ADA, Okla. - The Chickasaw Nation announced Tuesday that Neal McCaleb, former Assistant Secretary to the Department of Interior (DOI), will join the Chickasaw Nation to lead the business development activities and diversification strategies of the tribe.
"We are very excited about the addition of Neal McCaleb to our business development team. He brings with him a tremendous amount of knowledge, understanding and experience of business development and tribal economies. His contributions will be immediately felt as he assists us with our business diversification plans," said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby.
During his time at the DOI, McCaleb focused on facilitating and encouraging economic development of tribal economies because he felt it was crucial to the sovereignty of Indian nations. "Economic development and entrepreneurship hold the key to real self reliance, real self determination," said McCaleb in a July interview.
As leader of the business development team, McCaleb will develop a strategy for the long term economic growth of the Chickasaw Nation. "My purpose is to assist the Chickasaw Nation in the development of a long term strategy and implementation plan for the economic growth and self-sufficiency of the Nation, for the long term well being of the Chickasaw people," said McCaleb.
McCaleb plans to investigate current and potential market opportunities for the tribe including retail, entertainment, information technology and government services contracting.
"We continuously search for opportunities to diversify and grow our business interests. Neal will be a considerable asset for the Chickasaw Nation by formulating and implementing strategies that contribute to our business portfolio," said Anoatubby.
The Chickasaw Nation has purchased Bank2 in Oklahoma City, Okla. and is currently building a new production facility and retail store for the tribally owned Bedre Chocolates. Chickasaw Nation Industries recently purchased the McSwain Theater in Ada, Okla.
A native of Oklahoma City, Okla., McCaleb has been a practicing engineer with more than 40 years' experience in designing and supervising the construction of roads, bridges, public facilities and architectural structures in Oklahoma and throughout the Southwest. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University. McCaleb is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. He and his wife Georgann have four grown children.
McCaleb served as Oklahoma's first Secretary of Transportation in Governor Bellmon's Administration from 1987 to 1991, and recently in Governor Keating's Administration from 1995 to 2001. During this time, he was responsible for overseeing the construction and maintenance of the state's transportation systems and the state-assisted general airports program.
In 1999, then-Secretary McCaleb negotiated the reinstatement of passenger rail service to Oklahoma with Amtrak after a 20-year absence. He was also the first in the history of the state government to serve concurrently as Director of both the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (1987 to 1995) and the Oklahoma Transportation Authority, as well as serving as Cabinet Secretary.
He served eight years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and was elected Minority Floor Leader in 1978.
McCaleb took the oath of office as a board member of Chickasaw Nation owned Bank2 in August 2000. He was a founding member of the tribally owned Bank2.
McCaleb recently resigned his Presidential appointment as the eighth Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to pursue, among other things, his interest in tribal economic development.
