The Tulsa World is reporting that Baker’s new CNB board chairman/mortician is already taking on grim reaper status: Sam Hart announced today, a mere seven days after being named Chairman, that he and the rest of the board told David Stewart, who runs all of Cherokee Nation’s business operations, to leave his office on Wednesday and turned the keys over to Shawn Slaton, who has been with CNB for “more than a decade.”The World quotes Hart as saying: “CNB has established the Cherokee Nation as a strong economic engine in the region, and we look forward to continuing that legacy.”
They also point out that CNB made “record profits -- $87.54 million with nearly $600 million in operating revenues…” in 2010.
They also point out that CNB made “record profits -- $87.54 million with nearly $600 million in operating revenues…” in 2010.
So if Stewart was in charge of establishing “the Cherokee Nation as a strong economic engine…” and is making “record profits,” why is he gone, exactly?
We've talked about Baker’s habit of replacing Cherokee citizens with a track record of success with his own folks, because, well, they are his own folks. Among the highlights: having Hart step away from the embalming table to run all of Cherokee Nation’s businesses because he didn’t want the Cherokee who runs a $5 billion bank giving his advice, and replacing the treasurer of the Nation who won awards for excellence with someone who MIGHT be the best CPA in Vian.
It will be interesting to see where he pulls Stewart’s replacement from.
