Jon has worked in the IT department for most of his 29 years with the Cherokee Nation. Jon is currently the Information Security Director and was recently assigned to that position after Cherokee Nation decided there was a need for an information security team. Jon served the last nine years as the CIO of Information Technology and as the Executive Director for five years prior to that. His strengths include: IT security, networking, routing, Microsoft domain architecture, data infrastructure and engineering, Cisco VoIP as well as database programming in various languages and applications. 

Jon has a Computer Science Degree from Northeastern State University located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma . Having served in the United States Air Force, he got his first exposure to mainframe computers in 1984 and has been working with computers and computer systems ever since. He is Vice President of the Oklahoma Native American Technology Council, a member of InfraGard, MS-ISAC, Tulsa CIO Forum and various other organizations.

The Cherokee Nation headquarters is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The reservation of the Cherokee Nation covers over 7,000 square miles and a total of 14 counties in northeast Oklahoma. The wide area network strategically covers this area with support from over 65 staff in the Information Technology team which will later include an information security team. These staff members support over 4500 employees with all of their data and telecommunications needs. 

Paula Starr is a Cherokee citizen leading technology delivery at the Cherokee Nation, the United States’ largest federally-recognized tribe. She leads an IT department that supports 4,000 employees across the 7,000 square mile Cherokee reservation and service delivery to 460,000 citizens across the United States and the globe. Paula’s team takes pride in upholding Cherokee community values while striving to provide protected and reliable services that their co-workers love and enhancing service delivery to help Cherokee citizens live better. Paula’s professional journey has taken her from starting her career as the first female member of Cherokee Nation’s Hospitality and Gaming IT department to the leadership of private sector technology teams across multiple countries and back to her roots at the Cherokee Nation. Paula has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Technology by Technology Magazine and is the recipient of a Top 50 Technologist OnCon Icon award.

John has over twenty-three years of unique experience in diverse technology domains that extend globally. He leads a diverse technical team, focusing on member services, education, judicial systems, housing, culture, public safety, and community broadband. The team(s) provide a creative approach to application management, technical support, and technical expertise for the Choctaw Nation. This is achieved by defining, recommending, and supporting “best-in-breed” solutions that deliver enhanced value and experiences to our members, employees, and communities.