Chris Deschene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Deschene
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| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 2nd district |
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| In office January 2009 – January 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Albert Tom |
| Succeeded by | Albert Hale |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 (age 54–55) California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| Alma mater | U.S. Naval Academy (B.S.) Arizona State University (M.S.) Arizona State University (J.D.) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  Marine Corps |
Christopher L. Clark Deschene is an American politician, lawyer, and expert in energy. He is a member of the Navajo Nation. Deschene was a candidate for Secretary of State in Arizona in 2010. He also worked for the United States Department of Energy during the Barack Obama administration.
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Early Life and Education
Christopher Deschene was born in California in 1970. He later moved to Arizona with his parents. His mother was a homemaker from Dennehotso, Arizona, and his father was a welder from Tuba City, Arizona.
Deschene grew up in LeChee, Arizona. He went to high school in Page, Arizona. After graduating in 1989, he attended the United States Naval Academy. In 1993, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. He also became a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Military Service
As a Marine, Deschene served in different places overseas. These included the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia. He completed two tours of active duty. After that, he continued to serve as a reservist. He served a total of 10 years in the military.
College and Law School
After his time in the Marines, Deschene continued his education. He earned a law degree (called a Juris Doctor) from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. He also received a Master's of Science degree in engineering.
An important part of his family history is his grandfather. His grandfather was a Navajo code talker during World War II. These brave individuals used their native language to send secret messages.
Public Service and Career
After college, Christopher Deschene co-founded a law firm. It was called Law Office of Schaff & Clark Deschene. This firm focused on legal issues related to energy. He worked there for ten years.
Arizona House of Representatives
From 2009 to 2011, Deschene served in the Arizona House of Representatives. He represented District 2. In this role, he was part of committees that dealt with natural resources, water, and energy.
Before being elected, he was active in politics. He led the Democratic Party in Apache County from 2007 to 2008. He also chaired the Native American Democratic Caucus.
Running for Secretary of State
In 2010, Deschene ran for Secretary of State in Arizona. He won the Democratic Party's nomination. He received 62.7% of the votes. However, he did not win the general election.
In 2015, Deschene ran for president of the Navajo Nation. He was later removed from the election. This happened because of a rule about speaking the Navajo language.
Work in the Obama Administration
In 2015, Deschene joined the United States Department of Energy. He became the director for the Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs. He worked under Secretary Ernest Moniz. He stayed in this role until the end of the Obama administration. He also helped with the change to the next administration.
Current Work
In June 2017, he became a partner at Rosette, LLP. This law firm has an office in Washington, D.C.. There, he continues to practice energy law.
