The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation has announced the results of its annual general election held on January 11. The inauguration will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Incumbent Vice President Paul Russell and Secretary Verlene Enos retained their previously held leadership roles, while Albert Nelson joined the Tribal Council in his first term as councilman.

“All three elected positions underscore the 889 tribal members’ confidence in their ability to serve the best interests of the Yavapai people and propel the tribe to further growth and prosperity,” according to a press release providing the results.

A staunch supporter of native youth and firm believer in the role that spiritual guidance and education play in a successful community, Russell has enjoyed a highly respected public service career. He began working for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation’s human resources department in 1996, holding positions of increasing responsibility until he ran for public office 16 years ago. His re-election as vice president marks his fifth term serving on the Tribal Council.

Russell serves on the Executive Board as the Western Region Delegate for the National Indian Gaming Association (who granted him their 2021 Chairman’s Leadership Award) and an Alternate Delegate to the National Congress of American Indians. Previously, he was Treasurer and Vice Chairman of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association Executive Board.

Re-elected to her second term, Tribal Secretary Verlene Enos has been an intrinsic part of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation for more than 20 years, serving on the Tribal Council as well as working at the former Fort McDowell Casino.

The youngest of five siblings, Enos has lived in Fort McDowell for most of her life. She is the proud mother of three daughters and three grandchildren and serves as a Session Member of the Fort McDowell Presbyterian Church.

For more than a decade, Albert Nelson has worked for the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, serving as the Nation’s Culture Director, a recovery support specialist in the Wassaja Family Services, an interim Youth Council Coordinator, and a driver for the Senior Service Center.

A proud father of three daughters, Nelson has been honored to work for the Nation and is humbled to serve as its newest council member. His vision for the community includes a push for a brighter future through education, health, culture, language preservation and innovative opportunities for the tribal enterprises.

“By leveraging their unique talents and backgrounds, this newly elected tribal council will represent the best interests of our wonderful tribal community,” Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation President Bernadine Burnette said. “Together, we’ll continue to position our Nation as a leader among indigenous communities, guided by the sovereignty and grounded in Yavapai tradition and culture.”

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation is an 889-member Native American tribe that calls Central Arizona’s upper Sonoran Desert home. Located to the northeast of Phoenix within Maricopa County, the 40-square mile reservation is a small part of the ancestral territory of the once nomadic Yavapai people, who hunted and gathered food in a vast area of Arizona’s desert lowlands and mountainous Mogollon Rim country.

The tribe operates a variety of successful enterprises including the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Fort McDowell Adventures, Eagle View RV Resort, Baja Gas, Yavapai Materials and the Tribal Farm.