Our tribe had already been doing that for almost 15 years or more. This has really highlighted our need for broadband in our underserved communities, not just for our workforce but also so we can attract economic development opportunities.ĭillard: This has forced us all to start looking at diversification of all of our tribal government. Some of our positions are definitely utilizing work from home. We’ve changed quite a few of our business practices as we adapt to our new normal. Gwin: So far, our businesses have been successful in our reopenings by engaging our reopening plans. How has Choctaw Nation Businesses recovered from the downturn brought on by COVID-19? Senior Director of Business Development Tammye Gwin and Senior Executive Director of Commerce Janie Dillard spoke with Tribal Business News about how Choctaw Nation Businesses have focused on recovering from pandemic closures and the enterprise’s future plans and investment strategies. Want more news like this? Get the free weekly newsletter. However, the abrupt disruption caused by the pandemic, which resulted in the closure of the tribe’s 22 gaming operations across the country, only highlighted the need to broaden the tribe’s revenue streams.Īs well, the situation also uncovered a dire need for improvements to the tribe’s ailing broadband network, which led the Choctaw Nation to include broadband expansion as a major part of its economic development plan. Well before the onset of COVID-19, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma had taken steps to diversify its economy, which for years had been bolstered by a healthy tribal gaming division.

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