves the Tucson, Arizona, Tucson metropolitan area with a community college district consisting of five campuses, four education centers, ...
and enrolled at some classes at the University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
, where he later was awarded an honorary Human of Letters doctorate.[
]
Career
Norris began working for the government of the Tohono O'odham nation in 1978 as a nonattorney tribal judge.[ He served as a trial judge until 1993.][ He also served on the ]school board
A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution.
The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...
of the Sunnyside Unified School District
Sunnyside Unified School District is a school district in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The district extends from Tucson south to Sahuarita and from Interstate 19 to Wilmot Road. It has one early learning center, one K-8 school, one inte ...
in Pima County, Arizona
Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
, from 1997 until 2000.[
Additionally, Norris was employed as the director of ]public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
and marketing
Marketing is the act of acquiring, satisfying and retaining customers. It is one of the primary components of Business administration, business management and commerce.
Marketing is usually conducted by the seller, typically a retailer or ma ...
for the Tohono O'odham Gaming Authority.[ He resigned from this position in 2003 when he was elected the Vice Chairman of the Tohono O'odham nation.][ Norris has also worked for the Desert Diamond Casino as assistant director of public relations.][
]
Vice Chairman of the Tohono O'odham (2003–2006)
In 1999, Vivian Juan-Saunders announced her intention to challenge incumbent Tohono O'odham Chairman Edward Manuel, who was seeking a second term in office.[ Juan-Saunders chose Norris as her running mate in the election.][ Manuel defeated Juan-Saunders to win a second term as chairman.][
In 2003, Vivian Juan-Saunders once again sought the chairmanship with Ned Norris Jr. as her running mate.][ She and Norris won the election with 59% of the vote in a rematch with Edward Manuel, who was seeking a third term.][ Norris became the ]Vice Chairman
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
of the Tohono O'odham under Chairman Vivian Juan-Saunders, the first woman to lead the Tohono O'odham.[ He held the post until his resignation in June 2006.]
Chairman of the Tohono O'odham (2007–2015, 2019–)
In 2007, Norris challenged incumbent Chairman Juan-Saunders in the Tohono O'odham executive election.[ Norris ousted Juan-Saunders in the election, which was held on May 26, 2007.][ He received 1,766 of the 3,105 total votes cast by Tohono O'odham voters.][ His running mate, Isidro Lopez, became the Vice Chairman of the Tohono O'odham.][ Norris and Lopez were formally inaugurated as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation on Friday, August 3, 2007.]health care
Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...
and the alleviation of unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
.