Joe Shirley Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Shirley
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| 6th President of the Navajo Nation | |
| In office January 14, 2003 – January 11, 2011 |
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| Vice President | Frank Dayish Ben Shelly |
| Preceded by | Kelsey Begaye |
| Succeeded by | Ben Shelly |
| Member of the Navajo Nation Council | |
| In office 1986–1999 |
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| Succeeded by | Harry Clark Nelson Gorman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 4, 1947 Chinle, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Vikki Begay |
| Education | Magic Valley Christian College Abilene Christian University (BS) Arizona State University, Tempe (MSW) |
Joe Shirley Jr. (born December 4, 1947) is an important leader of the Navajo Nation. He is the only person to have served two terms as the President of the Navajo Nation. He was president from 2003 to 2011. He lives in Chinle, Arizona, and belongs to the Tódíchʼíiʼnii clan, born for the Tábąąhá clan.
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About Joe Shirley's Life
Joe Shirley Jr. was born in Chinle, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. His grandmother raised him from a young age. He is married to Vikki Shirley, and they have six children—three sons and three daughters. Vikki belongs to the Kiyaaʼáanii clan, born for the Maʼii Deeshgiizhnii clan. Her parents are Victor Moses Begay and Gladys Begay from Lukachukai, Arizona.
Joe Shirley graduated from Chinle High School in 1966. He studied at Magic Valley Christian College, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 1968. He then received a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Abilene Christian University in 1973. Later, he earned a Master's degree in Social Work from Arizona State University in 1978. In 2005, Northern Arizona University gave him an honorary doctorate. This award recognized his 35 years of service to the Navajo community.
Joe Shirley's Early Career
Before entering politics, Joe Shirley worked as a social worker for 15 years. In this role, he saw many challenges faced by Navajo communities firsthand. From 1983 to 1984, he was the executive director for the Navajo Nation Division of Social Services.
Joe Shirley's Political Journey
Joe Shirley served on the Navajo Nation Council for 13 years. During his time on the council, he held several important positions. He was the chairman of the Labor and Manpower Committee. He also served on the Advisory Committee from 1987 to 1991. From 1991 to 1995, he was the chairman of the Tax Commission. He was also a member of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. From 1995 to 1998, he chaired the Ethics and Rules Committee.
Apache County Supervisor (1984–2003, 2012–Present)
In 1984, Joe Shirley Jr. became an Apache County Supervisor for District I. He served in this role for 18 years before becoming President of the Navajo Nation. As a supervisor, he helped improve road maintenance services. He also helped expand the road yard and build a new fleet shop.
After his terms as Navajo Nation President, he was re-elected as an Apache County Supervisor in 2012. He currently serves as the chairman of the board of supervisors.
In 2002, Joe Shirley and his running mate, Frank Dayish, ran for President of the Navajo Nation. They won the election, defeating the sitting President, Kelsey Begaye. Joe Shirley was sworn in as President on January 14, 2003, in Window Rock, Arizona.
For his second term, Shirley chose Ben Shelly as his vice presidential running mate in 2006. Joe Shirley made history by becoming the first Navajo leader to be re-elected as President. His opponent in the 2006 Navajo Nation Election was Lynda Lovejoy. Shirley and Shelly won by a small number of votes and were sworn in again in January 2007.
In 2008, President Shirley supported Senator Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. On June 14, 2008, he received the Barry Goldwater Human Rights Corporate Award. This award recognized his support for Navajo LGBT rights. In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Shirley to the Federal Department of Homeland Security's Advisory Council. On December 11, 2009, Navajo voters decided to reduce the Navajo Nation Tribal Council from 88 to 24 members. This change was a big success for Shirley's administration.
In 2014, Joe Shirley ran for president again with Dineh Benally as his vice president. He received many votes in the primary election. The Navajo Supreme Court later changed the candidates for the general election. The special presidential election was held on April 21, 2015. Joe Shirley Jr. and Dineh Benally ran against Russell Begaye and Jonathan Nez. Shirley and Benally received 15,439 votes. Begaye and Nez won the election with 25,745 votes.
Awards and Special Appointments
Joe Shirley has received many awards and special appointments over the years. In 1996, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counties. This group includes more than 3,000 counties across the United States. In 1997, he was part of an Advisory Committee for the President's Commission of Sustainable Communities. From 1985 to 1991, he was a member of the Public Lands Committee.
Shirley also co-chaired the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Budget Advisory Council. He also co-chaired the Sovereignty Protection Initiative. In 2005, he received the Sovereignty Award from the National Indian Gaming Association. He also received the Nuclear-Free Future Award and the Distinguished Citizen Award from the University of New Mexico-Gallup. In 2007, his old university, Abilene Christian University, honored him. In 2009, he was appointed to the national Homeland Security Advisory Council.
