Tribal Advisor

Terri Parton served as the President for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes for 3 terms, a total of 12 years.  She is an enrolled member of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.  She graduated from Gracemont Public Schools and has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Business Administration and a Master of Jurisprudence in Indian Law. Terri worked for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes for 26 ½ years beginning her service to the Tribe in January, 1998.

Terri worked in several capacities for the Tribe throughout the years.  Her first job at the Tribe was a Water Technician where she also assisted with the tag office.  She then served as the Tribal Government Services Specialist where she performed work in the Enrollment Office, Tag Office, Burial Assistance, Children’ Clothing Assistance, Elder Payments, National Park Service Grants and other capacities. Terri has also written and helped write several grants.  Terri proudly taught the Wichita Language Classes to Wichita children alongside the last fluent speaker of the Wichita language from 2006 to 2009 and taught classes when time permitted a few years later.  She also participated in the Breath of Life Workshop in 2012 at the University of Oklahoma Sam Noble Museum where she did work with the Wichita Language.

Terri has served on the Wichita Annual Dance Committee, Foster Care Review Board, Wichita Tribe Industrial Development Commission and served as Secretary for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes from July 2004 to August 2011 and later Chairman.  She served on the Wichita Gaming Oversight Subcommittee (WGOSC) in her capacity as Secretary and later in her capacity as President for the Tribe.  She served on several boards on behalf of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes including the Chairman of the Southwest Oklahoma Inter-Tribal Health Board, Board Member of the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, WCD Enterprises, Inc. and as a Co-Chair and At-Large member for the SAMHSA Tribal Advisory Committee.  She has served as the Oklahoma City Representative for the Indian Health Service National Budget Formulation Committee.  She previously served as an At-Large Representative for the HHS Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee (STAC) and Chairman of the Direct Service Tribes Advisory Committee (DSTAC).

During her 12 years as a tribal President, she was successful in many economic development ventures, construction of buildings, pursing innovative grant opportunities, acquiring hundreds of acres of land, taking land into trust, developing new programs, growing the Tribe in millions of dollars in grant revenue, bringing teams together for projects, generating revenue and creating jobs.

She was the first Elected Woman President for the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes. She served 3 terms as President, July 2012, July 2016 and July 2020. Her final term ended on July 20, 2024.