WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will reopen its search for a new regional director of the Bureau’s Alaska Regional Office. The BIA will begin soliciting applicants for the Senior Executive Service (SES) position, which is located in Anchorage, starting on April 22, 2013.
“The decision to continue our search for candidates for the Alaska Regional Director position was made after meeting with Alaska Native leaders who provided us valuable insight on the unique needs of their communities that require effective and proactive leadership,” Washburn said.
The Alaska post is one of 12 regional directorships who manage the BIA’s regional offices, which oversee numerous agencies directly servicing federally recognized tribes and communities across the country. All of the regional director positions are SES-level appointments and report to the director of the BIA.
Members of the Senior Executive Service serve in key management positions just below the top presidential appointee level. They are charged with leading the continuing transformation of government, possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective of government and a commitment to public service that is grounded in the United States Constitution. SES members are the major link between presidential appointees and the rest of the federal workforce, and oversee nearly every government activity across 75 federal agencies, including the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, the BIA and the Bureau of Indian Education in the Department of the Interior.
The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services and Field Operations. The BIA’s 12 regional offices and 85 agencies administer or fund tribal law enforcement, social services, governance, natural and energy resources, road and building construction and trust management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages.
-DOI-
