Ray Halbritter

Ray Halbritter, Nation Representative of the Oneida Indian Nation and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its five diverse lines of business, is a man of vision. Determined to set the Nation on a course that would lead to economic self-sufficiency and a cultural renaissance, Halbritter crafted a development plan that in less than two decades has dramatically reversed the circumstances of the Oneida people.

His accomplishments include achieving federal government recognition of the Nation's traditional form of government, creating numerous health and social programs for Nation Members, constructing new housing, and establishing education programs that have increased the number of Oneidas enrolled in higher education from four just eight years ago to 150 today. These achievements have been made possible by the revenue earned from the Nation enterprises that Halbritter guides.

Halbritter was named chief executive officer of the Oneida Nation's enterprises in 1990. He has served in the leadership position of Nation Representative since 1975. As political leader, Halbritter is responsible for guiding the Oneida Nation along a course that safeguards the well-being of the Nation and its members for the seventh generation to come.

As CEO of the Oneida Nation enterprises, Halbritter successfully negotiated a gaming compact with the State of New York that resulted in the development of Turning Stone Casino Resort, the first legal casino in the state. This precedent-setting contract has become a model for compact negotiations between other states and Indian nations.

Today, the resort houses a world-class casino with a variety of table games and Instant Multi-Game machines, the cashless slot machine technology developed and patented by the Oneida Nation. The resort also boasts a 285-room luxury hotel, six exclusive retail shops, six restaurants, a convention center, entertainment showroom and a championship level golf club.

As Halbritter continues working to achieve his vision for a financially secure future for the Oneida Nation and its people, he is directing a capital expansion program designed to enhance and broaden the base of the Nation's core businesses. The Nation has expanded its businesses beyond hospitality and gaming to include retail shops, manufacturing, convenience stores, and media. Four Directions Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Oneida Nation, publishes Indian Country Today, an award-winning national newspaper that focuses on Native American issues. Halbritter serves as president and CEO of Four Directions Media.

Prior to being named CEO of the Oneida Nation's enterprises in 1990, Halbritter attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree. Before returning to school, Halbritter had been general manager of the Nation's enterprises. His work included developing and implementing an investment plan to raise working capital for the businesses, as well as designing systems and management processes. Halbritter had returned to the Nation to accept this position in 1985, after graduating from Syracuse University with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. In May 1998, Halbritter received an honorary doctorate degree of humane letters from SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome.

Halbritter was motivated to leave his earlier pattern of blue-collar work and attend the university by his compelling desire to improve the quality of life for the Oneida people. Halbritter's pre-college jobs included working as a structural and new construction examiner for the City of Syracuse, N.Y.; as a heavy-duty Teamster for a Rome, N.Y., construction company; as a structural steel inspector for a testing laboratory; and as an ironworker. He also worked as program manager and cultural researcher for the Yukon Indian Cultural Education Society, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory.

Halbritter serves on the boards of directors of the International Native American Center for the Performing and Visual Arts and of the Harvard Native American Law Board. He is a member of the National Advisory Council for the American Indian Program at Cornell University. He is a member of the National Congress of American Indians in Washington, D.C., the United South and Eastern Tribes, based in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Canadian Native Arts Foundation in Toronto. He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law, where he taught Native American Law at the graduate level from 1993 to 1994. He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the New York University Law School and Syracuse University College of Law. Locally, Halbritter is a member of the Economic Development and Planning Committee for the City of Oneida. He also serves on the editorial advisory board of Indian Gaming News magazine and is a member of the Syracuse District Board of KeyBank N.A. In 2000, he was named to the board of directors for The Gaming Manufacturers Association, the first time Indian gaming has been represented on this board. Most recently, he was named to the advisory board for the SUNY Institute of Technology's School of Management.