Paul Brooks Elected Chairman of Lumbee Tribe

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Currents. Discussion »

Tribal Membership 55,000

PEMBROKE, NORTH CAROLINA - Paul Brooks, longtime member of the North Carolina Commission Indian Affairs, has been elected tribal chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

Brooks received 1,797 out of 4,026 votes cast among the candidates running, according to unofficial results posted on the Tribe's website.

"I would say it was probably, basically all the people who had the confidence in me that we might have the experience to be able to make the right changes down here that need to be made," commented Brooks.

Brooks has served on the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs since 1991 and is the Commission's current chairman. In 2010, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue appointed Brooks to serve on the board of the state's Golden Leaf Foundation.

Brooks is a licensed general contractor. For the past 20 years, he has worked in health care. He is a widower, who was married to the late Pauline Sampson Brooks for over 46 years. He has five children.

The election will be certified on Monday evening and it is possible Brooks will assume the chairmanship soon thereafter next week.

Sharon Hunt has served as chair since assuming the position in May after the resignation of Purnell Swett, who cited health reasons. Hunt the first female chair of the Tribe chose not to seek election.

Based in Pembroke, the Tribe has membership of 55,000.

posted November 19, 2011 6:30 am est