Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, met with new Seminole Nation Chief Sena Yesslith and Sharon Scott, executive director of the Seminole Nation on Feb. 2.

“Congratulations to Chief Sena Yesslith on her new role leading the Seminole Nation. I was proud to visit with her and Executive Director Sharon Scott, and I’m excited about the strong relationship we share between the Seminole Nation and House District 28,” Williams said in a statement. “Our district is home to deep tribal history and proud tribal citizens, and those ties remain as strong as ever. I look forward to working alongside Chief Yesslith and Seminole Nation leadership as we continue building on that partnership for the people we serve.”

Yesslith, a graduate of Varnum High School, was elected as Principal Chief last August. She served as a representative of the Mekusukey Band from 2013 to 2021. In 2021, she ran for chief against Chilcoat and Johnson, finishing third with 306 votes (17.8 percent). For more than a decade, Yesslith worked in child welfare at Eastern Oklahoma Youth Services Inc. and the Indian Child Welfare Department of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma. After becoming a mother, she attended Haskell Indian Nations University, earning an associate’s degree in 2003.

Scott has been Executive Director of the Seminole Nation since May 2022. Prior to that, she was an executive assistant on the Nation’s Business and Regulatory Commission. She also worked for the Chickasaw Nation.

Since 2020, Williams has represented District 28 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes portions of Pottawatomie and Seminole counties. He previously represented the district from 1988 to 1994. Williams serves on the Children, Youth and Family Services Committee, the A&B Human Services Subcommittee, the Election and Ethics Committee, the Health and Human Services Oversight Committee, and the Public Service Committee.