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Millie Thompson Williams has been elected by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas as the tribe’s Second Chief Elect. Williams will be the first woman to serve as a chief in the history of the tribe, which was forcefully relocated to Texas in the 18th century.
The Second Chief is known within the Tribe as the Mikko Istimatokla. The role of both the Principal and Second Tribal Chiefs, which serve for a lifetime, is to act as ambassadors of the tribe and to provide cultural advice to the Tribal Council and key tribal committees. Williams will be officially inaugurated along with Mikko Choba Elect (Principal Chief) Kanicu Donnis Battise on Jan. 1, 2023. The previous Mikko Choba, Herbert G. Johnson, Sr., passed away in August 2021.
Williams is a lifelong resident of the Alabama-Coushatta tribal community and has been an educator and Health/Mental Health Coordinator of the tribe’s Head Start Program for over 35 years. She is also a Sunday school teacher at the Indian Village Assembly of God Church, leading the classes in the tribal language. She is a tribal elder who is consulted for language preservation.
A mother of four children and grandmother to six, Williams is honored by this monumental and distinguished vote as the tribe’s next Mikko Istimatokla, which will place her in a highly esteemed position within the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas.
“This is an absolutely historic moment for our Tribe,” said Ricky Sylestine, the chairman of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Tribal Council. “We are proud of our new Second Chief and look forward to this new chapter in our story. She will be a great leader for our tribe, and her election will send a positive message to all of the young people in our community. The upcoming inauguration of our new chiefs is going to be a very exciting time for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas.”
CHRISTUS Health has been ranked by Forbes, a national business publication, as among the best employers in Texas in its annual Best Employers By State list. CHRISTUS is the top Texas-based health system in the Southeast Texas region in this year’s state-by-state ranking.
“Whether a seasoned nurse or a new grad, you will find a wealth of opportunity and an outstanding culture here,” said Paul Trevino, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Health System president and CEO. “We are grateful to be recognized as one of the best health care employers in the state of Texas and the best in this region.”
With market research company Statista, Forbes anonymously surveyed 70,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees. Survey respondents rated employers in several areas, including workplace safety, compensation and advancement opportunities. Survey respondents were also asked how likely they would recommend their employer to potential employees.
“We are a unique place to work because of our mission, to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, and because of our core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, stewardship and dignity.” said Kimberly King Webb, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer for CHRISTUS Health. “These are qualities that are not just worthwhile, they represent our highest priorities in how we treat each other and every interaction we have with those we are privileged to serve.”
CHRISTUS Health, including CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth, CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Mid-County Outpatient Center and CHRISTUS Southeast Texas-Jasper Memorial Hospital, is ranked in the top 30 in Forbes’ annual list of America’s Best Employers by State. There are thousands of places to work across Texas; this year’s Forbes list ranks just No. 101 of Texas businesses and organizations based on employee surveys.
The Lamar University principal and superintendent programs — master’s and post-graduate programs in the College of Education and Human Development — recently received national recognition through the Specialized Association Program, a rigorous program that requires data collection for evidence of a high rate of student success, as well as faculty using the data for program improvement.
Dr. Donna Fong, director of accreditation in the Department of Educational Leadership, said the data are based on key assessments completed by students throughout the program. These assessments are aligned with the National Policy Board for Educational Administration’s National Educational Leadership Preparation standards.
“The criteria include alignment of curriculum and instruction to the NELP stands and data-based evidence that students are successful in applying knowledge and skills associated with the NELP standards,” Fong said. “These standards are the nationally accepted standards for best practices for school administrators. Faculty in the principal and superintendent programs are involved in creating courses that are rigorous, aligned with NELP standards and include assessments that clearly measure appropriate components of these standards.”
For national recognition, an in-depth report that lists all measures of students’ success in applying NELP standards is compiled and provided to the national accrediting agency. The report is peer-reviewed to determine whether the program meets the criteria for national recognition.
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