The recent selection of Comptroller Dennis Irby to also serve as Tribal Treasurer has opened an important discussion about one of the Tribe’s most significant financial offices and how qualified enrolled professionals can become more involved in serving their community.
During the special meeting where the appointment was considered, tribal members raised several questions about the position, its purpose and the process used to fill it.
Among the questions raised was a basic one: Why now?
Members questioned why the Tribal Treasurer position was being filled after having remained vacant for decades and what had changed to make the appointment necessary at this time.
Members also asked whether the Treasurer would supervise or exercise authority over the Tribe’s casino operations. During the meeting, it was clarified that the Treasurer would not supervise the casino operations.
Those questions are important because the Quechan Constitution and By Laws provide specific responsibilities for the Tribal Treasurer.
What the Constitution Says
The Quechan Constitution does not state that the Tribal Treasurer must be an enrolled member of the Tribe.
Instead, the By Laws require the Tribal Council to give careful and impartial consideration when selecting the Treasurer.
The section immediately preceding the Treasurer provision directs the Council to select the Tribal Secretary based upon the candidate’s qualifications. The Treasurer provision then requires the Council to use the same careful and impartial consideration in selecting the Treasurer.
That language places an important responsibility on the Council.
The issue is not simply whether the person selected is a tribal member or a nonmember.
The larger question is whether the Tribe has carefully considered the qualifications of the people who may be capable of performing the responsibilities of the office.
The Treasurer Has Significant Responsibilities
The Tribal Treasurer is not simply an honorary position.
Under the Quechan By Laws, the Treasurer is responsible for accepting, receiving, preserving and safeguarding funds in the custody of the Tribal Council.
The Treasurer must maintain accurate records of those funds and report receipts, expenditures and the amount and nature of funds in his or her custody.
The Treasurer may not disburse tribal funds unless the expenditure has been properly authorized by a resolution passed and recorded by the Tribal Council.
The Treasurer’s books and records must also be audited at least once each year by a competent auditor employed by the Council.
The Constitution further requires the Treasurer to be bonded and to attend regular and special meetings of the Tribal Council, although the Treasurer does not have a vote or a voice in Council deliberations.
These are substantial financial responsibilities involving the protection and accountability of tribal resources.
Comptroller and Treasurer
Irby already serves the Tribe as Comptroller and will now also serve as Tribal Treasurer.
That creates another important area for the membership to understand.
What responsibilities remain with the Comptroller?
What responsibilities belong specifically to the Treasurer?
How will the two roles operate when held by the same individual?
How will financial oversight, internal controls and accountability be maintained between the two functions?
These questions are not accusations against the individual selected.
They are reasonable governance questions whenever one person performs multiple financial roles within an organization.
The membership should understand how those responsibilities are divided and what safeguards are in place to protect tribal funds.
Where Are Our Qualified Quechan Professionals?
Another issue raised during the meeting was whether qualified Quechan members were available to serve.
The Constitution does not require the Treasurer to be a tribal member.
But there may be Quechan members living throughout Arizona, California and across the country who have professional experience in accounting, auditing, banking, finance and financial management.
Some may be Certified Public Accountants.
Others may have experience as controllers, finance directors, auditors, bankers or senior financial professionals.
Many of those individuals may have built successful careers away from the reservation and may not even know that their Tribe needs people with their experience.
Before assuming that qualified Quechan professionals are unavailable, they should have an opportunity to make themselves known.
A Call to Quechan Financial Professionals
If you are a Quechan tribal member with professional experience in accounting, auditing, finance, banking, financial management or a related field, consider submitting a letter of interest and résumé to the Quechan Tribal Council.
If you are a CPA or hold another professional financial credential, include that information.
If you live away from the reservation, that should not prevent you from expressing an interest in serving your Tribe.
And if you know a Quechan member who has built a career in one of these professions, share this information with them.
Encourage them to make their qualifications known.
This is not about excluding qualified nonmembers.
It is about making sure that when the Tribal Council considers important positions, qualified Quechan professionals are also aware of the opportunity and have a meaningful chance to be considered.
A Larger Conversation About Tribal Government
The appointment of a Tribal Treasurer presents an opportunity for the membership to become more familiar with the Quechan Constitution and the system of financial accountability it established.
Why was the Treasurer position vacant for so long?
Why is the position being filled now?
How will the Comptroller and Treasurer responsibilities be separated?
What qualifications were considered?
Were other qualified candidates considered?
Are there Quechan professionals willing to serve who simply have not been asked?
Those are questions worth discussing.
The Constitution places serious responsibility on the Tribal Treasurer to safeguard tribal funds and maintain financial accountability.
A position carrying that level of responsibility deserves careful consideration, clear communication and the strongest possible pool of qualified candidates.
To Quechan accountants, CPAs, auditors, bankers and financial professionals living here or away from home: if you are willing to serve your Tribe, make yourself known.
Submit a letter of interest. Submit your résumé. Give your Tribe the opportunity to consider your experience. Contact the Tribal Council Secretary Maria Barley tribalsecretary@quechantribe.com