Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed, far right, and Vice Chief Alan B. Ensley, second from right, are shown at the recent Senior Games Opening Ceremonies. (Photo by Ashleigh Stephens/EBCI Public Relations)
By RICHARD G. SNEED
PRINCIPAL CHIEF
These past few weeks have been very busy, but very rewarding and exciting. There have been a number of events I’ve participated in, which has given me the opportunity share fellowship with members of the EBCI and represent the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The EBCI Cooperative Extension Office distributed 740 garden kits this past week. The garden kits were distributed through Tsali Manor, at the Yellowhill Basketball Court, in the Snowbird Community, and at the Cherokee County Community Club. The heirloom seeds and strawberry plants were provided by Harold & Nancy Long, who were recently named the NC A&T Small Farmers of the year. The Cooperative Extension Office has a number of garden kits still available for those that missed the distribution.
The EBCI Housing Division has been working on getting an architectural firm to design the housing development on the Camp Creek property. I was able to meet with the architectural firm selected regarding my vision for the development and to hear their ideas about what would work for the area. I look forward to seeing their design and am excited to share any future progress on this development with the EBCI community.
I was able to speak with the Right Path adult leadership program to provide my tips and tricks for public speaking. I was happy to share my thoughts with them, and while I hope they learned a lot from my speech I am encouraged by their participation and the questions they posed to me. This program is so important to the development of these young people, and I look forward to seeing what these future leaders do with their careers.
The Macon County Economic Development Commission invited me to provide the Keynote Address this past week at their BizWeek Banquet. I was happy to speak with them regarding my thoughts on economic development. It is important to recognize the impact the Eastern Band has on the economic development efforts of the region and look for ways we can partner on shared projects. I look forward to continuing the work to build relationships with regional leaders and increase economic diversification on the Qualla Boundary.
Finally, I would like to congratulate those seniors who have placed and done well at the local senior games competitions. You are representing the EBCI well, and I appreciate your participation. I wish all the competitors the best of luck as they wrap up the local senior games.
