Especially for the independent
Navajo County Supervisors said goodbye to two members, Lee Jack and Jesse Thompson, last week.
Both members of the Navajo Nation, Jack and Thompson, have long, excellent records of community service, the Navajo soft-spoken courtesy, and a constant commitment to forging connections between the residents of the reservation and the rest of the county.
The board paused Tuesday to acknowledge the deep contributions from Thompson and Jack, who often set the tone for supervisors. Your warm opening prayers and invocations, the occasional use of Navajo from the podium, frequent expressions of thanks, reluctance to face confrontations or criticism, and commitment to constituent service set the tone for the convivial board meetings.
Thompson resigned from the board of directors and is replaced by Alberto Peshlakai, who was director of tribal government relations for Navajo County and served on the Navajo County Fair Board.
Supervisor Lee Jack
Lee Jack lost his seat to Fern Benally, who is from Black Mesa and is president of the Forest Lakes Chapter on the Navajo Reservation. She was an activist trying to force the Peabody Coal Mine to respond to the health problems and pollution and depletion of the water table caused by decades of coal mining on the reservation.
Supervisor Jesse Thompson
Thompson was first elected to the Navajo County Board of Directors in 1992 and has served six terms. He previously worked as a tribal operations specialist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. During his tenure, he served on numerous committees and regional organizations.
The County’s Tribute to Thompson concluded: “For the past 28 years, Supervisor Jesse Thompson has dedicated his life to serving the people of Navajo County. “Jesse”, as he is affectionately known, is a true voice for people. He cares deeply and is committed to improving the quality of life by providing opportunities that support and bless his constituents whom he serves. When a person or family has a need, Jesse is there to listen and follow, to do whatever he can to help. If there is a community need, Jesse is there and will work diligently to alleviate the challenge or need. It’s no surprise that at the Navajo County Board of Supervisors’ online retirement tribute on December 8th, so many people he served waited in line to say, “Thank you, Jesse. We are better because of you. “
His achievements on the Board of Directors include working with the Army Corps of Engineers to significantly improve flood control for Winslow, rebuild the historic Chevelon Canyon Bridge, improve the roads in the Homolovi Ruins, establish the Navajo County’s Prison District and Senior centers fund veterans affairs.
A 1973 graduate of Northern Arizona University with a degree in Education, he has forged deep connections between the county and the Navajo reservation. He commented: “We were very successful with the challenges because we faced them together.”
Thompson and his wife Louise live in teesto hard rock and have five children and nine grandchildren.
District 1 Supervisor Jack was elected in 2016 and represents a district focused on the Navajo Reservation.
“It was truly an honor to serve on the Navajo County Board of Directors,” said Jack. “The job was very challenging and exciting at the same time. The board I work with has been very supportive and united, and we also have great people who support us and make our job easier, ”said Jack.
It came when the county was struggling to recover from the great recession. Layoffs and cuts were limited to the county services and took years to restore. Just as the county was progressing, the closure of the Navajo Power Plant and Peabody Mine caused new tax damage. As a result, Jack’s tenure has been spent getting through rather than expanding the services. In addition, years of severe drought exacerbated existing water supply problems in the reserve.
The county managed to deal with these disruptions and won the creation of the prison district – which put the county’s finances on a better footing. However, the pandemic then crashed into the county, taking a particularly heavy toll on the Navajo nation and District 1.
Jack focused on improving the quality of life in many small reservation communities in his district that were struggling with high unemployment, health concerns and poor infrastructure even before the pandemic. He also served as the Council Delegate for the Navajo Nation.
He campaigned for various agreements between the county and parishes of the Navajo Nation that focused on both providing road material for the county as a whole and improving road maintenance on the network of potholed, erosion-prone dirt roads in the reserve. He acts as a broker for partnerships between the Navajo Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the county, and private companies.
The vast expanse of the district – larger than some US states – and the aftermath of financial and medical crises proved to be challenging.
“Even my dogs forgot about me,” joked Jack.
He said that there is still a lot of work to be done. District 1 is “in a very rural area where the communities still lack basic infrastructure. I am doing my best to help them address some of these problems on the part of Navajo County through partnerships with the tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “
I pray that one day these streets will be tended.
Prior to this honorable job, I was a member of the Navajo Nation Council for 16 years. It has been a blessing and an honor to serve my people. “
Jesse Thompson’s committees:
National Association of Counties (NACo)
Northern Arizona Government Council (NACOG)
Tourism Committee of the Economic Development Council
NACOG Transportation Advisory Committee representing the tribal government.
Northern Region Advisory Committee (NRAC) on Homeland Security
Navajo Nation Office, Navajo-Hopi Land Commission
Former member of the Little Colorado River Plateau Resource Conservation and Development (LCR RC&D).
County Supervisors Association (CSA),
Arizona Association of Counties (AACo),
Former Chairman of the ANEED (Arizona North Eastern Economic Development) Committee
Former member of the Tri County-State Elected Group.
Arizona State Transportation Board
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