Stephen Lewis

Stephen Roe Lewis was raised in Sacaton, “Gu-u-Ki”, on the Gila River Indian Community. His parents are Rodney and Willardene Lewis. His paternal grandparents are the late Rev. Roe Blaine and Sally Lewis. His maternal grandparents are the late Willard and Catherine Pratt. Mr. Lewis has an eighteen year old son, Daniel. Stephen Roe Lewis graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors Science and pursued graduate studies at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Governor Lewis has served the Community as a Gaming Commissioner for the Gila River Gaming Commission, as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gila River Telecommunications, Inc., and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gila River Healthcare Corporation.

Governor Lewis was the first Native film curator for the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and was an Associate Producer for the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed TBS six-part feature documentary, "The Native Americans."

Governor Lewis has worked on numerous political campaigns and organizing projects throughout Indian Country including Native voter organizing and Native voter protection in 2002 and selected as an Arizona delegate and Co-Chairing the Native American Caucus for the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Currently Governor Lewis proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), the Executive Board for the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) and the Board of Trustees for the Heard Museum of Phoenix.

Governor Lewis currently oversees the implementation of the Community’s Water Settlement of 2004 (the largest water settlement of its kind in United States history). Governor Lewis advocates for renewable and green technologies guided by O'otham agricultural history and cultural teachings. Governor Lewis’s vision is to support a new generation of Community member agriculturalists with the goal of promoting and protecting the Community's shudag (water) and agricultural development for future generations.

Governor Lewis has made it a priority of his administration in two critical areas: To expand services for Community Veterans by proposing the Community’s first Veteran's and Family Services Department and by committing more resources to protect the Community's children by advocating for the protection of the Indian Child Welfare Act both at home and nationally.

Governor Lewis previously served the Community as Lieutenant Governor before being elected Governor in 2014.