Kansas City, MO—Joyce C. Dugan, principal chief of The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Gaming Entertainment Research and Education Foundation. The foundation supports scientific research on problem and underage gambling through the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG).
Dugan joins the foundation's 20-member board of directors, a distinguished group of educators, health care professionals, community and civic leaders and gaming industry representatives.
"We are honored that Chief Dugan has agreed to serve on the board," said Major General Paul A. Harvey (Ret.), chairman of the foundation. "She has had a distinguished career as an educator and as a tribal leader." In making the announcement, General Harvey said it is important for the board "to be aware of the perspectives of the Indian tribes involved in commercial gaming."
Dugan was elected principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in 1995. She is the first woman ever to be elected to this position. Previously she was a schoolteacher and superintendent of the Cherokee Central School system. Dugan has received the North Carolina Distinguished Woman Award, the Asheville Citizens/Times Citizen of the Year Award, and the Western Carolina University Alumni Award.
The Gaming Entertainment Research and Education Foundation raises funds for scientific research grants awarded through its division, the National Center for Responsible Gaming. The NCRG, an independent, nonprofit organization, is affiliated with the University of Missouri in Kansas City. It has awarded $2.6 million in grants in support of research on gambling disorders and youth gambling since its establishment in 1996.
