Lisa Johnson Billy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Chickasaw Tribal Legislature from Pontotoc District, Seat 5 | |
| Assumed office 2016 | |
| In office 1996–2002 | |
| Member of the board of trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation | |
| Assumed office December 27, 2017 | |
| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Oklahoma Secretary of Native American Affairs | |
| In office January 2019 – December 2019 | |
| Governor | Kevin Stitt |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Brian Bingman |
| Oklahoma Native American Affairs Liaison | |
| In office January 2019 – December 2019 | |
| Governor | Kevin Stitt |
| Preceded by | Chris Benge |
| Succeeded by | Brian Bingman |
| Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 42nd district | |
| In office 2004–2016 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Joel Mitchell |
| Succeeded by | Timothy J. Downing |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 21, 1967 Purcell, Oklahoma |
| Nationality | American Chickasaw Nation |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Northeastern State University, University of Oklahoma |
| Profession | Educator, small business owner |
Lisa Johnson Billy (born February 21, 1967) is a Chickasaw and American politician who has served in the legislatures of Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation. She has served as a tribal councillor for the Chickasaw Nation since 2016 and previously served on the council between 1996 and 2002. She represented Oklahoma House of Representatives district 42 from 2004 to 2016 and was appointed by President of the United States Donald Trump to the board of trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation in 2017.
She held the positions of Oklahoma Secretary of Native American Affairs and Oklahoma Native American Affairs Liaison in 2019 after her appointment by Governor Kevin Stitt.
Billy was born on February 21, 1967, in Purcell, Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Frank Johnson Sr. and the late Beverly Jones Johnson.[1] Frank was a Chickasaw elder and former tribal legislator.[2]
Billy earned a bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University and a Master's degree from the University of Oklahoma.[3]
Prior to serving in elected office, Billy worked as a teacher for the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Oklahoma and was a board member of Girl Scouts of the USA and cub scout leader for the Boy Scouts of America.[4] Billy served as a member of the Chickasaw Nation's tribal legislature between 1996 and 2002.[3]
In 2004, she was elected to represent house district 42 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She served as the deputy whip from 2004 to 2006, vice chair of the Republican caucus from 2006 to 2008, and majority floor leader from 2014 to 2016.[3] She was the first Native American, the first woman, and the first Chickasaw Nation citizen to represent her district. She formed the state's first Native American caucus. During her term, she supported legislation related to tribes in Oklahoma such as allowing Native American language classes to be taken for a foreign language credit in Oklahoma high schools.[2] She cites Helen Cole as her mentor.[4]
On November 21, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Billy to be a member of the board of trustees of the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation for a term expiring August 25, 2024.[5] On December 21, 2017, the United States Senate confirmed her nomination by voice vote.[6] She officially took office on December 27, 2017.[citation needed]
In January 2019, Governor Kevin Stitt appointed Billy to serve as the first Oklahoma Secretary of Native American Affairs. She resigned in December 2019 citing the Stitt administration's conflict with tribal governments over gaming compacts in the state.[7]
In 2016, Billy was elected to a three-year term in the Chickasaw Nation legislature.[8] She was sworn in October 3, 2016.[9] She was unopposed in her campaign for re-election in 2019 and 2022.[10][11]
