James H. Stevens, a member of the San Carlos Band of Apaches, has been appointed director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Phoenix area office. Interior Assistant Secretary Ken Smith said that Stevens' appointment would be effective April 4.
Stevens, superintendent of the Bureau's Spokane agency at Wellpinit, Washington, has been detailed twice in the past year to serve in the central office as the acting director of the Office of Trust Responsibilities. He is currently functioning in that capacity now on a detail that began in January.
Assistant Secretary Smith praised Stevens for his "administrative abilities as well as his broad knowledge of Indian matters. Jim has done an outstanding job serving as the director of Trust Responsibilities. He will be a major asset to the Phoenix area."
Stevens moves into the federal government's Senior Executive Service in his new assignment.
He has been the agency superintendent at Spokane since 1972. Prior to that he had been assistant to the superintendent at the BIA's Nevada agency.
An engineering graduate of the University of Arizona School of mines, Stevens began his career with the Bureau as a supervisory roads engineer at the Fort Apache agency in 1963.
A native of Arizona, Stevens worked eight years with the California division of highways before coming to the BIA. He is married and has three children.
Stevens succeeds Bill Finale who retired February 19.
