The Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council has welcomed two new members, Adam Red and Kevin Frost, who both gathered the highest number of votes during the tribal runoff election, which was held on Friday, Dec. 16. Red and Frost will be filling in for the vacated seats of James M. Olguin and Melvin J. Baker, who adjourned from their positions at the beginning of December.
Red garnered a number of 174 votes while Frost closed out with 143 votes. Other nominees running for a seat in Tribal Council included Shane Siebel (138 votes) and Joycelyn Peabody Dutchie (114 votes).
A certification of votes and a swearing in ceremony was held in Council Chambers on Monday, Dec. 19 as the two candidates officially took their seats following their inauguration that was facilitated by Chief Judge Chantel Cloud.
“I thank all of the support that has been given, and I thank the Creator for guiding me through,” stated Red. “I also want to thank all of the tribal membership who got out and voted for me. There’s a lot of work to be done, and I look forward to working with my fellow councilmembers.”
Kevin Frost gave personal thanks by stating, “I give my sincerest thanks to the tribal membership. I am humbled by the trust and responsibility I have been given in order to aide our membership. We must remember that Democracy dies behind closed doors, and while the road ahead will not be easy, we must focus and invest our intention on the tribal membership, because they are our biggest assets. Leaders set out to make a difference, and the time has come for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
Vice Chairman Alex S. Cloud commemorated the two councilmen by stating, “I congratulate Mr. Frost and Mr. Red on their victory, as well as giving thanks to the tribal membership for going out and exercising their right to vote. There are a lot of fresh ideas that will be brought to the table, and I admire their perseverance because they have shown that they want to be here. We look forward to working with them and move forward in a good way for our membership.”
“It’s time for the younger leaders to step in,” stated councilwoman Amy J. Barry. “I look forward to working with Mr. Red and Mr. Frost in sailing this ship toward success. Congrats to them, and we’ll be sure to roll up our sleeves along with them.”
Southern Ute Tribal Chairman Clement J. Frost gave support to the newly elected councilmembers by stating, “Mr. Red has worked with the Southern Ute Growth Fund for a number of years and I know he can share with us the knowledge of his experiences. I also want to personally congratulate Mr. Frost who has supported the membership for so long. Since this will be my last journey in Tribal Council, I just wanted to say that it’s nice to welcome in a younger leadership. It’s been a road that had many difficulties, but we all learned from one another. It’s up to us to not leave the tribal membership behind. We take care of our people first. I thank all of those who voted and the staff who worked hard during this election.”
Tribal elder Judy Lansing who attended the swearing in ceremony congratulated Mr. Red and Frost by stating, “It’s been a long journey for both Kevin and Adam, but they made it. I know they will use all their knowledge they have received in their background. Congrats to both of them for their long hard work and you will have even harder work ahead. Just don’t forget about us as your people, and always listen to your chairman.”