Commissioner of Indian Affairs William E. Hallett announced today the appointment of Gene R. Powers as Assistant Area Director for administration in the Juneau Area Office.
Powers, 44, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe in Montana, is a graduate of Montana State College and has done graduate study in government and public administration. Since January, he has served in the BIA's central office in Washington, D. C. as special assistant to the Commissioner with regional responsibilities for the Pacific Northwest. Prior Federal service included tours as special assistant in the Denver-based Office of Indian Programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and as a contracting officer in the BIA's Portland Area Office.
After military service with the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959, Mr. Powers held managerial positions in administration and procurement with Boeing, Motorola, Forbes and the Blackfeet Tribe.
"Powers' extensive experience in private industry and government service makes him exceptionally well qualified for this key administrative position," Hallett said.
The Juneau Area Office serves more than 72,000 Indian, Eskimo and Aleut clients of the BIA. With agency offices in Anchorage, Bethel, Fairbanks, Juneau and Nome, the area's activities encompass the entire sweep of the state's 586,000 square miles.
