Bill Anoatubby

Bill Anoatubby (born November 8, 1945) is the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, a position he has held since 1987. From 1979 to 1987, Anoatubby served two terms as lieutenant governor in the administration of Governor Overton James.

Anoatubby was born in Denison, Texas, and moved to Tishomingo, Oklahoma, the tribe's capital following his father's death before his third birthday. In 1964, he graduated from Tishomingo High School, where he played football and was active in student government. Following graduation from high school, he attended Murray State College in Tishomingo, before transferring to East Central University in Ada, where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. Furthermore, he undertook additional studies in business and finance at ECU and Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. During his college years, he served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, attaining the rank of staff sergeant and command of a light truck platoon, before his honorable discharge in 1971. From 1972 to 1974, he was employed as an office manager for American Plating Company. From 1974 to 1975, he was employed by the Little Giant Corporation, working in the areas of accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, and electronic data processing.

In July, 1975, Anoatubby joined the Chickasaw Nation government, then based in Sulphur, Oklahoma, as Director of Tribal Health Services, where he was responsible for management of tribal health programs in a 13-county region of south central Oklahoma. The following year, he accepted appointment as director of the tribal accounting department, where he was responsible for development and improvement of tribal accounting systems. In 1978, he was appointed as special assistant to the governor and controller, where he was responsible for program and personnel management, including supervision of tribal department directors. The following year, he became the first popularly elected Lieutenant Governor of Chickasaw Nation, and was reelected in 1983.

In 1987, Anoatubby was elected as the 30th Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, the twelfth-largest tribe in the United States. He was reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015; on three occasions (including the most recent) he faced no opposition.

As governor, he is responsible for administration of nearly 14,000 employees, more than 300 tribal programs and services, and more than 100 tribal businesses. As governor, he has devised a multi-pronged approach to improving conditions for the tribe in the areas of tribal finance, education, business and economic development, environmental protection, and healthcare.

Governor Bill Anoatubby appointed Charles W. Blackwell as the Chickasaw Nation's first Ambassador to the United States in 1995. At the time of his appointment in 1995, Blackwell became the first Native American tribal ambassador to the United States from any tribal government.

In addition to his duties as governor, Anoatubby has been a member of numerous civic and governmental organizations at the local, state, regional and national levels. His memberships include service as member and past president of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, the American Mothers Advisory Council, the American Indian Cultural Center Foundation, the Arkansas Riverbed Authority, the Dean A. McGee Board of Trustees, past chairman of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center Board of Advisors, chairman of the Native American Cultural and Educational Foundation, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable Executive Committee, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation Board of Directors, Oklahoma State Fair, Inc. Board of Directors, Oklahoma Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Oklahoman’s for the Arts Board of Directors, OU Price School of Business Board of Advisors, and the Goddard Center Primary Board.

Bill Anoatubby was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2004.

He lives in Ada, Oklahoma with his wife, Janice Anoatubby. They have two sons, Chris and Brian, and five grandchildren, Brendan, Eryn, Chloe, Preslea, and Sydney.