Quick Facts
Biography
Gary Dale Batton (born December 15, 1966) is the current and 47th Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Batton was appointed Chief on April 28, 2016 upon Chief Gregory E. Pyle's retirement, and was elected Chief on July 11, 2015 with 86.5% of the vote.
Early life and career
Batton was born on December 15, 1966 in Wichita, Kansas. He graduated from Clayton High School in 1985 and graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 1989.
Batton began working for the Choctaw Nation in 1987 as a clerk in the Purchasing Department. Upon graduating from SOSU with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, he accepted the position of Deputy Director of the Choctaw Nation Housing Authority. Batton then accepted the position of Executive Director of the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority in 1997. Upon the resignation of Assistant Chief Mike Bailey in May 2007, Batton was selected and served as Assistant Chief until the retirement of Chief Gregory E. Pyle in April 2014, in which Batton was appointed to Chief. Batton was then elected as Chief in the general election on July 11, 2015 with 86.5% of the vote. Batton was sworn in as Chief of the Choctaw Nation on September 7, 2015 for a four-year term ending on September 2, 2019. The Office of the Chief may serve an unlimited number of four-year terms.
Personal life
Batton lives in Clayton, Oklahoma with his wife, Angie. They have two children and two grandchildren.