James R. Gray

James Roan Gray, a citizen of the Osage Nation, currently serves as Director of Communications and Government Relations for the Cherokee Nation. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of the Native American Contractors Association. He is the former Principal Chief of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, having served two four-year terms from 2002-2010. During his tenure as Chief, Gray oversaw the Osage Nation's government reform process, which saw the nation draft its own constitution, design its own government, and define its own citizenship criteria. He also was at the helm of the Osage Nation's creation of a 25-year strategic plan, which addresses cultural preservation, education, health care, minerals and natural resources, governance and justice, and economic development.

Prior to serving as Chief of the Osage Nation, Gray was the co-publisher of the Native American Times, a nationwide Native-owned and operated newspaper dedicated to reporting stories in Indian Country. He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.