Kirk Perry

Mr. Kirk Perry is the secretary for the Chickasaw Foundation, and has served on the Board since April 2001. He is also the administrator for the Chickasaw Nation Division of Heritage Preservation. His Chickasaw parents are Johnson and Sophia Perry. His education in general business and mathematics at East Central University has helped his careers that include inspection, land survey, architecture and engineering, contract administration for highway, housing and commercial building design and construction.

As former deputy director of the Chickasaw Housing Au- thority during its infancy in the 1970s, he helped establish new programs. During this time the Chickasaws’ successfuol programs became recognized as examples nationally on management and development of Indian housing. Chickasaw programs became the second largest Indian housing authority in the nation in the 1970s.

Knowing the need for Indian housing program training on and the National American Indian Housing while serving both organizations as an officer and board member. He helped establish needed nationwide Indian programs for counseling, project-based budgeting development practices, housing management training and certification programs and professional certification of housing managers while serving on national coalitions.

For over 25 years, Mr. Perry has operated successful businesses including architecture planning and consulting, oil & gas land man leasing, commercial and residential building inspection, and as a general construction contractor before returning to work for The Chickasaw Nation.

Growing up as a Chickasaw makes his present work especially rewarding working with Chickasaw people toward the preservation of Chickasaw culture and history. The Nation has many new growing programs that preserve and revitalize our language, rich history, repatriation and culture. Preservation required partnering with many institutions while dealing with a variety of multi-state federal officials and organizations assuring protection of our past.