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Associate Commissioner
Sharon M. Avery
Sharon M. Avery serves as an Associate Commissioner of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). She was appointed to a three-year term as Associate Commissioner by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, effective May 6, 2024. Shortly thereafter, on May 15, 2024, the President of the United States appointed Commissioner Avery to serve as the NIGC’s Acting Chair. Her service as Acting Chair concluded on January 12, 2026, and on January 13, 2026, she resumed her role as Associate Commissioner.
In her role, Avery is responsible for regulating and ensuring the integrity of more than 500 Indian gaming facilities operated by over 250 tribes across 29 states. She joined the NIGC in January 2020 as an Associate General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel.
Prior to joining the NIGC, Avery served as General Counsel for Tribal Operations for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan for 3 years. She also worked in the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan’s Legal Department for 7 years as a Senior Associate General Counsel and Associate General Counsel.
Avery graduated Cum Laude from Central Michigan University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She graduated from Michigan State University College of Law in 2009 with a Juris Doctor degree and a certificate from the Indigenous Law & Policy Center.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act created the National Indian Gaming Commission to support tribal self-sufficiency and the integrity of Indian gaming. NIGC oversees the efficient regulation of more than 500 gaming establishments operated by 250 tribes across 29 states.