Portland names Gerald Skelton Jr. as tribal government relations manager

The city of Portland, Oregon, has named Gerald D. Skelton Jr., a citizen of the Klamath Tribes, as its new tribal government relations manager, according to Underscore Native News + ICT. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson announced the appointment Feb. 3 during the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians winter convention in downtown Portland. The position had been vacant for nearly 16 months.

Skelton previously served for more than 15 years as director of the Klamath Tribes Culture and Heritage Department, where his work included archeological museum efforts and repatriation of ancestral remains, according to Skelton. He said he also has a background in energy development and worked with the Klamath Tribes during the Klamath River dam removal process. In his new role, Skelton will focus on government-to-government relationships with the nine federally recognized Native nations in Oregon and other Native nations across the region. He will report to Sam Chase, director of the Office of Government Relations.