TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Debra Proctor was sworn in as the fifth and newest member of the Cherokee Nation Election Commission by Judge Luke T. Barteaux at the Feb. 9 meeting of the Council of the Cherokee Nation.
Proctor, who was appointed with a 4-0 vote by the other members of the Election Commission on Dec. 30 and confirmed by the Council’s Rules Committee, is stepping in for the commission’s previous fifth-seat selection, Elizabeth Ballew.
Proctor previously served as senior director of Cherokee Nation’s ONE FIRE Victim Services before retiring in 2024. She also dedicated 46 years to working in health care, serving in leadership positions for the Cherokee Nation, as well as in grant-funded and private-sector settings. Proctor played an integral part in the Cherokee Nation’s Task Force to Protect Women and Families, which was created by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in 2021 to address domestic violence and to implement new policies to support survivors.
Proctor’s father, Goodlow Proctor, served on the Council of the Cherokee Nation for 16 years and was initially appointed by then-Principal Chief W.W. “Bill” Keeler and later reelected.
She earned her first registered nursing degree at 19 after receiving advice from her father, Proctor said. She has spent nearly 50 years serving Cherokee Nation citizens and Native communities and has been involved in community, state and national politics.
“I love serving my tribe and am honored to do so in this capacity,” Proctor said. “I appreciate that the other commissioners selected me through the interview process.”
Several of Proctor’s new responsibilities on the Election Commission include maintaining accurate voter registration lists, selecting polling locations and overseeing their operation, upholding campaign finance laws, and handling election disputes.
The Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation appoints the first two members of the Election Commission, the Council of the Cherokee Nation selects the next two, and the four commissioners choose the fifth.